‘Many dirty secrets will be revealed,’ says lawyer

More than 100 people, including dozens of children, who say they were victims of rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation by Sean “Diddy” Combs, will sue the American rap star, a lawyer said on Tuesday, October 1.

The latest legal action will put even more pressure on a man who once dominated American pop culture but has long been dogged by allegations of violent abuse of women and is now in prison on criminal charges.

“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, which wasn’t really a secret at all, has finally been revealed to the world,” Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said as he announced plans by 120 people, including 25 minors, to file civil charges. action. “The wall of silence has now been broken and victims are coming forward.”

Combs was indicted last month on three felony charges alleging he sexually assaulted women and coerced them into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence. Accusations against the Grammy Award winner have been mounting since last year, when singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged that Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion through physical violence and drugs, as well as a rape in 2018. A wave of similarly lurid lawsuits have since painted a picture of Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity status to prey on women.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. He is in prison awaiting trial.

Pattern of abuse

At a news conference in Houston, Buzbee said more than 3,000 people had made accusations against Combs, and he urged anyone who may have been a victim to come forward.

He said many of the abuses allegedly committed by Combs and members of his circle followed a pattern. “I would say that in 90 percent of the cases these individuals were drugged,” he told reporters. “One person who was 22 years old when she was attacked said that… if you were given a drink – and now we know the drink was laced with something – if you refused to drink it, you were thrown out of jail. the party.”

Buzbee described cases of repeated rape of teenagers allegedly carried out by Combs and his associates. He said alleged abuse of minors often occurred in the context of a promise of fame and fortune in the music industry.

Fear of retaliation

A boy, who was only nine years old at the time, was brought to New York to audition for Combs’ label Bad Boy Records.

“This individual was sexually assaulted, allegedly by Sean Combs and several other people at the studio, on the promise to both his parents and himself that he would get a record deal,” Buzbee said.

In another incident: a person, 15 years old at the time, who was flown to New York City to attend a party, was drugged and then taken to a private room, allegedly in the presence of Mr. Combs, where this female person, a minor, was raped, after which other persons took turns raping her.”

Buzbee praised the courage of those who came forward despite fear of retaliation or backlash from their own communities.

“I expect that through this process many powerful people and many dirty secrets will be revealed.”

“We know what we may be dealing with, and as is always the case in situations like this, people can be downright mean and mean when a celebrity is involved.”