Sean Combs, long known by rap aliases like Diddy and Puffy, is facing an avalanche of lawsuits and legal trouble. The latest in his ongoing issues includes a new lawsuit filed by a woman who claims she was drugged and assaulted by Combs in 2000 when she was 16 years old.
In the suit, filed on Monday in New York Supreme Court, a Jane Doe claims that she was working as a part-time babysitter at an apartment building around the corner from her home in lower Manhattan. In Aug. or Sept. 2000, she was leaving her babysitting job at the building where Combs’ romantic partner lived, and she came upon Combs who was with two male individuals who apparently worked for him. Combs asked her where she was going so late at night when it wasn’t safe and offered her a ride, despite her saying that she knew the neighborhood and would be fine. She inevitably agreed to the ride and got in his car.
During the ride, she became scared when they would not drop her off at her home and Combs gave her a drink to “calm her down.” She soon became “groggy and unsteady,” and she was driven to a location where Combs raped her. She was then taken home and left in the lobby of her building.
In a statement shared with Variety, representatives for Combs denied the claims in the new suit. “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. 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.”
Below is an overview of the accusations that have been leveled against Combs, as well as the answers to frequently asked questions about his cases.
Why is Combs in jail?
Combs is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. He was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024 in Manhattan by Homeland Security on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. He pleaded not guilty to a grand jury indictment. He was denied bail by two separate judges, and is set to remain behind bars until his May 5, 2025 trial. Combs could face life in prison if found guilty of the racketeering charge.
Evidence of the charges was sought on March 25, when the Department of Homeland Security raided the rapper’s homes in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. Electronics including computers were seized due to containing potential evidence.
What are “freak-offs?”
The federal criminal indictment describes Diddy’s wild sex parties filled with illegal activity, known as “freak-offs,” in great detail. They would frequently involve group sex, exhibitionism, sex workers, copious amounts of drugs and baby oil, and could be filmed and last for days.
How did Cassie Ventura’s allegations start a wave of investigation into Combs’ behavior?
Combs’ high-profile ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, filed a lengthy lawsuit against Combs on Nov. 16, 2023, accusing him of physical abuse, rape and sex trafficking. This included Ventura’s accusation that she participated in numerous “freak-offs,” where, as detailed in her lawsuit, Combs “treated the forced encounter as a personal art project, adjusting the candles he used for lighting to frame the videos he took.”
The lawsuit was settled privately the next day with undisclosed terms. On May 17, 2024, CNN released hotel surveillance footage of Combs beating Ventura in Los Angeles in 2016, which led to Combs issuing a public apology — the sole time he acknowledged wrongdoing since this saga began.
What lawsuits and allegations came after Cassie filed?
Ventura’s headline-making lawsuit action was just the beginning of a wave of legal action against Combs from women and men he allegedly assaulted. His attorney, Erica Wolff, issued a statement on Oct. 1 denying his culpability in the upcoming wave of suits. “Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” said Wolff. “He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Nov. 23, 2023: Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 1991. In a separate lawsuit filed that day, Liza Gardner sued Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall for sexually assaulting her and a friend in 1990.
Dec. 6, 2023: A Jane Doe claimed that Combs, then-Bad Boy Records’ president Harve Pierre and another man raped her in New York City while she was a teenager.
Feb. 26, 2024: Producer Rodney Jones alleges Combs sexually assaulted him while he was an employee from Sept. 2022 to Nov. 2023.
Apr. 4, 2024: Combs is named as a co-defendant in a suit that claims his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman on a yacht. The suit, filed in Los Angeles, alleges that Combs paid to cover up the assault.
May 21, 2024: Crystal McKinney, a model, accused Combs of sexual assault in 2003.
May 24, 2024: April Lampros sued Combs for sexual assault and battery for a series of incidents from 1994 into the 2000s.
June 10, 2024: Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith filed a lawsuit saying he was sexually assaulted by Combs at a 1997 party.
Sept. 10, 2024: “Making the Band” star Dawn Richard sued Combs, alleging sexual battery, sex trafficking, sexual assault and more.
Sept. 24, 2024: Thalia Graves sued Combs, saying he drugged and raped her in 2001.
September 27, 2024: Jane Doe, a Florida model, sued Combs, alleging she was drugged and sexually assaulted.
October 14, 2024: Six lawsuits, two from women and four from men, were filed against Combs in Manhattan. One man claimed that Combs assaulted him when he was 16 years old in 1998.
October 20, 2024: Combs was hit with an additional six lawsuits, with one claiming that he sexually assaulted a 13-year-old girl in 2000.
October 28, 2024: A John Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs alleging that the mogul drugged and raped him when he was 10 years old. Another filed a similar suit claiming that he was sexually assaulted when he was 17 years old while auditioning for “Making the Band” in 2008.
November 19, 2024: Five additional suits were filed against Combs by three men and two women who make similar allegations of being drugged and assaulted. One of the women was 17 at the time described in the incident.
December 8, 2024: Jay-Z was added as a defendant in a refiled case, which prompted the rapper to issue a swift, fiery rebuttal claiming that the allegations were untrue.
December 12, 2024: Three men filed suits against Combs, alleging similar accusations of sexual assault. One claimed that he was offered $2,500 after an encounter where he claimed that Combs raped him while others filmed the incident.
December 20, 2024: Two women filed lawsuits stating that they were drugged and sexually assaulted during separate incidents in 1991 and 2006.
January 13, 2024: A Jane Doe claimed that Combs and two of his male employees drugged and raped her when she was 16 years old.
What further lawsuits is Combs expected to face?
On Oct. 1, attorney Tony Buzbee said 120 more lawsuits are expected from alleged victims he is working with, which include assaults that took place in the 2000s and 2010s.
In a statement shared with Variety, Combs’ attorneys said, “The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity. 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.”
The first batch of six lawsuits, filed on Oct. 14, lays out allegations from several men and women, including a then-16-year-old boy.
What lawsuits has Combs faced in the past?
Prior to Ventura’s allegations, Combs was sued by Cindy Rueda in 2017 for sexual harassment and retaliation. The lawsuit was settled in February 2019.