Sean «Diddy» Combs is facing a growing legal battle, as six new lawsuits were filed against him on October 14, 2024, in Manhattan federal court. These legal proceedings, brought by two women and four men anonymously (under the names John Doe and Jane Doe) and allege a variety of sexual crimes spanning several decades, adding to the ongoing controversy surrounding the music mogul. The claims are part of a larger wave of over 100 potential cases being examined by legal teams representing alleged victims of Combs.
One of the new lawsuits comes from a man who alleges that Combs sexually assaulted him at one of his infamous «white parties» in the Hamptons in 1998, when the victim was just 16 years old. The lawsuit states that Combs inappropriately touched the boy, coercing him under the guise of a «rite of passage» into the music industry. This accusation mirrors similar patterns of abuse described by other accusers, many of whom allege that Combs exploited his position in the entertainment world to target vulnerable individuals.
Other accusations include incidents from the 2000s. One woman alleges that in 2004, Combs assaulted her sexually in a locked hotel room after forcing her and a friend to snort cocaine. Another woman accuses Diddy of violently raping her at a party in 2005, during the filming of Biggie Smalls’ music video for ‘One More Chance.’ Male accusers have also stepped forward, including one man who claims Diddy forced him to perform oral sex in 2008, and another who alleges that he was drugged and assaulted by Combs at a 2006 Hamptons party.
These lawsuits come on the heels of Combs’ September 2024 arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. He faces accusations of using a network of associates to exploit and silence his victims, employing blackmail, violence, and intimidation. The federal charges accuse Combs of a long-running conspiracy to abuse women and minors, and the recent civil cases could further complicate his legal situation. Federal authorities continue to investigate, with evidence reportedly being gathered from numerous raids on Combs’ properties.
The scandal surrounding Diddy has also raised suspicions about his relationships with other artists and celebrities in the industry, such as Justin Bieber, Kanye West, and Beyoncé and Jay-Z, among others.
Combs remains in custody after being denied bail on multiple occasions. His defense team has characterized the new allegations as baseless and part of a «media circus,» but they have yet to directly address the specifics of the six latest lawsuits. Despite offering a $50 million bail package, which included home confinement and electronic monitoring, two judges have ruled that releasing Combs would pose a danger to the community, given concerns about potential witness tampering.
These new lawsuits, coupled with the broader criminal investigation, mark a significant escalation in the legal challenges faced by Combs. While he continues to plead not guilty to the charges, the mounting accusations suggest that the legal battle is far from over, with a criminal trial scheduled for May 2025.