Diddy accused of sexual abuse in lawsuit against bandmate Danity Kane

(NewsNation) —Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sued by a member of his former band, Danity Kane, alleging sexual abuse and years of “inhumane working conditions.”

Dawn Richard, a member of Diddy’s Danity Kane and Dirty Money groups, filed a lawsuit against the discredited producer on Wednesday.

In her lawsuit, Richard alleges that Combs withheld her earnings and subjected her to “years of inhumane working conditions, including groping, beatings, and unlawful imprisonment, among other violations.”

Richard met Combs at an audition for his MTV series Making the band in 2004. Danity Kane was formed during the show. Richard continued to work with Combs until 2012.

“For nearly a decade, Mr. Combs manipulated Ms. Richard with mantras that submission to his perverse demands was necessary for career advancement, and instilled in her the belief that such abuse and exploitation were necessary for female artists to succeed in the music industry.”

She accused her former boss of repeatedly groping her, even after she asked him to stop.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 21: Cassie and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” held at Writers Guild of America, West on June 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images)

“Mr. Combs fondled Ms. Richard’s body, including her bare buttocks and her chest area near her breasts, without any legitimate purpose and without Ms. Richard’s consent,” the lawsuit states.

Richard also claims she witnessed him brutally assaulting his former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura.

“His continued abuse included strangling Ms. Ventura, striking her with his hands and objects, slapping her, hitting her, and throwing objects at her, including a red-hot pan,” the complaint said.

She tried to comfort Ventura after the abuse and told her to leave him, but “each time, Mr. Combs learned of her attempts to help Ms. Ventura and became enraged. He threatened Ms. Richard’s life with statements such as ‘you want to die today,’ ‘I’m going to make n***** disappear,’ and ‘I’m going to kill people,'” the lawsuit states.

Richard’s lawsuit is the continuation of a long line of legal troubles the music mogul has been battling.

Department of Homeland Security agents raided Combs’ multimillion-dollar Los Angeles mansion and his waterfront home in Miami on March 25.

Diddy’s legal team was informed earlier this summer that he was under federal criminal investigation.

The producer also faces a growing list of civil lawsuits alleging abuse and sexual assault by multiple victims over a 30-year period, including Ventura.

In May, a video surfaced of the rapper assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. Combs previously denied using violence against Ventura when she filed a lawsuit last year, but he later apologized on social media after the video leaked.

Combs denies all allegations.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.