The 9 horrific abuse lawsuits levelled at Diddy – drug-fuelled ‘freak offs’ to blackmail & why cops took so long to act
AFTER years of swirling allegations and shocking claims, music icon Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs now finds himself at the centre of a legal storm.
The 54-year-old rapper-turned-business mogul was arrested at a New York hotel and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering.
With accusations ranging from drug-fuelled “freak offs” – where girls were forced to perform sexually for days on end – to coercion and blackmail, the once untouchable figure has faced a staggering nine lawsuits in the last year.
His arrest has shaken the music industry to its core, with many wondering whether other big names will be implicated in the case.
Following his arrest, a judge denied his request to be released on a $50million bond.
Although he vowed to submit his passport and that of his kids, prosecutors noted his alleged history of witness tampering.
His arrest follows a police raid on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles earlier this year.
It has been reported that, in building a case against him, authorities interviewed more than 50 witnesses.
They also seized dozens of mobile phones, laptops and hard drives. They are also said to be in possession of videos that shows the coerced sex acts he’s accused of.
Here, we take a look at the nine horrifying lawsuits against the Bad Boy Records founder and why it took cops so long to make an arrest.
Cassandra Ventura – Rape and battery
Singer Cassandra Ventura, 38, popularly known as Cassie, filed a lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023. The two had been in a relationship for 11 years.
Diddy signed her to his record label when she was 19 and he was 37.
It’s claimed that Diddy introduced her to his “ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fueled lifestyle.”
In the 35-page federal complaint, she accused him of sexual assault, battery, and sex trafficking. She also alleged that he forced her to participate in sexual acts.
Cassie claimed that during the course of their relationship, Diddy was abusive.
It read: “Mr Combs asserted complete control over Ms Ventura’s personal and professional life, thereby ensuring her inability to escape his hold.”
She claimed that when she tried to leave in 2018, he forced himself into her hotel in Los Angeles and raped her.
In May, CNN obtained CCTV footage that showed the rapper brutally beating Cassie at a hotel in 2016. He punched and kicked her while she was down on the floor outside a set of lifts.
A few days later, Diddy publicly apologised for his actions in the video and called his behaviour “inexcusable”. He also said he “took full responsibility” for what he did.
Cassie’s lawsuit was filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act (ASA). It gave victims the opportunity to bring lawsuits, regardless of when the incident occurred.
The law, which expired on November 23 at midnight, gave claimants a one-year window to file civil litigation regardless of when the abuse took place.
On November 17 2023, Cassie and Diddy agreed to settle the case. Before settling, his lawyers claimed Cassie had tried to extract $30million from him to buy her silence about their relationship.
The lawyer also claimed that the lawsuits that followed were people jumping on the “bandwagon” after learning his client had settled the lawsuit.
Cassie is now married to Alex Fine. The pair share one child together.
Liza Gardner – ‘Raped at 16’
In her 22-page lawsuit, Liza Gardner claimed that Diddy and singer Aaron Hall took turns in raping her in 1990 when she was only 16.
She alleged that she met the pair at an album release event for the group Jodeci. The suit said that Diddy then invited her and her friend to Hall’s apartment for an after party.
She claimed that was where Diddy forced her to have sex with him. When she was dressing after that, she alleges Hall barged into the room, pinned her down and raped her.
According to Gardner, she experienced extreme vaginal pain afterwards and fled the apartment.
She says she later discovered that her friend had also allegedly had sex with the two men.
The suit alleges that since “being violently and statutorily raped by Combs and Aaron Hall, Ms. Gardner’s life has been overwhelmed by depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and strained relationship with men”.
Gardner’s lawyers asked the court for a jury trial. Her lawsuit was filed just a day before New York’s ASA law was set to expire.
Diddy’s legal representatives have said the claims are “fabricated and “bogus” and that the case was filed as an attempt to extort money.
Joi Dickerson-Neal – Rape and revenge porn
In November 2023, NBC News reported that Joi Dickerson-Neal had filed a suit that alleged that Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted her while she was a student at university in 1991.
She also claimed that he recorded the act and even let others watch it.
In her complaint, Dickerson-Neal alleged she reluctantly agreed to go on a date with him on January 3 1991, while she was on a break from school.
She claims while on the date, Diddy drugged her, “resulting in her being in a physical state where she could not independently stand or walk”.
She also claims Combs videotaped the assault and distributed the tape to friends in the music industry.
Why did cops take so long to act?
Many people are shocked it’s taken so long for Combs to be arrested, especially given that there was gut-wrenching footage of Cassie being allegedly attacked by him.
However, legal action couldn’t be taken against him for this due to the fact that the statute of limitations for an incident of this nature had passed by the time it came to light.
The statute of limitations is a legal term used to describe the length of time victims have to take legal action for various incidents.
In California, where the alleged attack took place, the statute of limitations for assault is just ONE year from the date that the incident occurred.
As it happened in 2016, Cassie no longer had legal grounds to pursue justice for the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of Combs.
Experts have also said there’s been a “culture of silence” among all the alleged victims, as well as Combs bribing them.
National director of the activist group World Without Exploitation, Lauren Hersh told the Los Angeles Times: “At first, it’s very enticing for people to be in his company, to be on his payroll, to be in his hotel rooms.
“He has cachet that people are drawn to, he uses that mechanism to lure people in.
“With this indictment, the message is clear, that we believe you. That’s really powerful. Very likely, victims were repeatedly told, ‘Don’t speak because no one will believe you.
“I believe we’re in a critical moment where we’re looking at cases carefully and holding them accountable. It’s for his survivors, but every survivor too.”
According to her, her life went into a “tailspin” after returning to school. She claims she was also admitted to the hospital for severe depression and had suicidal thoughts.
She sued him for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking and revenge porn.
The case is ongoing.
Responding to the claims, a spokesperson for Diddy said: “Because of Mr Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for accusers who will falsify the truth, without conscience or consequence, for financial benefit.”
Jane Doe – Gang rape claim
In this lawsuit, an anonymous woman claims that she was the victim of gang-raping at the hands of Diddy and Harve Pierre, the former president of Diddy’s Bad Boy Records.
She claimed she was only 17 when the alleged incident took place in 2003.
According to the complaint, she met Pierre at a lounge, who proceeded to inform her that he was best friends with the rapper.
She further claims that Diddy asked her to escort him, Pierre, and a third person on a private jet to a studio in New York City.
She agreed and went on a jet that took her to his studio.
While there, she claims she was gang-raped by Diddy and a third party, who gave her alcohol and drugs.
The suit claims that after Diddy was done, he watched as the third party forced himself onto her.
After that, she alleges that Pierre also raped her and violently made her give him oral sex, resulting in her choking and struggling to breathe.
Diddy’s legal representatives have denied the claims and asked the judge to dismiss the case. Pierre has also denied the claims.
Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke has denied the woman’s claims to remain anonymous.
However, she remains unnamed while the judge makes a decision on Diddy’s request to have the case thrown out.
The rapper released a statement that said: “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday.
“Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
Rodney Jones – Sex trafficking parties
In his 105-page lawsuit against Diddy, record producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones claims that Diddy and his associates run an illegal racketeering enterprise.
He also said he was “subjected to unwanted advances by associates of Diddy at his direction” and forced to engage in sexual acts with escorts hired by Diddy.
Jones also alleged that for more than a year, Diddy sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him for more than a year.
He claimed to have footage of Diddy and those close to him engaging in illegal activities.
It also named Daphne Joy, 50 Cent’s ex and the mother of one of his children, as one of the sex workers.
Jones also claimed that he held “sex trafficking parties” that had underaged women and illegal drugs.
He also accused Diddy of forcing him to work while he paraded around naked.
It was also claimed that while on a yacht with Diddy and actor Cuba Gooding Jr, the latter began touching him inappropriately when Diddy left them alone.
In the suit filed in February, it was claimed that Cuba did not stop “touching, groping, and fondling” him until he forcibly pushed him away.
Diddy’s lawyers have denied the claim and even called Jones a “con man” looking for an “undeserved payday”.
They also said they had proof that Jones’ claims were fabricated.
Cuba has distanced himself from Diddy, and said he’s only met him two or three times, describing him as an “acquaintance”.
On the PBD Podcast with Patrick Bet-David, he added: “I don’t know P. Diddy’s life. I don’t know what he’s going through.
“I don’t know what the police are gonna find on all of that.”
He also said he believes his name was brought up in the suit, due to “the cases that I already went through,” referring to the fact that he settled a sexual assault lawsuit with a woman in June 2023, and pled guilty to forcibly kissing a waitress the following year.
Crystal McKinney – Spiked joint
Following the release of Diddy’s shocking assault on Cassie in May, Crystal McKinney claimed in a lawsuit that Diddy sexually assaulted her at his recording studio in New York City.
Crystal, a former model, claimed to have met Diddy at a restaurant during Men’s Fashion Week in 2003.
She alleged he invited her to his studio, but when she showed up, she found Diddy smoking marijuana with several other men.
After smoking some herself, she claims to have been led to the bathroom, where the mogul forced her to give him oral sex.
McKinney says she “later came to understand” that the marijuana was laced with other substances.
She claims after the assault, Diddy got her “blackballed” in the fashion industry.
Representatives for Diddy have not yet responded to these claims.
April Lampros – Coercive relationship
Shortly after McKinney’s lawsuit, April Lampros filed her claim on May 23, 2024.
In it, she accused the rapper of battery, sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and committing a crime of violence motivated by gender.
In court documents, it is alleged that the two met in 1994 while she was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She was also an intern at Arista records, the parent company of Diddy’s record label.
She claimed that after being forced to drink alcohol, Diddy took her to a hotel and had sex with her despite her protests, resulting in her passing out.
Diddy's downfall
By The U.S. Sun’s Senior Reporter Forrest McFarland, who has been reporting on Diddy’s legal battles for years
BEFORE Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest on Monday night, it had been highly speculated that the rap star would find himself in custody after he was repeatedly hit with disturbing accusations – and had two of his mansions raided by the feds.
His mounting legal troubles finally came to a head on September 17, when he was charged with three federal counts, including sex trafficking, for allegedly forcing victims to take part in drug-fueled sex parties he called “Freak Offs.”
Hours before his arrest, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed the feds investigating Combs were secretly liaising with Tupac Shakur murder prosecutors on gangland activities.
The development also came after Combs was named 77 times in documents submitted by prosecutors in the Tupac murder case.
Aside from the Tupac probe, Combs was already facing a slew of lawsuits, including one he settled with his ex, Cassie Ventura, after she accused him of rape and abuse.
Disturbing hotel surveillance video from 2016 showed Combs chasing Cassie down and then punching, kicking, and beating her in a hallway.
Two months earlier, in March 2024, two of Combs’ mansions were raided by federal investigators, who seized three AR-15s, drugs, and 1,000 bottles of lube which were part of his “Freak Off” supplies.
In addition to his federal criminal charges, Combs also faces a handful of lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking dating back to the early 1990s.
Music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones filed one suit in February 2024, claiming Combs forced him to hire sex workers and participate in sex acts while he worked on his latest album.
Combs has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal sex trafficking charges against him, but his battle is far from over.
He faces life in prison if he’s convicted on all counts.
Afterwards, he “love bombed” her and they entered into “an aggressive, coercive and abusive relationship based on sex”.
It is claimed that he, once again, assaulted her by forcing her to give him oral sex in a garage near his Manhattan apartment.
When she started to drift away from him, he allegedly gave her “gifts and empty promises”.
She stated that he later turned “angry, threatening and forceful” and even threatened that he would ruin her career.
The lawsuit further claimed that Diddy assaulted her a third time in 1996 when he forced her and his late ex wife Kim Porter to take ecstasy and have sex together.
It is claimed that Diddy masturbated while watching the two women before assaulting Lampros.
Although she said she ended the relationship two years later, she alleged that the pair met again at an event at the Rockefeller Centre in the early 2000s.
After Diddy allegedly begged to see her again, she invited him to her apartment, where he is said to have kissed and touched her without her consent.
Last year, she claimed that a man approached her partner at the time to tell him that he had seen a video of her and Diddy.
She alleged that Diddy filmed their sexual encounters without her knowledge.
Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith – $100m payout
After failing to appear for a virtual hearing, Diddy was ordered to pay inmate Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith $100million for a lawsuit he brought against him.
In his claim, Cardello-Smith alleges that Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted him at a party over 30 years ago.
It alleges that the pair met while he was working at a restaurant in Detroit in 1997.
After drinking alcohol and smoking, they are said to have had sex with a group of women. He claimed he felt Diddy’s hands touching him.
He claims he was given a drink that made him pass out.
When he woke up, Diddy was having sex with a woman and allegedly told him: “I did this to you too.”
Diddy’s lawyer, who contested the judgement, said: “This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years.”
Dawn Richard – ‘Buffet’ of drugged girls
Last week, Dawn Richard, a member of Danity Kane, a girl group put together by Diddy on his MTV reality show Making the Band, filed a lawsuit against him.
She alleges that she personally witnessed Diddy assaulting Cassie.
It was claimed that Diddy choked and strangled his ex-girlfriend and also hit her with his fist and other objects.
It said the abuse included “slapping her, punching her, and throwing items at her, including a scalding hot pan”.
Richard said Diddy threatened her when she tried to help Cassie.
Richard says she regularly saw Diddy hurl items, including food, laptops, and studio equipment, at people in “fits of rage”.
According to the complaint, Richard once witnessed Diddy’s late ex Kim Porter, leaving the studio crying with a visible facial injury.
She also claims to have been present at parties where Diddy would perform sex acts on girls who were plied with drugs and alcohol and appeared underage.
Richard stated that he would allegedly say things like: “This is a buffet. Enjoy yourselves.”
She also claimed that she was concerned for her own wellbeing.
She claims Diddy subjected her to gender-motivated violence.
She also alleged she was sexually harassed and assaulted by Diddy and is suing him for sexual battery, sex trafficking, sexual assault, and false imprisonment.
After leaving Danity Kane, Richard went into a group with Diddy and Kalenna Harper called Diddy Dirty Money.
After Richard’s lawsuit was made public, Harper denied ever seeing him doing anything.
This week, it was revealed that Diddy had contacted Harper 54 times in one day before putting out her statement. Diddy’s legal representatives said Diddy was “shocked and disappointed by the lawsuit”.
They said: “Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”