Sean “Diddy” Combs Hit With New Sexual Assault Lawsuit by Dawn Richard

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Sean “Diddy” Combs Hit With New Sexual Assault Lawsuit by Dawn Richard

As a seasoned gamer who has seen my fair share of virtual worlds and their inhabitants, I can’t help but feel disheartened when real-life characters like Sean “Diddy” Combs seem to be embroiled in such distressing situations. The allegations against him are grave and the accumulating evidence is concerning.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is currently facing a lawsuit from his ex-bandmate Dawn Richard, who claims that he subjected her to sexual harassment and assault during their time together in a musical group with the music tycoon.

A multi-faceted lawsuit, initiated on Tuesday in a federal court in New York, alleges several issues such as battery, unlawful detention, non-payment of millions in overdue royalties and wages, plus the theft of copyrighted works. Apart from Combs, it implicates his label Bad Boy Entertainment, its president Harve Pierre, Universal Music Group and Epic Records, along with several others.

Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, has been grappling with intensifying legal issues. In March, federal authorities conducted searches at his residences in connection to an ongoing human trafficking investigation. This is not the first time such allegations have been made against him; since Casandra Ventura, a former girlfriend, filed a lawsuit detailing years of physical and sexual abuse, at least seven more complaints have surfaced. Ventura’s lawsuit was swiftly settled, but it sparked other accusers, including Liza Gardner, Joi Dickerson-Neal, and Crystal McKinney, to come forward with similar allegations. Combs has consistently denied these accusations, stating that the accusers are primarily seeking financial compensation.

A representative for Combs didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to the lawsuit filed by Richard, she claims that she endured years of sexual harassment and abuse at the hands of Combs. Specifically, between 2009 and 2011, she alleges that Combs frequently touched her inappropriately and made derogatory comments about her body. When she rejected his advances, Combs supposedly retaliated by taking away singing opportunities from her and removing her from songs, as stated in the complaint.

In an occurrence back in 2010, Richard asserted that he confined her against her will within his vehicle, a car without functioning interior door handles, for more than two hours.

For approximately ten years, Richard collaborated with Combs, initially within Danity Kane, a group that was established during the third season of Combs’ reality show, “Making the Band.” After Danity Kane disbanded in 2009, she moved on to work with Combs’ Diddy-Dirty Money. The lawsuit alleges that Richard is entitled to around $5 million in unpaid royalties and wages, as well as missed payments for her appearances on the MTV reality series. Additionally, it accuses Combs of using Richard’s work without permission on his most recent album, which could be considered copyright infringement.

Furthermore, the legal claim alleges that Universal Music Group and Interscope, along with others, facilitated and gained financially from Combs’ abusive behavior. In 2009, Bad Boy Entertainment entered into a distribution agreement with Interscope, where Combs’ business venture received $50 million for its future releases. At a dinner in a Los Angeles restaurant regarding this agreement, Richard claims that Jimmy Iovine, the CEO of Interscope, witnessed Combs punching Ventura in the stomach.

The lawsuit claims that Interscope Records was fully aware that Combs posed a threat to women and had no qualms about attacking females publicly. Remarkably, this violent incident took place in full view of many prominent witnesses, yet Mr. Iovine still proceeded with the Bad Boy-Interscope partnership. This deal continued uninterrupted, enriching Combs financially and granting him impunity to carry out further assaults without fear of consequences.

The sexual assault claim, which is more than a decade old, was brought under New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act, a statute that allows accusers to file civil complaints involving such claims after the statute of limitations has run out. The complaint brings more than 20 claims for sex trafficking, false imprisonment, hostile work environment, retaliation and breach of contract, among others. Richard’s legal team includes Lisa Bloom, a former advisor to Harvey Weinstein.

Following a court order on Monday, a lawsuit was filed against Combs, mandating him to pay $100 million to a Michigan inmate who had previously sued him for sexual assault. Since Combs did not show up in court, Judge Anna Marie Anzalone of the Lenawee County circuit court ruled in default, imposing this judgment on him.

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2024-09-11 22:26