Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sued for $60million for sexual harassment by ‘Making The Band’ singer
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has faced a lot of lawsuits, and because the “lookback window” of New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act came to a close on February 28th, a lot of last-minute lawsuits came the producer’s way. One of them was filed by Sara Rivers, who appeared on the now-infamous show Making The Band, and she is suing Combs for at least $60million.
However, Rivers isn’t just suing Combs (the face of the show); she is also suing the multiple executives and companies involved in making the programme. The lawsuit was filed in a federal court in New York on February 28th, and, as reported by HipHopDX, it emphasises the “extreme emotional distress impacting nearly every aspect of the Plaintiff’s life and personal relationships” that the show caused.
Rivers alleges that her treatment was “inhumane” and claims that people involved in the creation of the show, including Combs, sought to control her eating and sleeping schedule. Furthermore, she alleges that she was forced to share a room with four men despite being married and was regularly mocked for her appearance.
She claims that Combs nefariously “interfered” with her music career years after she appeared on the show and alleges he sabotaged multiple record deals she was offered. The suit also accuses the mogul of sexual harassment and assault.
In one account, Rivers alleges that “Diddy used his left hand to adjust the collar of her jacket and then ran his left hand across her breasts while repeating the phrase If she needs anything to let him know.”
In response to the various allegations made by Saara Rivers, Combs’ legal team issued a statement reading, “This is yet another example of false claims being filed against Mr Combs. No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor.”
It continues, “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. With the deadline for New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act expiring tomorrow, it’s clear that opportunists are rushing to file last-minute, meritless claims. Mr Combs remains confident he will prevail in court.”
Unlike many of the lawsuits filed against Combs, the lawsuit was not filed by Tony Buzbee, and Rivers’ attorney in the case is Ariel Mitchell. Still, Mitchell is one of the lawyers Combs has sued. In January, Combs filed a $50m defamation suit against him.
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.