New lawsuit against Sean Combs for abuse and exploitation

American rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is again being sued for assaulting and exploiting a former contestant on his MTV show, Making the Band.

Singer Dawn Richard filed a complaint Tuesday in the Southern District of New York against Combs and others associated with him.

The complaint alleges that Combs abused women, physically assaulted them and withheld income from Richards.

According to Combs’ attorney Erica Wolff, the rapper was “shocked and disappointed” by the lawsuit and called Richard’s claims “fabricated” and “false.”

She said her client “is confident of the truth and looks forward to proving it in court”.

Richard was a member of the female group Danity Kane, which Combs formed through the reality show Making the Band. The show focused on contestants competing for a spot in his new group.

She later joined Combs’ band, Diddy – Dirty Money.

The new lawsuit accuses Combs of abusing women and alleges that Richard witnessed the rapper hitting his former girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura.

According to the complaint, Richard witnessed Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend on multiple occasions, even choking her.

The indictment cites multiple incidents in which Richard allegedly witnessed Combs assault Ventura, often in public or in the presence of record label representatives who allegedly agreed to deals with Combs.

When she urged Ventura to end the relationship, Richard said she was met with threats and verbal abuse from Combs, the complaint said.

Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Combs in 2023, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. Combs paid Ventura an undisclosed amount of money, settling the case out of court.

Richard’s lawsuit also accuses Combs of exploiting her talent as a singer, concealing her earnings, stealing her copyrighted works and subjecting her to “inhumane working conditions,” including groping, beatings and unlawful imprisonment.

The lawsuit alleges that Combs manipulated Richard by claiming that her submission to circumstances was necessary for her career and that exploitation was a requirement for female artists to succeed in the music industry.

During the taping of the show Making the Band, Richard felt threatened and intimidated by Combs because he displayed aggressive behavior toward her and her bandmates, the complaint said.

She accuses Combs of denying her and her bandmates basic needs, such as adequate food and sleep, and demanding rehearsal schedules that lasted 36 to 48 hours straight, with no breaks.

The indictment describes a November 2009 afterparty following the Soul Train Awards in Atlanta, where illegal drugs were allegedly present and dozens of young women and girls — some of whom appeared to be minors — appeared listless or unconscious.

According to the complaint, security personnel and law enforcement officers were stationed at the doors at these events, making Richard feel trapped and as if she could not leave without alerting Combs.

The lawsuit also accuses Combs of failing to pay Richard for performances that were part of a touring agreement.

According to the complaint, there were multiple instances in which Combs made unwanted sexual advances toward Richard.

Between 2009 and 2011, during rehearsals for Diddy – Dirty Money’s, Combs ordered Richard to strip down to her underwear and verbally abused her in front of others, the complaint alleges.

In the complaint, Richard accuses Combs of groping her while she was changing in her dressing room.

When she refused his advances, he allegedly cut her out of the songs, refused to let her sing on the songs, and turned off her microphone during performances in retaliation.

The lawsuit is part of a series of sexual abuse allegations recently filed against Combs, one of the most successful moguls in rap music history.

Combs has denied all previous allegations, but apologized after video surfaced of him attacking Ventura.

Richard praises Ventura’s courage in coming forward.

“Dawn had the option to file as a Jane Doe, but bravely chose to file under her real name. We will not rest until we achieve full and complete justice for Dawn in this case,” Richard’s attorney said in a statement.