Seven new lawsuits filed against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
ReutersSeven new civil lawsuits have been filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs in a federal court in New York.
Four men and three women accuse the hip-hop mogul of sexually assaulting them at various parties in Los Angeles, New York and Las Vegas.
The youngest plaintiff was 13 at the time of the alleged incident.
Mr Combs remains in custody at a Brooklyn jail. He is separately facing federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which he denies. The BBC has approached his legal team for comment on the new cases.
His lawyers recently dismissed the flurry of lawsuits as "clear attempts to garner publicity", stressing that "Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone - adult or minor, man or woman.”
All seven of the new civil cases allege that Mr Combs - or by proxy through his associates - drugged alcoholic beverages at the events that made the plaintiffs dizzy, nauseous and feel outside their bodies.
In several of the suits, plaintiffs allege that Mr Combs raped them, forced oral sex on them, or aggressively groped them.
Mr Combs is currently awaiting trial in May of next year for the federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
The hip-hop icon has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been denied bail multiple times.
The indictment, along with several lawsuits, implicates his various business enterprises, alleging they played a role in facilitating and funding his abusive actions both inside and outside the music industry.
The lawsuits further accuse Mr Combs of leveraging his power and influence in entertainment to manipulate, intimidate, and silence those around him.
One new case alleges Mr Combs and another male celebrity raped a 13-year-old girl at an after-party for the 2000 VMAs. The second male celebrity is not named in the lawsuit.
Another alleges Mr Combs drugged an independent musical artist at a party and raped her. She says she woke up in pain and with imprints on her arms suggesting she had been tied with ropes while she was unconscious.
In a third case, Mr Combs allegedly exposed himself to a man, and then grabbed the man's genitals in a "rough" and "sexual" manner.
A fourth involves a celebrity personal trainer, who Mr Combs allegedly assaulted at a party at his Hollywood Hills home in 2022.
The trainer says he saw many high-profile celebrities engaging in group sexual activities at the party, where he was later brought into a small room with Mr Combs, who removed the personal trainer's pants and performed "non-consensual oral sex onto him".
The fifth new filing concerns a woman who alleges she was drugged at a party at Mr Combs' hotel room and woke up naked in bed with the rap musician talking on the phone in the corner of the room.
The sixth case involves a man who ran a security firm. He alleges that he was invited into a private room by Mr Combs at a party, and he was then given a drink that made him feel dizzy and nauseous. He claims that Mr Combs then stuck his hands in his pants and grabbed his genitals.
The seventh case, as reported by US media, was a 17-year-old aspiring musician who alleges he was assaulted at a party by Mr Combs.
Mr Combs has faced almost a year of allegations, ranging from rape and sexual assault to grooming and domestic violence.
One lawyer recently said more than 100 clients plan to sue the musician for sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation.
He is currently in jail while he awaits his trial in New York.
Prosecutors alleged that he also engaged in kidnapping, forced labour, bribery and other crimes.
They described him as the head of a criminal enterprise that abused women, using threats of violence to force them into participating in drug-fuelled orgies with male prostitutes.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was denied bail. His trial is due to take place in May 2025.