Sean Combs’ History of Controversies and Allegations

Sean Combs’ History of Controversies and Allegations


Sean Combs, who faces charges including sex trafficking, has a long history of controversy and legal battles – Credit: Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images

After facing multiple lawsuits in recent months alleging sexual assault and other crimes, Sean Combs was indicted Sept. 17 on charges of sex trafficking by force, racketeering conspiracy, fraud or coercion and transporting for prostitution. Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, called it an “unjust prosecution,” and said his client is “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”

In November, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura kicked off what became a tsunami of accusations against Combs with a lawsuit against Combs in New York federal court that included graphic claims of sexual assault, physical abuse, and an allegation that Combs, her ex-boyfriend, would force her to have sex with male sex workers while he watched.

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The recent charges are not the first controversies that the music mogul and entrepreneur has faced over the years. Combs has attempted to rebrand himself as “Brother Love,” but he has a prolonged history of allegations of violence, dating back to the Nineties. He’s never been convicted of a serious crime, but has repeatedly been accused of having violent encounters with everyone from his exes Ventura and Gina Huynh (who alleged physical abuse in 2019) to executive Steve Stoute and rappers like J. Cole and Drake.

Responding to Ventura’s claims, Combs’ attorney Ben Brafman told the New York Times that “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.” The two reached an “amicable” settlement for an undisclosed amount on Nov. 17, but numerous other lawsuits followed.

Here is a timeline of Combs’ controversies over the years:

CCNY Tragedy, 1991

Combs co-promoted a celebrity basketball game and concert at City College of New York where nine people died and 29 people were injured. The gym had a capacity of 2,730 people but as many as 5,000 people showed up to the event, which didn’t have enough security to control the throng. After organizers closed the doors and stopped letting attendees in, people outside broke the gymnasium’s doors and rushed the lobby, causing a stampede. Then-New York City Mayor David Dinkins’ administration published a 67-page report called “A Failure Of Responsibility” that cited Combs for hiring inadequate, inexperienced security. Combs settled a slew of lawsuits from family members of attendees who died at the gymnasium, finalizing the last suit in 2000.

Jake Robles Shooting, 1995

Combs and Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight were once friends, but the animosity that fueled the violent rivalry between Death Row and Bad Boy started once Knight’s friend (and security guard) Jake Robles was killed outside an Atlanta nightclub after an argument with the Bad Boy camp. The men were celebrating musician Jermaine Dupri’s birthday at Platinum City Club when, as then-Fulton County Sheriff Deputy Chris Howard told police, an argument began between members of the Bad Boy and Death Row Records entourage. Howard said that he escorted Combs and his guests outside to leave the club, and thought the coast was clear to allow Knight and his entourage to leave. But, as Howard told the Los Angeles Times, “[Knight’s] partner was just about ready to get into the limo when all of a sudden Puffy’s guys came from around the corner . . . and one of them had a gun.” Howard said he chased the man, who handed the gun to another person, who shot Robles “two or three times.” According to the Times, the person then jumped into a “car carrying Combs’ associates.” Robles died weeks later at an Atlanta hospital. Combs has denied involvement in the shooting, which Knight reportedly held him responsible for.

Attacking Steve Stoute, 1998

In 1998, Combs and two other men attacked Steve Stoute after the music executive, then Nas’ manager, erroneously sent MTV a version of Combs and Nas’ “Hate Me Now” music video which contained scenes depicting Combs as Jesus Christ being crucified. Combs wanted the crucifixion scene deleted from the video, and was enraged that it played on-air. Stoute says that Combs and two men barged into his New York City office and attacked him with a champagne bottle. He was charged with second-degree assault and criminal mischief. Stoute claims that his arm and jaw was broken in the attack, but Combs denied any bones were broken to MTV, also telling the network, “I basically went to his office, and what happened in his office, I really can’t speak about but I can say this: the way I handled myself in his office was completely wrong and I’ve since apologized to Steve about that and I felt like, you know, I just disappointed myself.” Combs was sentenced to a one-day anger management class.

Club New York Shooting, 1999

In late December 1999, Combs and his Bad Boy signee Jamal “Shyne” Barrow were partying at Club New York when Diddy knocked a drink out of Matthew “Scar” Allen’s hands. Allen got into an argument with Combs and someone threw money in Combs’ face. Allen also threatened to kill Shyne. Prosecutors allege that amid the fray, all three men drew guns, and Shyne shot three times in the crowded club. Three people were shot. Combs, who was arrested with two nine-millimeter guns in his car, was charged with four weapons charges and for bribing his driver to claim that the guns were his own. A witness at the trial said she saw both Shyne and Combs shoot their weapons, but Combs was acquitted on all charges, while Shyne was found guilty of five of his eight charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Scuffle with J. Cole, 2013

In 2013, Combs was allegedly involved in an altercation with J. Cole at a 2013 MTV VMAs afterparty. Multiple sources alleged to Complex that a “visibly intoxicated” Combs accosted Kendrick Lamar about his fiery verse on Big Sean’s “Control,” where he bragged he was “King of New York.” Combs allegedly tried to pour a drink on Kendrick before Cole intervened and they got into a fight. The New York Post, however, reported that the scuffle occurred after “J. Cole was saying inappropriate things to Sean Combs and his girlfriend, Cassie.” A witness told them that “Some pushing and shoving happened. No punches were thrown, but it was a visible disturbance.” Both men immediately denied a fight took place, though Cole later rapped, “My last scrap was with Puff Daddy, who would’ve thought it?” on 2021’s “Let Go My Hand.”

Allegedly Punches Drake, 2014

In December 2014, Combs allegedly punched Drake over the rights to the beat that became Drake’s “0 to 100.” The Miami New-Times reported that the two got into an argument outside of LIV nightclub during DJ Khaled’s event for Basel Weekend. Words were allegedly exchanged, and reportedly, “then blows,” with Combs telling Drake, “You will not disrespect me.” Combs has denied punching Drake, telling the radio show The Breakfast Club “I didn’t do nothing to Drake, Drake is my friend.”

Fights UCLA Coach, 2015

In June of 2015, Combs got into a scuffle with then-UCLA assistant football coach Sal Alosi. TMZ reported that Combs was present during a UCLA practice where Alosi chided his son (and then-UCLA player) Justin Combs, telling him, “I don’t care if your dad’s here. This is UCLA. I’m going to treat you just like I treat everyone else.” After the practice, Combs and his son reportedly went to Alosi’s office, where an argument ensued and Combs “grabbed” Alosi. According to one account, Combs was forcibly removed from Alosi’s office and then swung a kettlebell at an intern. A rep for Combs Enterprises noted, “The various accounts of the event and charges that are being reported are wholly inaccurate. What we can say now is that any actions taken by Mr. Combs were solely defensive in nature to protect himself and his son.” The LA district attorney decided not to file assault charges against Combs.

Gina Huynh Alleges Abuse, 2019

In 2019 Combs’ ex Gina Huynh told blogger Tasha K that Combs physically abused her throughout their five-year relationship. She claimed he once stomped her on the stomach, causing her to lose her breath, and also punched her in the back of the head. She told Tasha K that, “He was mentally, emotionally and physically abusing me. He would always compare me to Cassie and tell me that I’m the bad one, she’s a good one.” She also said that “everyone” in Combs’ circle “allowed” the abuse to occur.

Cassie Files Civil Suit Against Combs, 2023

On Nov. 16th, Combs’ ex Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Combs in New York alleging years of assault. Her lawsuit contains graphic allegations of Combs raping her in 2018, physically abusing her, intimidating her, and making her have sex with male escorts while he watched. The lawsuit also alleges that Combs blew up Cudi’s car to deter him from seeing Cassie romantically — through a rep, Cudi said the accusations are true. Combs has denied the allegations and alleged that Cassie tried to blackmail him for $30 million before filing the lawsuit. The two settled for an undisclosed amount on Nov. 17, with his attorney Ben Brafman stating that “Mr. Combs‘ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims.”

Jane Doe Sues for 1991 Rape and Revenge Porn

Five days after Combs and Cassie reached a settlement, a former Syracuse University college student sued Combs for allegedly drugging, raping, and recording her, afterwards allegedly showing others the assault he filmed. The suit, which was obtained by Rolling Stone, claims that after taking the woman to dinner in Harlem in 1991, he drove her to a recording studio where he raped her while, she alleged, she was in “a physical state where she could not independently stand or walk.”  “Days later,” the suit reads, “a male friend revealed to her that he had viewed the ‘sex tape’ along with other men.” A representative for Combs denied the allegations, calling them a “money grab” in a statement to TMZ.

Diddy Faces Third Sexual Assault Suit in One Week

Just before New York State’s Adult Survivors Act’s Nov. 23 deadline, a second anonymous accuser filed a lawsuit against Combs alleging sexual assault. (The law, passed in May 2022, opened a window for people over the age of 18 at the time of alleged sexual offenses to file lawsuits against alleged perpetrators, overriding statutes of limitations that typically cut off legal options — advocates have asked for an extension of the act’s window or the undoing of statutes of limitations altogether.) In this suit, a woman claims Diddy and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall took turns raping her and a friend in 1990 or 1991.  She also alleges that days later, Diddy again attacked her at a home where she was staying. “He was irate and began assaulting and choking Jane Doe to the point that she passed out,” the complaint alleges. “Combs was searching for Jane Doe’s friend because he was worried that she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them.” (Reps for Hall and Combs did not immediately return requests for comment on Friday.)

Third Jane Doe Files Lawsuit

On Dec. 6, Jane Doe plaintiff filed a lawsuit against Combs, Daddy’s House Recordings, and Bad Boy Entertainment, alleging that in 2003, when she was 17, she was gang raped by Combs, former Bad Boy President Harve Pierre, and another unidentified man at Combs’ Daddy’s House studio in New York City.  The lawsuit claims that the teen met Pierre in Detroit and was told Combs wanted to meet her. She was flown in on a private jet to Teterboro, NJ, before arriving in Manhattan. The three men allegedly plied the high schooler with “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol.” The graphic lawsuit said that things began to visually “blur” for her when she was assaulted by the three men in the bathroom as she drifted in and out of consciousness, had difficulty breathing, and pled for them to stop. Allegedly, Combs assaulted her first and then watched the other two men while sitting in a chair outside the bathroom. The lawsuit also claims that after Pierre finished assaulting her, she was left in the bathroom alone, where she curled into a fetal position with vaginal pain. Once she “regained her bearings,” she was taken back to an airport and flown to Detroit.

On the same day of the lawsuit, Combs made a statement claiming, “Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

Tiffany Red Writes an Open Letter Corroborating Cassie’s Allegations

On Dec. 7, Tiffany Red — a Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who has written songs for Zendaya, Joe Jonas, Jason Derulo, and Tamar Braxton, among others — published an open letter to Combs via Rolling Stone alleging that Cassie’s claims were true.

“I’m one of the friends mentioned in her lawsuit, specifically from the night of her 29th birthday, as detailed in the section labeled ‘Mr. Combs Forces Ms. Ventura Into Sex Trafficking,’” she wrote. Red detailed her first encounters with Combs and her working relationship with Cassie as a songwriter and detailed the party where she claimed Combs separated Cassie from her friends. When Cassie and Combs returned later in the evening, Red wrote that they appeared intoxicated and that Combs was verbally abusive to both women, calling Red an “emotional singing bitch,” before departing.

“She later told me you made her have a ‘Freak Off’ — which Cassie described in her lawsuit as an ‘arrangement’ where you would make her perform sexual acts with male sex workers — that night,” Red wrote. “The reason you called me ’emotional singing bitch’ was because you were listening to new songs we wrote during the ‘Freak Off’ that had begun after you came to get her earlier that night. I am disturbed to my core by this.” Red wrote that she saw occasions later where Combs appeared verbally abusive to Cassie and said that she, too, had experienced trauma as a result of Combs’ alleged actions.

Hulu Scraps Family Reality Show

Hulu announced on Dec. 3 that the company would no longer make a reality show centered around Combs and his family. The news arrived as multiple companies severed business ties with the hip-hop mogul following the accusations of sexual abuse and physical violence.

The project — which was under the working title Diddy+7 — was being produced by James Corden’s production company Fulwell 73 for Hulu. The dropped reality show was said to take after Keeping Up with the Karadashians, which is also produced by Fulwell 73 for the streaming service. “It’s going to profile the entire family,” a source told Page Six in March. “They all have businesses — even the kids — and it will feature everyone.”

Combs has stepped aside from his chairman role at Revolt, liquor company Diageo asked a judge to prevent him from appearing on new advertising for DeLéon, and a total of 23 brands have now severed ties with Empower Global, his online marketplace for Black-owned businesses, which launched in July.

Combs Settles with Diageo

Combs reached a settlement on Tuesday, Jan. 16, with the liquor giant Diageo, with whom he shared joint ownership of the tequila brand DeLeón. Combs first sued Diageo in May, accusing the company of labeling Cîroc and DéLeon as “Black brands” restricted to “urban” markets. He sued again in October, asking for an injunction that would force Diageo to comply with how he viewed his DeLéon contract. Weeks later, his ex-girlfriend Cassie filed a lawsuit alleging Combs raped her, beat her, and forced her to have sex with other men while he watched. Two more accusers stepped forward with lawsuits on Thanksgiving Day. Though Combs has denied the accusations, Diageo had been pushing a judge in New York to deny Diddy’s request for control over an incoming $15 million marketing budget for DeLéon Tequila.

“Sean Combs and Diageo have now agreed to resolve all disputes between them. Mr. Combs has withdrawn all of his allegations about Diageo and will voluntarily dismiss his lawsuits against Diageo with prejudice,” a joint statement from both parties obtained by Rolling Stone reads, meaning the mogul can’t refile the lawsuit in the future. “Diageo and Mr. Combs have no ongoing business relationship, either with respect to Cîroc vodka or DeLeón tequila, which Diageo now solely owns.”

Combs Sued for Sexual Assault by ‘Love Album’ Producer

On Feb 27, Combs was sued by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones for $30 million for sexual assault. The producer worked with Combs on his The Love Album and says that he was subjected to sexual misconduct for the duration of the production process. He also claimed that Combs owes him $50,000 for his work on the Grammy-nominated album.

Jones’ 70-page lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges that while working on the album and living with Combs in New York, California and Florida, Combs repeatedly groped his “anus and crotch without consent,” and attempted to “groom him into accepting a homosexual relationship” by showing him explicit videos, claiming it was “a normal practice in the music industry.” He claims that Combs would walk around the house naked and force him to watch him shower, and alleges that when he told Combs’ chief of staff Kristina Khorram about Combs’ actions, he was told, “you know, Sean will be Sean.”

The lawsuit implicates others, including Combs’ son Justin, who’s accused of procuring underage girls for parties where Combs drugged visitors and secretly recorded their sex acts. Jones claims he was also drugged at a party and woke up “naked, dizzy, and confused” in a bed with “two sex workers and Mr. Combs.” He claims that Combs frequently displayed guns as an intimidation tactic and threatened to “eat Mr. Jones’ face.”

After the lawsuit became public, adult film actor D’Angelo “Knockout” Marquis claimed that photos that the lawsuit purported as producer Stevie J engaged in a sexual act were actually stills from one of his videos.

Diddy’s lawyer Shawn Holley called Jones a “liar” who is “shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday.” He added, “His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.” Justin Combs’ lawyer also responded to the lawsuit, noting, “Justin Combs categorically denies these absurd allegations. They are all lies! This is a a clear example of a desperate person taking desperate measures in hopes of a pay day. There will be legal consequences for ALL defamatory statements made about the Combs family.”

Authorities Raid Sean Combs’ Homes in Los Angeles and Miami

On March 25, law enforcement officials carried out simultaneous raids of Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami. The investigation was led by the Department of Homeland Security, and news footage from the Miami raid appeared to show two men in handcuffs sitting outside the house.

“Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners,” a Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson said in a statement. “We will provide further information as it becomes available.”

Amidst the raids, a source told Rolling Stone that four Jane Does and one John Doe had already sat for interviews with Southern District of New York investigators for an investigation related to an alleged sex trafficking and RICO case. More interviews had been scheduled the source added.

Video of Combs Kicking and Dragging Cassie at a Hotel Surfaces

On May 17, a newly-surfaced March 2016 surveillance video captured Combs chasing, kicking, and dragging his then-girlfriend Cassie down a hotel hallway.

The video footage was dated March 5, 2016, according to CNN, and seems to correspond to an alleged incident from a sex-trafficking lawsuit filed by Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) last November. Ventura noted in her lawsuit that video of the alleged attack existed, but she believed Combs had paid the hotel $50,000 for the security footage.

“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Ventura’s attorney Douglas Widgor said in a statement. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

The security footage, which has no sound, showed a barefoot Ventura quickly walking out from a hotel room with personal items in her hand while wearing an oversized hoodie. In her lawsuit, Ventura claimed she was at the hotel because Combs had her participate in a “freak-off” — where she was forced to have sex with male sex workers while Combs watched.

During the freak-off, Combs “punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye,” the lawsuit claims, and Ventura waited until Combs was asleep to sneak out of the hotel.

Combs Sued by Sixth Person — an Aspiring Model — for Sexual Assault

In a May 21 lawsuit, a woman named Crystal McKinney alleged that Combs lured her to his studio with the promise of helping her career, and sexually assaulted her in the studio’s restroom.

In the lawsuit, McKinney, then 22, claimed she met Diddy at a dinner at Cipriani Downtown during Men’s Fashion Week after a male designer carefully crafted her look to please Combs, and then ordered her to sit directly across from Combs at the table.

“Once seated, Combs made a very public display of coming on to plaintiff in a sexually suggestive manner which continued throughout the dinner,” the filings stated. “Throughout their interactions, Combs was flirtatious, bordering on leering, as he leaned across the table towards her. Combs also plied Plaintiff with alcohol throughout the dinner as he repeatedly refilled her glass with wine.”

In the filing, McKinney said the assault made her “physically sick” and that she passed out a short time later. She woke up “in shock to find herself in a taxicab heading back to the designer’s apartment,” the paperwork read. “Due to the traumatic events,” the filing stated, “plaintiff saved the unwashed clothing from that night in her closet where they remain in a plastic wrap.”

The lawsuit alleges that Combs “shoved her head down to his crotch before commanding her to ‘suck it.’” McKinney refused, but “Combs pushed her head down onto his phallus and forced her to perform oral sex on him,” the lawsuit read.

Combs Accused of Drugging, Assaulting College Student in Seventh Lawsuit

A woman named April Lampos alleged in a new lawsuit that the hip-hop mogul sexually assaulted her four times between 1995 and the early 2000s, according to court documents filed on May 23.

April Lampros claimed she met Combs in early 1994 while she was a college student at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, and that he “love-bombed her” before his attempts to woo her “manifested into an aggressive, coercive, and abusive relationship based on sex,” according to the lawsuit.

As part of her filing, Lampros included a photo of herself with Combs, hanging out at his home in Florida, and a handwritten Valentine’s Day card, signed “Puffy.”

Lampros said she met up with him at a downtown New York bar in 1995. Although Lampros said she didn’t drink, she eventually “succumbed to pressure” due to Combs’ “delusional and violent outbursts.” Lampros claims Combs forced himself on her. “Ms. Lampros was being raped by Mr. Combs, and she soon passed out,” the lawsuit claims.

Combs allegedly assaulted Lampros a second time in a parking garage near his Manhattan apartment, physically forcing her to perform oral sex, according to the lawsuit. When Lampros tried to distance herself from Combs, he allegedly tried to win her back with “gifts and empty promises,” before switching to a “mobster persona” and “became angry, threatening, and forceful.”

More than two decades later, in 2023, Lampros claims an unidentified man approached a man Lampros was dating and said he had seen a sexual video of Lampros and Combs in 1997. Lampros “was told that Mr. Combs apparently recorded them having sex without her knowing and showed it to multiple people,” the lawsuit claims.

Rolling Stone Publishes Its Six-Month Investigation into Sean Combs

Shortly after R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura filed her sex trafficking lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs last November, Rolling Stone launched a wide-ranging, six-month investigation into the rapper, Bad Boy record mogul and billionaire businessman. Published May 28, Bad Boy for Life interviewed more than 50 people, with outreach to hundreds of people stretching back to Combs’ days as a student at Howard University. The article revealed a previously unreported allegation of violence against a woman on campus in the late 1980s.

One classmate tells Rolling Stone that Combs showed up outside their dorm one night and began screaming for his girlfriend in a “belligerent” manner to come outside, before allegedly beating her. “He screamed and hollered and acted a stone fool until she came downstairs,” says another student who witnessed the beating. She says Combs used what appeared to be a belt to strike the young woman “all over the place.” The witness says the woman was clearly terrorized: “She was trying to defend herself a little bit. She was crying. And we were telling him, ‘Get off of her.’ We were screaming for her.” A third source also recalled the alleged assault to Rolling Stone. (The woman at the center of the alleged attack declined to speak with Rolling Stone.)

Several people described Combs as a serial predator who used his fame, fortune, industry gatekeeper status and reputation as a dapper, fun-loving dandy to hide a volatile temper and selfish scheming carried out behind the scenes for decades. Combs wielded his growing power to bend people to his will, sources claim, once sending staffers to win back girlfriend Jennifer Lopez by camping outside MTV’s TRL studios with signs. After his 2001 acquittal for a nightclub shooting, Combs allegedly sexually harassed a business associate by attempting to solicit sex from the woman through her boss.

Combs’ attorney did not respond to the specific allegations made by sources who spoke with Rolling Stone. “Mr. Combs cannot comment on settled litigation, will not comment on pending litigation, and cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable,” attorney Jonathan Davis said in an emailed statement. “We are aware that the proper authorities are conducting a thorough investigation and therefore have confidence any important issues will be addressed in the proper forum, where the rules distinguish facts from fiction.”

Joi Dickerson-Neal, Crystal McKinney and a Jane Doe from Detroit also made their first public statements after they sued Combs for sexual assault. “I knew I had to come forward after hearing of Cassie’s suit,” Dickerson-Neal tells Rolling Stone. “It isn’t about money. It’s about making sure the world sees that this man who rose to the level of an ‘icon’ is actually sick and has left so many victims in [the wake of his] unpunished disgusting behavior for years.”

For the full story, read Rolling Stone‘s complete feature Bad Boy for Life.

Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard Sues Combs for Sexual Abuse

Former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard sued Combs on September 10, alleging the music mogul groped her on numerous occasions, was physically violent with women, trapped her inside a locked car for two hours as a form of punishment, and threatened her life.

Richard, who was also in the group Diddy-Dirty Money, filed suit in the Southern District of New York. Richard claimed that from the time she met Combs while auditioning for Making The Band in 2004 until her music career with Combs abruptly ended in 2012, she claimed Combs “manipulated her with mantras that submission to his depraved demands was necessary for career advancement, instilling in her the belief that such abuse and exploitation were required for female artists to succeed in the music industry.”

Her filing detailed dozens of disturbing encounters that she observed while in Combs’ orbit, including drug-fueled parties with young women who seemed “lethargic or passed out” while “Combs and his friends performed sexual acts on them.” Richard claimed that she believed Combs invited her to these parties as a “test,” before he began to barge into her changing room and “grope” her “bare buttocks” and “attempted to touch her breasts” between 2009 and 2011. The more Richard resisted Combs’ sexual advances, she claimed, the more he retaliated against her by taking her off songs and turning off her microphone during performances.

Richard’s lawsuit also supported allegations that Ventura leveled against Combs in her lawsuit. Richard claimed she observed Combs choke and strangle Ventura, and once saw him throw a scalding hot pan of eggs at Ventura before dragging her up the stairs of his Los Angeles home. When Richard tried to intervene and encourage Ventura to leave the relationship, Combs would allegedly threaten that he makes “n—– go missing” and “I end people.”

Combs is Arrested and Indicted on Sex Trafficking, Racketeering Charges

Combs was arrested at a New York hotel and indicted Sept. 17 on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transporting for prostitution, according to court records. “For decades, Sean Combs…abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” the Department of Justice indictment read. “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled.” (Combs’ attorney said he was an “innocent man,” and the victim of an “unjust prosecution.”)

The indictment alleges that Combs “used force, threats of force and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that Combs referred to as, among other things, ‘Freak Offs.’” During these “elaborate and produced sex performances,” the indictment allges that Combs “arranged, directed, and masturbated.” The indictment claims that authorities seized “various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” from Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is being held without bail in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center.

Combs Accused of Bounding and Raping Woman, Selling Assault Film ‘as Pornography,’ Lawsuit Says

Thalia Graves became the 11th person to sue Combs on Sept. 24, claiming the embattled music executive drugged her, bound her wrists and raped her at his recording studio in 2001.

Graves claimed that Combs’ bodyguard Joseph Sherman also sexually assaulted her during the encounter inside the lounge area of Daddy’s House. The men allegedly filmed the attack, according to her lawsuit, and showed it to some of Combs’ friends, including Graves’ then-boyfriend who worked as an executive at Bad Boy.

It was only in November 2023 that Graves learned of the secretly recorded video from her former boyfriend who “disclosed that Combs and Sherman had a pattern and practice of non-consensually recording women engaging in sexual acts and making those videos available to the public, including by selling tapes as pornography,” the lawsuit claimed.

Graves suffers from PTSD, severe depression, “suicidal ideation and intrusive thoughts, and has attempted to end her life,” her lawsuit said. Her experience has left her in “constant fear.” She sued Combs, Sherman and eight of Combs’ companies under the New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, as well as a state civil rights law for the alleged secret recording and distribution of the sex tape.

Florida Model Sues Combs for ‘Sexual Assault, Drugging Her and Tracking Her Location’

A Florida entrepreneur and model, who is suing under a Jane Doe pseudonym, became the 12th person to accuse Combs of sexual assault, claiming he founder flew her to his various homes and would “consistently pressure” her to bring other men and women into the bedroom despite her protests.

The woman claimed that she first met Combs overseas while traveling in fall of 2020, which led to an ongoing relationship that ended in July 2024. Over the course of four years, the woman said that Combs’ and his associates would book her travel to and from the mogul’s homes in Los Angeles, Miami, New York and other cities, the employees allegedly using “coercive and harassing language to compel her to comply.” Each visit, Combs “would make her ‘perform a show’ for him and would ply her with alcohol and substances until she passed out—she would wake up with bruising and injuries but with no recollection of how she sustained her injuries,” the lawsuit claimed.

It was after being forced to ingest ketamine in summer 2022 that the woman claimed that she discovered she was pregnant. Combs’ then-partner rapper Yung Miami — real name Caresha Brownlee — allegedly “harassed” and pressured the woman to have an abortion. (Rolling Stone has reached out to Brownlee for comment.) The woman says she miscarried and did not speak to Combs for three months.

The woman said she grew fearful of Combs, who allegedly tracked her location, recorded their sexual encounters and insisted on making the woman financially dependent on him. “To date, Combs continues to contact the Jane Doe in attempts to control her actions, autonomy and would restrict her speech through harassment, intimidation, and other tactics,” her lawsuit claimed.

Combs Accused of Sexually Abusing 120 People, Including 25 Minors

On Oct. 1, a lawyer in Texas announced that 120 people had accused Combs of sexual abuse and claimed that 25 of his new clients were minors at the time of the alleged abuse.

“Our youngest victim at the time of the occurrence was 9 years old. We have an individual who was 14 years old. We have one who was 15,” said attorney Tony Buzbee during a press conference. He claimed that the youngest alleged victim met with the music mogul at his Bad Boy offices in Manhattan for an audition when the 9-year-old child was “trying to land a record deal.” Buzbee claimed that the child was sexually abused by Combs and several other people at the studio.

The attorney said that the youngest alleged victims fit a pattern. “All were seeking either TV or some sort of music career with promises of, you know, ‘We’re going to make you a star,’” Buzbee stated. “Instead, basically, [Combs] did things to them so they don’t want to have anything to do with the entertainment industry ever again.”

Buzbee said that his group of 120 clients includes 60 men and 60 women.

Six New Accusers Sue Combs, Including Teen Who Claims He Was Assaulted at White Party

On Oct. 14, two women and four men filed lawsuits against Combs in New York, all alleging they were sexually assaulted by the mogul between 1995 and 2021. The unnamed accusers were the first clients of Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who said he was repping more then 120 clients in sexual abuse cases against Combs.

Two men claimed they were sexually assaulted by Combs at two separate white parties in the Hamptons. The first said he was 16 in 1998 when Combs allegedly asked him to “drop his pants” and began to grope the teen’s genitals. Another was a security guard in 2006, who claimed Combs gave him spiked drinks before sexually assaulting him in a van.

A Jane Doe claimed she was a 19-year-old college student in 2004 when Combs “fondled, molested, and ultimately raped” her at a hotel, the woman’s lawsuit claimed. The second Jane Doe claimed Combs attacked and sexually assaulted her in a bathroom during a promo event for The Notorious B.I.G’s music video in 1995.

The fifth accuser claimed that Combs and his bodyguards surrounded him inside a Macy’s stockroom in 2008. Threatening the man, Combs allegedly “forced his penis into Plaintiff’s mouth and proceeded to forcefully, and brutally, orally rape Plaintiff,” the lawsuit claimed.

The sixth accuser claimed that he was drugged while attending one of Combs’ parties in New York in 2021. The man claimed in his lawsuit that he awoke “paralyzed” and saw a naked Combs above him while he was being sexually assaulted by several men.

Combs’ attorneys denied the accusations in a statement provided to Rolling Stone. “The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity,” the statement read. “Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process.  In court, the truth will prevail:  that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”

Seven New Accusers Sue Combs, Including Four People Who Claim They Were Assaulted in 2022

On Oct. 20, three women and four men filed lawsuits against Combs in New York. Four of the accusers claim Combs sexually assaulted them in 2022. One man, a personal trainer, claimed he was drugged on the night the Bad Boy Entertainment founder was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards in June 2022. At the after-party celebration, the man claimed his unconscious body was passed around “like a party favor for [Combs’ guests] sexual enjoyment.”

One lawsuit comes from a woman who claimed she was 13 years old when she was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs and an unnamed celebrity following the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000. (On Friday, February 14, the Jane Doe voluntarily withdrew her lawsuit with prejudice. Combs’ attorneys said no settlement was reached.)

A 17-year-old aspiring singer claimed he met Combs during a penthouse hotel party in Manhattan in 2022, where he was allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted. The anonymous plaintiffs — who all filed with a John or Jane Doe pseudonym — are represented by attorney Tony Buzbee. The filings brought the total number of suits against Combs to more than two dozen.

Two Aspiring Singers Claim Combs Assaulted Them While Pursuing Music Career

Two John Doe plaintiffs sued Combs on Oct. 28 with allegations the music mogul sexually assaulted them on separate occasions while they were aspiring performers seeking a break in their music careers.

One of the plaintiffs claims he was 10 years old in 2005 when a consultant hired by his parents delivered him to a hotel room where he was given an allegedly laced soda and left alone with Combs. The plaintiff claims Combs forced his penis into his mouth shortly before he lost consciousness. He claims he later woke up with his pants undone and pain in his anus and buttocks.

The other John Doe plaintiff alleges he was 17 years old in 2008 when he participated in a three-day audition for Combs’ TV series, Making the Band. He alleges that on the first day, Combs began groping and fondling him during a private meeting while asking how he would handle situations of “sexual pressure” in the music industry. He says that a day later, during another private interview, Combs allegedly forced him to perform oral sex and sodomized him.

Combs denied their claims. “As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false.”

Sean Combs, Bodyguards Accused of Sexually Abusing Teen in Wave of Five New Lawsuits

On Nov. 19, five more anonymous accusers — three men and two women — filed suit against Combs, claiming they were sexually assaulted, abused and/or exploited by Combs in incidents dating back to 2001 in New York and Miami.

One woman claimed she was 18 years old when she was drugged and forced to perform oral sex on Combs and his bodyguards in a limousine while attending a Halloween party in 2001.

Following a night out at a popular Miami nightclub in 2022, one man claimed that he was invited back to Combs’ Florida mansion for an after-party, where he was allegedly drugged and led into a bedroom where a small group of men and women were waiting. The man claimed that he lost consciousness and awoke to Combs allegedly sexually assaulting him.

Combs denied all claims of sex abuse. “As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process,” his media team said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

Sean Combs Accused of Threatening to Kill Woman and Dangling Her Off Balcony

Fashion designer Bryana “Bana” Bongolan filed a $10 million lawsuit against Combs the night his bail was denied for a third time, claiming he dangled her off Ventura’s 17th floor balcony in Sept. 2016.

Bongolan alleged that she witnessed several instances of abuse between Combs and Ventura, including an incident where Combs allegedly hurled a kitchen knife at the singer, before Combs allegedly directed his rage towards her. During a photoshoot for Ventura, Combs allegedly cornered Bongolan and, inches from her face, threatened her. “I’m the motherfucking devil,” Combs told Bongolan, according to her lawsuit. “You have no idea what I could do to you. I could kill you.”

It all culminated when an enraged Combs allegedly stormed into Ventura’s apartment, began screaming at Bongolan and raised her up over the balcony, later throwing her into patio furniture, according to the lawsuit.

Combs “firmly denies” the allegations. “Anyone has the right to file a lawsuit, regardless of the evidence they may or may not have,” a legal representative for Combs said in a statement. “Since last year, Ms. Bongolan has expressed an intention to sue Mr. Combs and has sought legal representation to pursue her claims. Mr. Combs firmly denies these serious allegations and remains confident they will ultimately be proven baseless.”

Sean Combs Sued by Three More Men Claiming Sexual Assault

Three new John Doe plaintiffs filed lawsuits against the Bad Boy Entertainment founder on Dec. 12, claiming he sexually assaulted them within the past five years in New York.

One John Doe alleged he attended a party at Combs’ East Hampton home in the summer of 2020 and started to black out after drinking alcohol with Combs, claiming Combs and some associates “took turns anally raping him.” A second John Doe alleged that he met Combs at Marquee nightclub in 2019 and Combs allegedly drugged and sodomized him during an afterparty at the Park Hyatt hotel. He claimed an unidentified man and woman recorded the encounter, and the next morning he was paid $2,500.

A third John Doe claimed he met Combs around 2006 and started working for him and running errands. He claimed that in February 2020, he met with Combs at a hotel to discuss missing job payments. He claimed Combs mixed him a drink that he believed was drugged. He said he fell asleep and woke up to find that Combs had bent him over the edge of a couch and was sodomizing him.

Combs’ lawyers called the men’s lawsuits “full of lies.” “We will prove them false and seek sanctions against every unethical lawyer who filed fictional claims against him,” they said in a statement sent to Rolling Stone.

Sean Combs Accused of Sexual Assault Minutes Before Fatal 1991 CCNY Stampede

A Jane Doe accuser claimed that minutes before a deadly stampede broke out at the deadly City College of New York basketball game in December 1991, the then-rising music executive brought her to a makeshift dressing room, handed her a drink, and sexually assaulted her.

The woman said she was invited to the ill-fated charity basketball game by a male acquaintance, described as a prominent rapper at the time. Unable to find the rapper, Doe said was led to Combs, who was in a makeshift dressing space. At one point, Combs allegedly handed the woman a “plastic cup full of what he purported to be Coca-Cola,” the lawsuit claimed. After taking a sip, the woman “began to feel woozy and attempted to leave to find her rapper friend on her own, but Combs blocked her exit,” the complaint alleged. Combs allegedly began touching himself in a sexually suggestive manner before reaching for Doe and fondling her, the filing claimed. Although the woman said she tried to resist, Combs allegedly overpowered her. “Combs removed her underwear and began molesting her before climbing on top of her and penetrating her,” the lawsuit alleged.

The woman filed her lawsuit on Dec. 20, 2024 — the same day Oklahoma woman LaTroya Grayson who alleged in her own lawsuit that she was drugged and sexually assaulted at a 2006 “Black Party” hosted by Combs in New York. Grayson claimed that after consuming less than two pre-made drinks served by roving waitresses at the party, she began to feel sick and apparently passed out. She alleged she woke up at Saint Vincent’s Medical Center with “no recollection” of how she got there. She claimed that a day after she returned to Oklahoma, an anonymous woman called her from a New York number and cautioned her against reporting her “assault” because Combs was a “celebrity” and she would “just be wasting her time.”

In a statement sent to Rolling Stone, Combs’ lawyers stated that “Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone or engaged in sex trafficking.”

Sean Combs Sued by Former Assistant Detailing ‘Wild King Nights,’ Claiming Sexual Battery

Phil Pines, Combs’ former executive assistant from 2019 through 2021, sued the disgraced music mogul with claims he was ordered to coordinate drug-fueled evenings called “Wild King Nights” and allegedly forced to perform a sex act in front of Combs to “prove his loyalty.”

In a 32-page lawsuit filed on Dec. 23, 2024, Pines alleged Combs instructed him to supply a range of drugs and sex toys during days-long “sexual escapades,” and clean the trashed rooms afterward. Pines claims that when he traveled with Combs, he was in charge of a black Gucci bag known as the “MVP” bag that allegedly contained the often illicit party provisions.

“Plaintiff was instructed by Sean Combs on multiple occasions to ensure his personal bedroom and/or various hotel rooms were set up with red lights, ice buckets, alcohol, marijuana joints, honey packs for male libido, baby oil, Astroglide, towels, illegal drugs, and power banger sex machines. These were called ‘Wild King Nights,’” the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges. Pines claims the drugs he supplied also included Plan B, known as the “morning after pill,” and the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis. “Plaintiff would remove any evidence of drugs, condoms, sex toys, remove bodily stains like blood, urine, fluids from any sheets, furniture and pack away all the items used during Wild King Nights,” the lawsuit claims.

Combs’ lawyers denied the allegations in a statement sent to Rolling Stone. “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,” his attorneys stated. “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”

Sean Combs Accused of Raping 16-Year-Old Babysitter

A Jane Doe claimed Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her when she was a 16-year-old high school student walking home from a babysitting gig in lower Manhattan in late August or early September 2000.

In her lawsuit filed on Jan. 13, 2025, the woman alleged she was a part-time babysitter at an apartment building where “a well-known woman whom the defendant was in a relationship also resided.” The lawsuit does not name the allegedly famous woman. The plaintiff said she was exiting the building on her way to her parents’ residence around the corner when she encountered Combs sitting in an SUV with the door open. The woman claimed she was pressured to join Combs in the car, where she was allegedly handed a drink to “calm her down,” the lawsuit claimed. “She soon became groggy and unsteady.” The woman alleged a male driver and another man were in the vehicle with Combs at the time. The lawsuit claimed Combs and the other men drove the teen to a location “where plaintiff was raped by Combs.” It says, “she was eventually taken home and left in the lobby of her building by the same driver.”

In a statement, Combs’ legal team denied the woman’s claims. “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted, or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,” the legal team said in a statement. “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”

Musician Claimed Sean Combs Drugged and Assaulted Him During Afterparty

A rising musician claimed that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted him during an afterparty at a music venue in Los Angeles in 2015. The man, who sued under a John Doe pseudonym on Feb. 3, 2025, claimed he was a 23-year-old rapper and singer when he was booked to perform as an opener at a club QC’s 20/20. Although Combs was not performing that night, the lawsuit claimed, the music label executive was in attendance because Bad Boy had an interest in the show and Combs was supplying his vodka brand Ciroc to the venue.

“Before Doe’s performance, a long-time and well- known associate of Combs told Doe that Combs had heard of his talent and would be watching him perform,” the lawsuit claimed. “The associate specifically told Doe that if he performed well, Combs would discuss getting a deal with Bad Boy Records and arrange studio time between him and Combs.”

After the performance, Doe claimed that he was handed a drink “said to be from Combs himself,” according to his lawsuit. The man claimed he began to feel lightheaded after drinking the beverage and while drifting in and out of consciousness, he allegedly observed Combs and his entourage engaging in group sexual activity. The man claimed that Combs began groping him and allegedly ordered him to have sex with a woman while he watched. Doe claimed that he made an excuse that he needed to use the restroom, using the opportunity to sneak out of the venue and leave. 

Sean Combs Accused of Assaulting, Drugging, Dousing Adult Male Entertainer in Baby Oil

An adult male entertainer sued Sean Combs on Feb. 4, 2025, alleging the Bad Boy Records founder sexually assaulted him, drugged, and “coerced” him into commercial sex acts with various women over the course of five years, all the while dangling the promise of a potential music career.

The Las Vegas man, who sued under a John Doe pseudonym in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday, claimed Combs would insist that he’d douse himself in baby oil, which made him feel disoriented and alarmed, according to the lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone.

If Doe or the woman expressed any discomfort or reluctance to perform the way Combs wanted, the mogul would become “enraged” at “any sign of hesitation or defiance,” the lawsuit claimed. The 55-year-old would allegedly scream and curse, throw objects around the room, and raise his fists as if he were going to hit the man.

In addition to Doe’s complaint, two more women sued Combs on Tuesday, alleging they both had been drugged, trapped in spaces, and forced to engage in sexual acts with Combs’ associates in the Nineties.

When approached for comment by Rolling Stone, Combs’ legal team sent over a previously issued statement. “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex-trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor,” the statement read.

Sean Combs Accused of Sexually Assaulting 17-Year-Old At Nightclub

A John Doe sued Combs on Feb. 6, alleging the music mogul drugged and sexually assaulted him in the private room of a New York City nightclub in summer 2012. The man claimed he was 17 years old at the time.

Doe claimed he was visiting his brother and some friends, and the group ended up at a popular club in SoHo. Slipping the bouncer $100 to gain entry, Doe claimed he was invited to a private table with Combs’ entourage and later was brought to a back room.

Combs allegedly gave Doe a shot of vodka, and the two “talked about music, modeling, the city, and the entertainment industry as a whole,” according to the lawsuit. “At some point, Doe began to realize something was wrong. Doe began to become hazy and disoriented. Things became unclear. Doe could feel himself losing consciousness and control of his body.” Doe claimed that Combs then sexually assaulted him.

Rolling Stone has contacted Combs’ representatives for comment. In previous statements, they denied that Combs ever sexually assaulted anyone. “Man or woman, adult or minor,” they added.

Musician Claims Sean Combs Drugged and Assaulted Him at Birthday Party

A musician sued Combs on Feb. 10, claiming Combs drugged and sexually assaulted him during an A-lister’s birthday party in Los Angeles in November 2022. The man, who sued under a Jane Doe pseudonym, claimed he was busking outside a popular nightclub when a man wearing a Bad Boy Records hat introduced himself by saying he worked as a scout for Combs, inviting Doe to the birthday party.

The man claimed Combs greeted him at the party. “So you must be [Doe’s stage name],” Combs allegedly told the man, according to the lawsuit. “My assistant told me you have a beautiful voice. Sit down, have a drink with me, and let’s talk business.”

Doe claimed that Combs brought him to a private room, where he began to feel “drowsy and slightly euphoric.” The man claimed Combs proceeded to sexually assault him. The following morning, Doe claimed that he was given an IV drip and dropped back off at the nightclub where he’d had met the purported scout. Attorneys for Combs denied all accusations of sexual assault.

Sean Combs Sued for the 50th Time

Three anonymous accusers sued Combs for sexual assault in mid-February. Their lawsuits brought the total number of civil lawsuits brought against the music mogul to more than 50.

A Jane Doe accuser filed a lawsuit against Combs in New York on Wednesday, claiming that while celebrating her 20th birthday at a nightclub in Los Angeles in 2016, the music executive forced an alcoholic beverage on her, despite her refusal. “Bitch, I am not asking you,” Combs allegedly told her. “Drink that shit and shut the fuck up.” The woman claimed Combs then shoved his hand up her skirt and “forcefully penetrat[ed] her with his fingers,” according to the lawsuit. Doe claimed the encounter left her with bruising and tearing.

A man, who is suing under a John Doe pseudonym, claimed he met Combs as a 21-year-old trying to land modeling jobs in New York City in 2006. Responding to an online advertisement looking for “hip-hop models,” Doe claimed during his audition with Combs, the executive allegedly told him to undress so he could “check him out.” When he refused, Combs allegedly asked “what he was willing to do to be in a music video and to be successful” and said “it was rare that an Indian male model found any success in the industry and would need Combs’ help.” Doe claimed Combs groped his buttocks and allegedly whispered to him, “Get me when you change your mind.” The man pulled away and left the audition, “deeply disturbed by the experience,” according to the suit.

A second man sued Combs in New York on Tuesday, claiming Combs drugged and sexually assaulted him at the Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel in 2009. The John Doe accuser claimed he was 18 years old when Combs allegedly approached him and handed him an alcoholic drink, which he now believes was drugged. An aspiring musician, the man claimed Combs’ security brought him to another room where Combs allegedly spoke of his career possibilities. “Combs then forcibly anally raped Doe,” the lawsuit alleges. “At different moments throughout the night, Doe recalls being in bed with two other people — a man and a woman — who were also engaged in group sexual activity with him and Combs.” The next morning, the man claimed he was in extreme pain and quickly left the hotel room.

“As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false,” Combs’ legal team have said in a previous statement. “Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”

‘Making the Band’ Star Sara Rivers and a Dozen Others Sue Sean Combs as Look-Back Window Closes

Making the Band contestant Sara Rivers sued Sean “Diddy” Combs for $60 million on Friday, February 28, alleging the mogul sexually harassed her and once stroked her breasts during the course of filming the hit MTV reality show. After refusing her boss’ alleged sexual advances, Rivers claims Combs retaliated against her and blackballed her from the music industry. Rivers, who was part of the group Da Band, described what she claimed was a hellish filming experience, including Combs allegedly controlling her sleeping schedule, mocking her eating disorder and forcing her to walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn to bring him a cheesecake.

Her lawsuit was one of several filed in the final days that a two-year look-back window was closing for otherwise expired claims related to New York City’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act. The GMVA was passed in 2000 and amended in 2022 to allow victims to file otherwise time-barred claims between March 1, 2023 and March 1, 2025.

Combs was also sued by Kendra Haffoney, who was on the first season the VH1 reality show I Want to Work for Diddy, claimed Combs repeatedly sexually assaulted her in 2007. Haffoney alleged her interactions with Combs were sporadic at first but became more consistent as filming progressed. Aspiring musical artist Seven Güzel also sued Combs, alleging he groomed, drugged and assaulted her on multiple occasions after they first met in 2017. She alleged Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, helped facilitate and cover up the alleged abuse.

In a statement, Combs’ legal team denied the allegations. “This is yet another example of false claims being filed against Mr. Combs,” they said. “No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. With the deadline for New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act expiring tomorrow, it’s clear that opportunists are rushing to file last-minute, meritless claims. Mr. Combs remains confident he will prevail in court.”

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