More than 100 people are set to sue rap musician Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for sexual assault, rape, and sexual exploitation, according to a US lawyer. Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee revealed that some of the alleged victims include minors who were abused as young as nine years old.
“This is an important matter that we intend to aggressively pursue,” Mr. Buzbee told reporters. However, Erica Wolff, a lawyer representing Mr. Combs, stated that the rapper “emphatically and categorically” denies the allegations, calling them “false and defamatory.”
The legal action comes on the heels of Mr. Combs facing criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, for which he was arrested last week and is currently in federal custody after being denied bail.
According to Mr. Buzbee, who is representing a total of 120 alleged victims, half of them are men and the other half are women from more than 25 states across the US. Shockingly, 25 of the alleged victims were minors, marking the first time Mr. Combs has been accused of sexually abusing children.
The alleged incidents span from 1991 to as recently as this year, with most occurring after 2015 in locations such as Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Many of the plaintiffs claim they were date raped after parties hosted by Mr. Combs at various venues, private residences, and hotels, with some incidents occurring at auditions.
Mr. Buzbee highlighted the case of a nine-year-old boy who was sexually abused by Mr. Combs and his associates at a recording studio in New York while trying to secure a record deal. Another man, who was also a minor at the time, alleged that Mr. Combs coerced him into performing oral sex in exchange for making him a “star.”
The lawyer also mentioned a 15-year-old girl who was flown to New York for a party hosted by Mr. Combs and was subsequently raped by him and others. Mr. Buzbee claimed that the alleged victims were typically offered “laced” drinks before being sexually assaulted, revealing a disturbing modus operandi.
Andrew Van Arsdale, an attorney at the AVA law group working with Mr. Buzbee, stated that they have received over 3,000 phone calls from people alleging abuse by the music mogul, with another 100 cases being vetted.
“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry has finally been revealed to the world,” Mr. Buzbee declared. “The wall of silence has now been broken.” This is not a class action lawsuit, and individual cases will be filed for each alleged victim as they seek justice for the alleged abuse they suffered.
