Singer Dawn Richard “absolutely terrified” of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Dawn Richard was previously in a group with Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs called Diddy—Dirty Money and also part of Danity Kane, which was signed to his Bad Boy label in the 2000s. After suing him in September, her lawyer claimed she was “absolutely terrified” of him.
In a lawsuit, Richard accused Combs of threatening her life and “subjecting her to years of inhumane working conditions which included groping, assault, and false imprisonment.” Combs’ lawyer, Erica Wolff, has called her claims “manufactured” and “false.”
During an appearance on Newsnight on November 21st, Dawn Richard’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, claimed that Combs “groped and grabbed her body parts, sexually assaulted her, that he not only failed to pay her money that was promised to her, but actually prevented her from eating and sleeping during those years – just treated her terribly.”
Not only that, but she also alleged Richard witnessed “severe acts of violence” against Cassie and other women. “When she spoke out, she says she was threatened with more physical violence,” Bloom said. “She said Sean Combs had a vicious temper and she was absolutely terrified of him.”
Combs’ lawyer said he was “shocked and disappointed” by the claims, stating that he was “confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”
Richard was a member of Danity Kane, a girl group that released two albums on Bad Boy Records: the self-titled Danity Kane and Welcome to the Dollhouse. Diddy – Dirty Money released their only album Last Train to Paris in 2010, with singles such as ‘Coming Home’, ‘Hello Good Morning’ and ‘Angels’ with Biggie Smalls appearing on the project.
Prosecutors have reportedly focused on Kalenna Harper, a witness who was the third member of Diddy – Dirty Money alongside Combs and Richard. Combs allegedly had 128 phone contacts with Harper after Richard filed her suit, with a statement from Harper saying Richard’s allegations “are not representative of my experiences, and some do not align with my own truth.”
While she didn’t name Harper, Bloom said that a woman who collaborated with Dawn Richard “came out publicly and essentially called my client a liar. The strong implication there is that he talked her into making those statements, perhaps gave her money. We don’t know. But that would be witness tampering.”
Combs is set to appear in court on November 22nd in his third attempt at bail amid criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. He’s also facing dozens of sexual assault allegations.