Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of grooming women into sex work in new lawsuit
Rapper Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs has been named in an eighth lawsuit accusing him of sexual misconduct, which he denies.
The new legal case arrives after Combs was recently named in another lawsuit filed by April Lampros, who claims she first met Combs in 1995 when she was a student at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. The four instances of sexual assault allegedly took place over a period of many years, ranging from the mid-1990s to the early-2000s.
Furthermore, the music mogul has also recently been accused of sexually assaulting and drugging a model in 2003. Crystal McKinney alleges that she was forced to perform oral sex on him at his recording studio in New York City in 2003.
The swathe of lawsuits filed against Combs began last year when his ex-partner, Cassie Ventura, accused him of rape and physical assault. The rapper denied the claims brought forward by Ventura before reaching a settlement with his former partner, bringing the case to a close.
However, in May, footage emerged of Combs attacking Ventura at a hotel in 2016, which he issued an apology for on social media. While Combs previously denied being violent toward Ventura, he accepted “full responsibility” for the attack, adding, “I was disgusted when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he says in the video. The rapper also described the period as “the darkest times” in his life.
Now, Combs is at the centre of another lawsuit, which has been initiated by former adult film star Adria English. She alleges that she was forced to have sex with guests at a party hosted by Combs, and that he also forced her to consume ecstasy and alchohol.
The alleged events occurred between 2004 and 2009, according to the lawsuit, which claims that “Combs groomed Plaintiff into sex trafficking over time”. The case states the coercion began at one of Combs’ “white parties” in 2004 when Combs allegedly made her have sex with a guest “as they had learned about her past in adult entertainment and used it forcefully to coerce Plaintiff into sex work”.
Before attending the party, English had assumed there was “no sinister intent or requirements for physical sexual contact”.
The new allegation has been denied by Combs. In a statement, his lawyer, Jonathan Davis, rebuffed the claims: “No matter how many lawsuits are filed it won’t change the fact that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason and without any proof.”
Davis concluded: “Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth and Mr Combs is confident he will prevail against these and other baseless claims in court.”
This is a developing story.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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