Two individual lawsuits were filed on Monday, with allegations directed at hip-hop magnate Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. These lawsuits claim that Combs was involved in drugging and assaulting a young boy aged 10 back in 2005 in a New York City hotel room. In another, Combs is alleged to have acted similarly toward a 17-year-old hopeful participant on the reality TV series ‘Making the Band’ in 2008.
Both these charges, lodged in the New York state Supreme Court, are the most recent in a string of legal actions against Combs. The mogul has been accused multiple times in the past by numerous claimants who allege they fell victim to Combs’ sexual aggressions at various socio-private events and professional encounters spanning two decades.
The legal representation of Combs, speaking on Monday, vehemently rejected the two most recent accusations. According to an emailed statement, ‘Mr. Combs and his legal team are completely reliant on the truth and the unassailable nature of judicial proceedings. When in the court of law, the veracity of facts will be unmasked: Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or trafficked another human being—be they male or female, adult or child.’
As it stands currently, at the age of 54, Combs is detained in a city jail in New York. His legal plea has firmly maintained his innocence in response to the federal sex trafficking accusations leveled against him in an indictment that was revealed the day after his arrest on September 16th.
The listed charges against the hip-hop mogul indict him on grounds of forcing and exploiting women, as well as stifling and adversely intimidating victims employing methods of blackmail and physical abuse.
The 10-year-old boy, who has been kept anonymous in the lawsuit, harbored aspirations of being an actor and rapper. He and his parents had journeyed from California to meet representatives of the music industry in the city of New York.
During what was expected to be an audition with Combs, the young boy was given a soda that had been spiked with drugs by an associate of Combs. This was followed by the alleged sexual assault by Combs who was the founder of Bad Boy Records, as per the details described in the lawsuit.
Post the alleged ordeal, the boy eventually fell unconscious. Upon gaining consciousness, he was met with threats from Combs. The boy’s parents were to face severe harm if the boy opened up about the incident to anyone.
In the second legal action, an unidentified 17-year-old male has claimed that Combs coerced him into engaging in sexual acts with Combs and a member of his security staff over an audition period for the ‘Making the Band’ TV series, which was produced by Combs, lasting three days.
Subsequently, when the young contestant conveyed his hesitations, he was dismissed from the competition. This event left a considerable impact on his career, causing him to step away from the music industry for a span of seven years.
Both these lawsuits have been filed under the premises of the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act of New York City. This Act allows survivors to file lawsuits despite the expiration of the statute of limitations.