Sean “Diddy” Combs faces new legal hurdles after two women filed separate sexual assault lawsuits against him in New York on Friday. These accusations add to many accusations against the famed music executive.
The lawsuits outline claimed occurrences that occurred between 1991 and 2006, with both women saying they were drugged and assaulted at Combs-related events. His legal team has categorically disputed all charges.
In the first lawsuit, an anonymous woman from Louisiana claims she was assaulted during a catastrophic incident in New York City. According to court filings, the incident occurred on December 28, 1991, the same night as the catastrophic City College basketball game stampede, which claimed nine lives. The complainant claims she met Combs, who was then an emerging executive at Uptown Records, at a charity basketball tournament arranged by Heavy D to benefit AIDS research.
According to the lady, Combs led her to a secluded room and handed her a drink that she believed was drugged. She claims he stopped her from leaving and sexually assaulted her. The claimed assault ended when a bodyguard intervened to alert Combs of the chaotic situation at the venue, where over 5,000 people were attempting to enter a space designed for 2,300.
The second lawsuit was brought by LaTroya Grayson, an Oklahoma citizen who won a radio sweepstakes to attend Combs’ private “White Party” in New York City on October 16, 2006. Grayson is suing for $15 million, claiming she was drugged during the event after drinking beverages given by waitstaff. She claims she awoke in Saint Vincent’s Medical Center with torn clothing, missing underwear, and stolen money but no memory of how she got there.
Grayson’s lawsuit also alleges that she got an anonymous call from a New York number immediately after coming home. The caller advised her against taking legal action because of Combs’ celebrity profile. She has included party images, healthcare records, and travel documents as proof in her case.
Combs’ legal representatives have strenuously refuted both accusations. In response to the 1991 charge, his lawyer said, “Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false.” The legal team characterized Grayson’s claims as “pure fiction” and a “lawyer-driven money grab.”
These lawsuits add to Combs’ already extensive legal difficulties, which include federal charges for sex trafficking and sexual assault, as well as more than two dozen other lawsuits. The music mogul has constantly claimed innocence.
Both new cases seek jury trials and various sorts of compensation, such as compensatory and punitive damages and legal expense coverage. The courts will eventually rule on the legitimacy of these severe claims against one of hip-hop’s most prominent leaders.
