Two more sexual assault lawsuits have been filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs this week, both accusing the billionaire of grooming, sexual misconduct and retaliatory threats that took place when the plaintiffs were underaged. These two suits are separate filings but both assert that Combs abused his power and influence, coercing minors into sexual activity by promising them stardom in the music industry.
These suits add to the deluge of more than 20 civil cases filed against the music and media giant in the last year and to Combs’ pending federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, but stand out for being the youngest of Combs’ alleged victims so far.
In the first suit, a John Doe plaintiff accuses Combs of assaulting him at a New York City hotel in 2005 when the plaintiff was just 10 years old. The unnamed accuser, who currently resides in California, claims that he then had dreams of becoming a rapper and/or actor. His parents hired a career consultant to help him, who suggested that he fly to New York to meet with industry power players like Combs. According to the filing, when the plaintiff arrived, the consultant arranged for him to “audition” for Combs in a New York hotel room. During the meeting, the plaintiff was left alone with Combs and after performing a few rap songs, Combs said he could “make him a star.” The plaintiff was given a soda and, after drinking it, began to feel dizzy. The plaintiff believes the drink was laced with drugs, “including but not limited to GHB and/or ecstasy.”
Once Doe felt unstable, the complaint states that Combs pushed the boy on the hotel room bed. Combs then pulled his penis out of his pants and told the 10-year-old to “kiss it” before forcing it into the boy’s mouth. The boy passed out from shock and fear. When the plaintiff regained consciousness, Combs was still in the room and the boy’s “pants were undone, and his anus and buttocks hurt badly.” Combs told the plaintiff that he would hurt his parents if he told anyone about what had happened. The filing states that the plaintiff did so anyway soon after but, at the time, the family was so scared of the consequences of reporting Combs, they did not come forward.
In the separate filing, a John Doe victim claims that he was 17 years old when Combs repeatedly sexually assaulted him over a series of encounters. In or around 2008, the boy participated in a three-day audition for Diddy’s hit MTV competition series, Making the Band. According to the suit, the plaintiff saw the opportunity online and through newspaper ads and believed this was his chance to break into the music industry. During the audition process, the plaintiff advanced to a stage where contestants met individually in private rooms with Combs and his bodyguard.
During his first one-on-one interview with Combs, the plaintiff states that the mogul began to ask him hypothetical questions about responding to sexual pressure. As he asked John Doe questions, Combs began to fondle the plaintiff’s genitals and masturbate. “Combs emphasized his power to control plaintiff’s future in the music industry, stating that he had the ability to make or break his career,” the suit details. During another interview with Combs, the plaintiff was instructed to get undressed and prove he could be a “sex idol” within the band. Combs then allegedly forced the 17-year-old boy to perform oral sex and sodomized him. During a third meeting, Combs allegedly introduced the plaintiff to his bodyguard, named “T,” and forced the boy to perform oral sex on “T” as well. According to the suit, “Combs framed this as a test of Plaintiff's willingness to do anything necessary to succeed in the music industry.” When the plaintiff would show hesitation, Combs said he was not trustworthy. Soon after performing oral sex on the bodyguard, the plaintiff claims he was eliminated from the audition process and unable to gain entry into the music industry for several years.
These latest cases were filed in New York’s Supreme Court by the law firm of Tony Buzbee — the same Texas-based firm that made headlines last month for announcing that they would be representing more than 100 alleged victims against Combs.
In response to these latest suits, Combs maintains, via his attorneys, that he has never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — “man or woman, adult or minor.” Combs’ legal team further asserted that “the lawyer behind this lawsuit is interested in media attention rather than the truth, as is obvious from his constant press appearances and 1-800 number,” and stated that they have full confidence in proving their client's innocence through the judicial process.
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