Diddy, Garth Brooks lawsuits rattle music industry after escaping #MeToo moment
Accusations levied against Garth Brooks last week were only the latest in a string of major claims to rock the music industry after Sean "Diddy" Combs' arrest on sex crimes charges.
With dozens of lawsuits filed against Diddy in the last year, and an alleged 100+ more victims expected to file additional suits, echoes of the #MeToo movement appear to be hitting a high note in an industry that was essentially bypassed in 2017.
A #MeToo reckoning may be taking shape in the music industry, but San Diego criminal defense lawyer David P. Shapiro said the charge for accountability predated Diddy's recent federal criminal court troubles.
"One recent example from a few years ago was the case(s) of another well-known music mogul, R. Kelly, who is currently in prison," Shapiro told Fox News Digital. The R&B artist was convicted of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving sexual abuse of minors and is currently serving a 31-year sentence at a medium-security prison in North Carolina.
"For too long, victims of sexual assault have been exploited and left without a voice. They feared no one would believe them and that society would always side with their powerful abuser," Shapiro said. "While the #MeToo movement has provided valuable support for the true victims of sexual abuse and exploitation at the hands and direction of powerful men, it has also validated concerns of overcorrection and automatically believing the word of a sexual assault complainant, even sometimes in the face of logic and fact.
"Such an approach is in direct contradiction to our system’s proof beyond a reasonable doubt standard in criminal courts."
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Diddy was arrested on Sept. 16 and charged the following day with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper entered a not guilty plea hours after an indictment was unsealed detailing his alleged sex crimes.
Authorities alleged Diddy ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, among others. He used "firearms, threats of violence, coercion and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse" to fulfill his sexual desires, according to the unsealed indictment obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Diddy and his employees would "intimidate, threaten, and lure female victims into Combs' orbit, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Combs allegedly 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.'" Diddy often provided IV fluids to his victims after "freak offs" to recover from physical exertion and drug use, according to the indictment.
The "Last Night" singer has maintained his innocence: "He's going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers. And I expect a long battle with a good result for Mr. Combs," his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the courthouse Sept. 17.
Shapiro noted, "While there always have been, and unfortunately always will be, allegations like these made against all famous and powerful musicians, Diddy’s case already is on track to surpass them all from a publicity standpoint, at least since the allegations made against Michael Jackson in the early 2000s.
"The fact Diddy’s case will be heard in federal court should hinder any recordings of the actual trial, should the case get that far."
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Garth Brooks was accused of raping his former makeup artist, "Jane Roe," in 2019 during a work trip, according to court documents filed last week and obtained by Fox News Digital. She also accused Brooks of openly talking about sex in front of her, exposing his genitals, sharing sexual fantasies with her, texting her explicit messages and physically groping her breasts.
The "Friends in Low Places" singer filed a countersuit allegedly attempting to block her suit and denied the claims.
"For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars," he said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face."
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When it comes to any possible changes in the music industry to protect victims, Shapiro noted the importance of victims coming forward to speak out against alleged accusers.
"The hope is that, irrespective of the case’s outcome, the end result of these accusations will change the music industry for the better, similar to those changes that went into effect for the film industry once Harvey Weinstein was outed," he said. "But time, and a jury of 12, will likely have the final word."
Brand expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital that only time will tell if #MeToo is truly happening in the music industry, and the answer can go in any direction.
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"On one hand, it's too soon to say. On the other hand, the more we learn, the less this seems like an ‘apples to apples’ comparison," he said. "Weinstein and other Hollywood elites were finally exposed for the 'casting couch' environment that was pervasive for decades (but never addressed) in Hollywood. By contrast, the scope and scale of the allegations against Diddy paint a broader, perhaps darker, picture: sex trafficking, drugging party attendees, etc.
"That said, it's important to remember, that at this stage of the legal process, these are purely allegations – as the case is still several months, if not a year from actually going to trial – but on the approaching horizon, this looks like a very different ship altogether."