Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a series of fresh lawsuits alleging rape, sexual abuse, and sexual assault, filed in New York federal court on Monday.
The six lawsuits, brought by two women and four men, cover incidents allegedly spanning from 1995 to 2021, with some of the assaults said to have taken place at Mr. Combs’ high-profile parties attended by celebrities and music industry figures.
Mr. Combs’ legal team has firmly denied the allegations, stating in a response to the BBC that he “has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”
Despite these denials, the lawsuits mark the latest in a string of legal challenges against the entertainer, who has been embroiled in more than a dozen similar accusations in recent months.
One of the lawsuits was filed by a man who claims he was just 16 years old when he attended one of Mr. Combs’ infamous parties in the Hamptons in 1998.
The accuser described being excited to mingle with celebrities at the party and meeting Mr. Combs while walking around the event.
During a conversation about entering the music industry, the lawsuit alleges, Mr. Combs asked the teenager to undress, calling it a “rite of passage” and the “route to becoming a star.”
Another lawsuit involves a woman who claims Mr. Combs raped her in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student.
According to the lawsuit, she met him at a photoshoot, after which she and a friend were invited to a private party at his hotel. Once at the party, the lawsuit alleges that Mr. Combs “fondled, molested, and ultimately raped her” despite her repeated protests.
The lawyer representing the accusers, Tony Buzbee, revealed that his team is preparing additional lawsuits, with more than 100 people planning to file similar claims against Mr. Combs.
Buzbee stated that some of the alleged victims were minors and that the lawsuits are being filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows for older claims to be pursued.
“We will let the allegations in the filed complaints speak for themselves, and will work to see that justice is done,” Buzbee said, adding that his legal team expects to file many more cases in the coming weeks as they continue to gather evidence.
The lawsuits add to Mr. Combs’ legal troubles, as he currently faces federal criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
He has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest on 16 September, and a judge has scheduled his trial for May 2025.
Mr. Combs’ lawyers have sought his release on bail, citing poor conditions at the detention center, but the request was denied after the court deemed him a “serious flight risk.”
