Sean “Diddy” Combs Adds Black Woman Attorney Who Fought Back After Rape to His Defense Team

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Sean “Diddy” Combs has brought on board a Black female attorney, who previously filed a lawsuit against a prominent figure in hip-hop back in 2008 following a sexual assault incident, as the rap tycoon prepares for his New York trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, set to commence in full next week.

This week, Nicole Westmoreland, an independent lawyer, became part of the legal team defending the rap mogul. A document confirming her presence in the case was filed on Monday, just as jury selection began at the Southern District of New York court. Westmoreland is the latest Black attorney to join the defense team, following Xavier R. Donaldson who joined last week.

Combs’ case stands out due to claims of domestic abuse against him backed by video proof; similarly, Westmoreland, a vocal survivor of sexual assault within the rap industry, has also been linked to such allegations. In 2001, Westmoreland attended a party at Atlanta’s Patchwerk Recording Studio upon invitation from Bryan Christopher Williams, better known as Birdman, the rapper and record executive.

At the studio gathering, Alfred Cleveland – Birdman’s brother and then-CEO of Cash Money Records – was present. At some point, Westmoreland recounts that Cleveland escorted her to a restroom; once inside, she alleges that he coerced her and sexually assaulted her while another individual watched over them. Westmoreland claims that Cleveland intended to hand her over to his lookout man, but she pleaded with him not to, and was eventually released. Westmoreland asserts that she was threatened not to disclose the rape, but she did so anyway, leading to Cleveland’s arrest for the crime; he later admitted guilt. In 2008, Westmoreland brought a lawsuit against the brothers and their label, accusing them of negligence and failing to ensure safety in the premises.

On a Wednesday morning, Westmoreland was spotted entering the Manhattan court in downtown New York City accompanied by Brian Steel, who has recently joined Puff Combs’ legal team. These two lawyers share a past connection, as they both previously worked on various cases during the extended YLS racketeering trial in Atlanta. Steel represented the main defendant in that case, while Westmoreland represented co-defendant Quamarvious Nichols, who opted for a plea bargain to evade charges of murder, gang involvement, and unlawful firearm possession. As a result, he was given a seven-year prison sentence for conspiring to breach Georgia’s RICO law.

As the weeks turned into months, there were rumors about a Black woman joining Combs’ legal team. This speculation culminated when Combs faced five federal charges. The speculation arose after TMZ reported that the rapper was looking for an attorney of that demographic. It appears that the prosecution is willing to use Combs’ race as a strategy, given their public accusations that federal investigators are targeting a wealthy and successful Black man. Meanwhile, Mark Gereagos, a well-known celebrity attorney with his daughter leading the defense, hinted on his “2 Angry Men” podcast that race might be a subtle but persistent theme in the trial.

The process of selecting jurors resumed on Wednesday, and as reported by USA Today, the pool of possible candidates eventually shrank to the set number of 45 individuals by the end of the day’s proceedings. This was following the elimination of 22 potential jury members who went through questioning on Wednesday. The attorneys will come back on May 9th to choose the final jury before the opening statements, which are scheduled for next week.

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2025-05-08 01:24