Danity Kane member is latest to accuse Diddy of sexual harassment and assault

A new lawsuit has been filed alleging Sean ‘Diddy’ Kammen of sexual harassment and assault. The latest lawsuit was filed by Dawn Richardwho performed with Combs as part of Dirty money and was previously a member of Danity KaneThe group was put together on the MTV show ‘Making The Band’, hosted by Combs.

In her lawsuit, Richard says Combs “manipulated” her into believing that female artists had to tolerate “abuse and exploitation” to be successful in the music industry.

She alleges that he routinely abused members of Danity Kane after they formed ‘Making The Band’ in 2005 and subsequently signed to his Bad Boy label, and that his behavior only worsened after the launch of Diddy-Dirty Money in 2009. She also claims to have witnessed Combs abusing other women, including his ex-girlfriend. Cassie Ventura.

Numerous lawsuits have been filed against Combs in the past year, accusing him of sexual abuse. Richards’ lawsuit explains how, “as more women courageously came forward” to talk about their experiences with Combs, she felt “empowered by this collective strength,” allowing her to “add her voice to the growing chorus of victims bravely sharing their harrowing stories.”

“Together,” the lawsuit continues, “Combs’ accusers seek justice and stand in solidarity as the latest victims of the music industry’s #Me Too movement.”

Combs has denied all of the allegations made against him in the various lawsuits, although when video surfaced in May of him attacking Ventura, he was forced to admit, “My behavior in that video is inexcusable — I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.” Nevertheless, his lawyers continue to portray his various accusers as opportunists.

Responding to the latest lawsuit, attorney Erica Wolff told reporters: “In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now concocted a series of false claims, all in the hope of getting paid – conveniently timed to coincide with the release of her album and her press tour.”

If Richard’s allegations are true, Wolff added, why did she continue to work with Combs for so many years? “If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with ‘Making The Band’ and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs on Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the 2020 reboot of ‘Making The Band’ or agreed to a role on ‘The Love Album’ last year,” the attorney argued.

“It is unfortunate,” Wolff concluded, “that Ms. Richard put aside their 20-year friendship to try to get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confident in the truth and looks forward to proving it in court.”

Richard details her experience as a member of Danity Kane in the lawsuit, alleging that Combs often deprived band members “of basic needs such as adequate food and sleep.” When Richard or her bandmates asked for meals or rest, “Mr. Combs refused and punished them with derogatory remarks.”

As for specific instances of abuse during Richard’s years with Combs, the lawsuit details how the rapper once entered a dressing room at his recording studio when she was fully undressed and placed his hands on her breasts and buttocks. Another time, he locked her in a car for two hours, and she eventually had to call her father to come rescue her.

Elsewhere in the legal filing, Richard describes witnessing Ventura’s abuse, which led her to file her own lawsuit last year, which Combs quickly settled. “His persistent abuse included strangling Ms. Ventura, hitting her with his hands and objects, slapping her, punching her, and throwing objects at her, including a red-hot pan,” Richard’s lawsuit alleges.

“Ms. Richard attempted to intervene on many occasions,” it adds, “offering Ms. Ventura support and encouragement to leave Mr. Combs. Each time, Mr. Combs learned of her attempts to help Ms. Ventura and became enraged, threatening Ms. Richard’s life with statements such as ‘you want to die today’ and ‘I’m going to kill people.'”

Richard accuses Combs of sexual assault, sexual battery, false imprisonment, and intentional emotional distress, and of violating New York City’s Victims Of Gender-Motivated Violence Act and California’s Sexual Abuse And Cover Up Accountability Act. There are also additional claims of copyright infringement relating to their creative collaborations.