The full story surrounding the charges against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
The Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs lawsuit has gripped the world of hip-hop over the last 12 months. Since singer Cassie Ventura sued the music mogul, his empire, legacy, and entire world have crumbled before his eyes. Akin to other high-profile court cases, Diddy’s fall from grace has had followers on the edge of their seats, and with every new revelation, more eyes are on the once-beloved figure.
For many, when news of Diddy’s arrest arrived, they were not only shocked but curious where the producer and businessman would end up and that question is still very much unanswered. As the months have passed, more allegations have been made and new witnesses have stepped into the fray before the authorities arrested Combs on September 16th.
The allegations made against Diddy constitute a number of crimes, all of which are being extensively followed up by law enforcement in the most forensic and unforgiving way. The Bad Boy founder will have to defend allegations in court that date all the way back to the early 1990s, when he was riding high as the head of Bad Boy Entertainment, one of hip-hop’s leading record labels.
Diddy’s indictment is a hefty charge sheet. A grand jury in the Southern District of New York has accused Combs of, among other crimes, ”Sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”
In specific terms, the indictment alleges that Combs purposefully used narcotics as a way to coerce and control his artists and used his financial status as leverage and, with artists and girlfriends alike, has shown “a pattern of abuse toward women.” Furthermore, this abuse has allegedly been, on occasion, sexual and always non-consensual.
Although Combs is the focus of the case, the grand jury have also highlighted that he was protected after persuading “certain employees to carry out, facilitate, and cover up his abuse and commercial sex.”
Diddy has profusely denied all of the allegations, and, aside from cases he has settled out of court, he has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. In a statement, Jonathan Davis, attorney for Combs, has said, “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone.”
Despite pleading not guilty and having enough money to make bail, after his arrest on September 16th, a New York federal judge insisted the musician remain in custody as he is a “serious flight risk”.
The rapper was arrested after raids on his home. Authorities discovered guns, ammunition, drugs, large amounts of baby oil and lubricant in his Miami mansion.
Cassie Ventura’s allegations against Diddy:
The first major lawsuit was a direct battle between Diddy and Cassie. The R&B singer, also known as Cassandra Ventura, alleged that, while they were dating, the musician raped and physically abused her. Ventura’s legal action led to the barrage of allegations that would then come Diddy’s way. At first, Diddy denied the allegations before reaching a settlement with Ventura.
Furthermore, CCTV footage of Diddy emerged that showed him beating and assaulting Ventura, which he later issued an apology for.
Although Combs previously denied being violent toward Ventura, after footage of the video emerged, Combs apologised for his actions, claiming he accepts “full responsibility” for the attack which was viewed by millions. “I was disgusted when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he says in the video. The rapper also described the period as “the darkest times” in his life.
Diddy continued: “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f—ed up. I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.” However, it then opened the floodgate for subsequent allegations to come forward.
Further accusations made against Diddy:
Since Cassie’s initial allegations, Diddy has had eight lawsuits filed against him. A former attendee of a Diddy party, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, has taken legal action. The producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, who worked with Combs in the late 1990s, Joie Dickerson-Neal and April Lampros, who were college students when they met Diddy, a fellow musician Dawn Richard, and four anonymous plaintiffs have also taken legal action.
All of the above have accused Combs of sexual abuse and assault. Three of the cases accuse the emcee of using drugs to coerce them into unknowingly having sexual intercourse with him, and others, such as Lil Rod, insist that he used it as a tool to control their career, blackmail them and force them to do things they didn’t want to while working for him.
Cardello-Smith filed his lawsuit on September 9th, which claimed that in 1997, Combs served him a spiked drink that caused him to pass out and alleged that during an orgy, Combs admitted he had raped him while asleep. On February 26th, Lil Rod claimed Diddy made him engage in relations with sex workers against his will.
Joie Dickerson-Neal, Crystal McKinney, and April Lampros, all alleged they had been spiked and then raped by Diddy while under the age of 25 at parties. Dawn Richard, the musician who was last to step forward akin to Lil Rod, accused the musician of groping her and using and abusing her at work.
Police raid Diddy’s homes:
Earlier this year, Diddy’s multiple homes were raided, including his mansions in Los Angeles and Miami. The forensic nature included helicopters patrolling the airspace above his house, dog units and police breaking down doors without notice.
The Bad Boy founder wasn’t present at the time of the raid. However, a member of his legal team, Aaron Dyer, released a statement detailing his resentment about the way officers have treated the mogul. The message reads, “This unprecedented ambush—paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence—leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
Still, as more allegations continued to make their way to court, further raids took place, and since March, the police claim to have found guns and ammunition, drugs and large amounts of baby oil and lubricant related to alleged violent sex events. “These parties are referred to in Diddy’s official indictment, where it reads, “Combs then used force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims to engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers that Combs referred to as, among other things, ‘Freak Offs’.”
It continues, “‘Freak Offs’ were elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded. In arranging these ‘Freak Offs’, Combs, with the assistance of members and associates of the Combs Enterprise.”
These alleged ‘Freak Offs’ are what led Diddy to also be charged with with sex trafficking and racketeering.
Diddy’s response to the accusations:
Diddy’s response to these allegations has been mostly through his legal team and he has chosen to plead not guilty and fight every one of the cases made against him.
Since his arrest on September 16th, Combs’ only response has come through one of his attorneys Marc Agnifilio who declared, “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Agnifilio continued, “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal” and asserts that Combs is innocent and plans to plead not guilty on all charges.
Diddy, who denies all wrongdoing, is currently in police custody. As it stands, he’s set to remain behind bars until his trial after being denied bail. There is currently no date set for the trial.
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.