Jodeci’s Devante Swing removed from Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit
Member of R&B duo Jodeci, DeVante Swing, has been removed from a lawsuit he was named in last year linking him to the alleged crimes of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. The legal filing accused the vocalist of “aiding” Combs in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl.
The plaintiff, Liza Gardner, voluntarily amended her initial lawsuit on January 15th to dismiss the claims she made concerning DeVante, meaning that all the charges against him have now been dropped. However, the amendment was made without prejudice, which allows the option for Gardner to re-file the charges at a later date if she wishes.
Other individuals named in the lawsuit include Combs’ and singer Aaron Hall, both of whom remain accused of sexually assaulting Gardner in 1990. Before amending the lawsuit, Gardener had accused DeVante Swing of actively participating in the alleged acts. However, it now claims that he was a bystander who witnessed the alleged crimes.
The amended lawsuit says: “Unbeknownst to Ms Gardner at the time, Defendant Swing was in the room when this assault took place and did not take any steps to prevent this abuse from occurring.”
Swing was allegedly Gardner’s “co-guardian” at the time of the crime and, as such, was meant to protect her from harm. Before the amendment, the lawsuit claimed Swing “had a duty to protect [Gardner] as her parents entrusted him with her safety. He trafficked and or coerced the child [to] travel across state lines from North Carolina to New York and New Jersey with the hidden intention of providing the child with alcohol and marijuana and prostituting the child to his A&R Combs [Diddy].”
Gardner was one of the first females to accuse Combs of alleged rape following the mogul’s out-of-court settlement with Cassie Ventura. Gardner alleged in her original suit that Combs and Hall took turns raping her and a friend after meeting them at MCA Records’ offices in Manhattan, New York.
The initial complaint read: “At the time Combs assaulted Ms Gardner, she recalls feeling the side effects of the alcohol. She recalls Combs mounting her and forcing up her skirt, pulling her underwear to the side and forcefully penetrating her.”
Still, Combs and his legal team, fronted by Marc Agnifilo, vehemently denied these claims, responding, “These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute. This is nothing but a money grab.”
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.