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Nine people have filed sexual misconduct lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs since November 2023.
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Combs settled the first lawsuit but has denied all the allegations.
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Here’s a timeline of all the accusations against the hip-hop mogul.
is seeking to dismiss a sexual misconduct lawsuit as he faces eight open civil lawsuits.
On Monday, Combs’ attorney filed a motion six months after Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. made multiple allegations against the rapper and businessman, including grooming and trafficking.
Combs’ lawyer Erica Wolff told Business Insider in a statement via email: “Mr. Jones’s lawsuit is pure fiction — a shameless attempt to create media hype and extract a quick settlement. There was no RICO conspiracy and Mr. Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or trafficked. We look forward to proving — in a court of law — that all of Mr. Jones’s claims are made-up and must be dismissed.”
A day later, Jones Jr. doubled down on his accusations against Combs in a new interview with , calling the rapper a “monster.”
Jones Jr. is one of nine people who have filed lawsuits against Combs since November 2023. These have damaged Combs’ reputation as a hip-hop mogul and led to some companies cutting ties with him.
Combs settled the first lawsuit, filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura who accused him of rape and physical assault in November.
Combs has denied all allegations, but in May, he apologized in an Instagram post for hitting Ventura after CNN published a video showing the rapper attacking her.
Combs could also face criminal charges.
In March, by federal officials, with multiple reports indicating the search was related to a sex trafficking probe.
Combs was not charged at the time and denied any wrongdoing.
But in May, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources, that federal investigators want to bring Combs’ accusers in front of a federal grand jury as part of a larger case focused on sex trafficking, money laundering, and illegal drugs.
Here’s a timeline of the sexual assault allegations Combs has faced in the last few months.
November 16, 2023: Ventura files the first lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, filed in Manhattan federal court and reviewed by , Ventura accused Combs of years of physical abuse, raping her in their home, and forcing her to engage in sex acts with male sex workers. The pair had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2007 to 2018.
Ventura said in a statement that she was speaking up before the expiration of , a yearlong suspension on the normal time restrictions for sexual assault lawsuits, which ended on November 23, 2023.
“After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships,” Ventura said.
Ben Brafman, a lawyer for Combs, denied the allegation in a statement to Business Insider and accused Ventura of trying to “tarnish” Combs’ reputation for money.
“For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail,” Brafman said.
BI reported that Douglas Wigdor, Ventura’s lawyer, said Combs offered Ventura an eight-figure sum to prevent her from speaking out before the suit was filed.
The next day, the reported that Ventura and Combs had settled the suit. The agreement’s details were not publicly disclosed.
November 23, 2023: Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse.
On the eve of the expiration date for the Adult Survivors Act, two more women accused Combs of sexual abuse in separate lawsuits.
reported that Joi Dickerson-Neal, one of the accusers, accused Combs of drugging her, sexually assaulting her, and videotaping the assault after a date in 1991. Dickerson-Neal said the incident caused her to become withdrawn, and that she was diagnosed later with clinical depression and dropped out of college.
The other accuser, who filed the suit without revealing her identity, said that Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall sexually assaulted her and a friend after a music industry event in 1990 or 1991, according to . The suit said that Combs came to their home a few days later to silence them and choked the woman until she passed out, per AP.
A representative for Hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
A spokesperson for Combs told AP that Combs denied both allegations and said the women were exploiting the Adult Survivors Act.
Both cases were pending as of late February, .
November 28, 2023: the allegations have an impact on Combs’ business ventures.
Amid the numerous lawsuits, Revolt, a cable television network, announced on that Combs was stepping down as chairman.
on December 3 that Hulu canceled an upcoming reality show project based on Combs and his family called “Diddy+7.” Rolling Stone also said 23 brands severed ties with Combs’ marketplace for Black-owned businesses, Empower Global.
December 6, 2023: A woman accuses Combs and 2 other men of raping her when she was 17.
The woman, who also filed the suit anonymously, alleged that Combs, his longtime producing partner Harve Pierre, and an unnamed third man “sex trafficked and gang raped” her in 2003 when she was 17, according to prior reporting by
The lawsuit said Pierre flew the women to Combs’ studio in New York, where they gave her drugs and alcohol until she was too inebriated to consent.
“While at the studio, Ms. Doe was gang raped by Mr. Combs, the Third Assailant and Mr. Pierre, in that order,” the suit says. The suit also included photos of the accuser, with her face blurred, in the New York studio.
Combs denied the allegation on Instagram and declared he was going to “fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
“For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday.”
Pierre didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
On February 20, 2024, reported that Combs, Pierre, and Combs’ company, Bad Boy Entertainment, filed a response to the lawsuit. Combs’ lawyers refuted the allegation and questioned the accuracy of the photographs.
“(Combs) never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever,” the filing says, per Rolling Stone.
Combs’ lawyers also said the suit should be thrown out because they believe an amendment to the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act, which allowed the unnamed woman to sue Combs, is unconstitutional.
The 2022 amendment removes the statute of limitations for gender-based violence cases for two years, similar to the Adult Survivors Act.
Pierre also denied participating in any sexual assault when he filed his defense. Bad Boy Entertainment motioned to dismiss the suit against them, arguing there is no basis that the Gender-Motivated Violence Act expands to corporate defendants.
December 7, 2023: Tiffany Red defends Ventura in an open letter published in Rolling Stone.
Tiffany Red is a singer-songwriter who became friends with Ventura in 2015 while working together. In December 2023, Red wrote an open letter in to Combs, saying that she saw Combs verbally abusing Ventura after Ventura’s 29th birthday party in August 2015.
Red said the incident occurred outside a private karaoke room that the group went to after the main party. According to Red, Combs pulled Ventura out of the room, cornered her with his security team, and “cursed her out with your hands in her face.”
“I felt helpless. She looked afraid and kept looking down at the floor. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared,” Red said.
In response, Combs’ spokesperson referred Rolling Stone to Combs’ Instagram .
February 26, 2024: Rodney Jones Jr. accuses Combs of sexual assault and drugging.
Jones’ suit, filed in late February, lists several allegations against Combs.
The suit says Combs made Jones work in a bathroom while Combs walked around naked and showered. Jones also accused Combs of grabbing his genitals without consent, attempting to “groom” Jones into having sex with another man, and forcing Jones to “solicit sex workers and perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs.”
Jones alleged in the suit he was not paid for his work on Combs’ latest album, according to the . There is an online with a statement reading “Help Me Sue Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs,” which seems to have been started by Jones earlier this month.
Shawn Holley, an attorney for Combs, accused Jones of lying to get money from Combs.
“Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday,” she said in a statement to BI. “His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.”
Tyrone Blackburn, Jones’ attorney, did not respond to a request to comment from BI.
March 25, 2024: Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes were searched by the Department of Homeland Security.
Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes were officials in late March.
Representatives for DHS told BI that authorities “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation” but declined to specify a target or reason behind the raids.
The and , citing law-enforcement sources, reported the search was part of a sex trafficking investigation.
Aaron Dyer, an attorney for Combs, in a statement sent to BI the day after the search, maintained Combs’ innocence and said the search conducted on his properties was “a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences.”
“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated,” Dyer’s statement read. “Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way.”
No charges have been filed following the search.
Dyers’ statement continued: “This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
A few days after the incident, Combs’ ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton criticized the raid on Instagram, and shared a video that appeared to be taken from surveillance cameras at the rapper’s home.
The video showed federal agents detaining Justin Dior Combs, Combs’ 30-year-old son with Hylton, and Christian Combs, the rapper’s 26-year-old son with the late , but neither was charged.
“The over zealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable,” Hylton wrote in the caption.
April 5, 2024: Combs is named a co-defendant in lawsuit against his son, Christian Combs.
On April 5, a woman named filed a lawsuit in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleging Christian Combs assaulted her on a yacht where she was working, which was chartered by Combs in December 2022. Combs was listed as a co-defendant.
In the lawsuit, seen by BI, O’Marcaigh alleged Christian Combs became “aggressive” during one shift, violently grabbed her arm, and then drugged and sexually assaulted her.
O’Marcaigh said in the suit that her career was derailed due to the “trauma” of the alleged assault.
Aaron Dyer, Combs, and Christian Combs’ attorney denied the allegations, and said the lawsuit was “lewd and meritless.” Dyer also said they would file “a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim.”
April 26, 2024: Combs motions to dismiss parts of Dickerson-Neal’s lawsuit.
In late April, reported that Combs’ attorneys motioned to dismiss Dickerson-Neal’s allegations of human trafficking and revenge porn, calling the claims “false, offensive, and salacious.”
The attorneys said that the allegations “were brought under statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred.” They are referring to the New York State revenge porn law, which was codified in 2019, and the New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking law, which did not come into effect until 2007.
In the filing, Combs’ attorneys also requested that the allegations against the music mogul’s companies, Bad Boy Entertainment and Combs Enterprises, which were formed after the incident in 1991, be dismissed. Both companies were listed as defendants in Dickerson-Neal’s initial filing.
Following Combs’ motion, Michelle Caiola, Dickerson-Neal’s attorney, told Business Insider in an email: “We will be filing a response in the coming weeks. We are confident Ms. Dickerson-Neal’s allegations against Combs are strong, credible, and legally viable.”
May 17, 2024: CNN publishes a video that shows Combs assaulting Ventura.
In surveillance footage from 2016, published by CNN on May 17, .
The video shows Combs trailing his then-girlfriend down a hallway. He then grabs Ventura by the back of the neck, throws her down, kicks her twice, and drags her body across the floor. The footage corroborates an allegation in the federal lawsuit Ventura filed (and quickly settled) six months prior.
According to the lawsuit, this particular incident occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. This was confirmed by CNN reporters who reviewed photos of the location.
In her complaint, Ventura said she tried to leave the hotel after Combs had punched her in the face, giving her a black eye. The uncovered footage seems to show the aftermath when Combs chased after Ventura as she ran to the elevator.
Venutra declined to provide a comment to CNN. Her attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said in a statement: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
A few hours after the video was published, Ventura’s husband Alex Fine also shared a .
He captioned the post: “Wrote this awhile back but the words ring true not just today but everyday.”
May 19, 2024: Combs apologizes for assaulting Ventura.
On May 19, Combs shared an Instagram video captioned: “I’m truly sorry.”
“. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” Combs said in the video. “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Combs said that he sought professional help, therapy, and rehab after the incident.
“I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day,” he added. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Combs has since deleted all Instagram posts on his account.
Representatives for Combs did not respond to a request for comment from BI.
Meredith Firetog, Ventura’s attorney, told in a statement on Sunday: “Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.”
Firetog added that Combs’ video was “disingenuous.”
“That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words,” she said.
May 21, 2024: A former model accuses Combs of sexually assaulting and drugging her.
Per a lawsuit obtained by Business Insider, former model Crystal McKinney said that when she was 22, she met at a 2003 Men’s Fashion Week event in Manhattan.
She accused Combs of giving her copious amounts of alcohol and pressuring her to take marijuana she believed was laced, according to the lawsuit.
McKinney said that she was invited to Combs’ studio and claims that Combs forced her to perform oral sex on him, according to the lawsuit.
McKinney said that she became unconscious and later woke up in a cab, according to the lawsuit.
Representatives for Combs did not respond to a request for comment.
May 23, 2024: Ventura speaks out and another woman files a lawsuit against Combs.
On May 23, Ventura shared a statement on Instagram thanking the public for their support and asking people to believe “victims the first time.”
“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning,” she wrote. “My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in.”
Ventura also offered support to other victims of domestic violence.
“Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone never thought would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past,” she wrote.
Ventura added: “I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone.”
Later on that day, another woman, April Lampros, filed a lawsuit against Combs.
The lawsuit lists several allegations including sexual assault, battery, and assault. Lampros said she met Combs in 1994 while she was a student at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology and he offered to mentor her at the time.
“What Mr. Combs displayed as kind gestures quickly manifested into an aggressive, coercive, and abusive relationship based on sex,” the lawsuit said.
Lampros alleged that Combs sexually assaulted her on four occasions between 1995 and 2001, with the last encounter occuring a few years after the former fashion student ended her relationship with him.
Lampros also alleged that in 1996 Combs forced her and his former girlfriend Kim Porter to take ecstasy and have sex with each other while he watched.
Lampros is represented by Tyrone Blackburn, who represented Jones and other women suing Combs.
“I’m confident that justice will prevail and the veil will be removed so no other woman will have to endure what I did,” Lampros told in a statement.
May 28, 2024: Rolling Stone drops exposé about Combs.
On May 28, published an investigation into Combs after interviewing his former friends, colleagues, and artists at his label, Bad Boy Records. The report featured new allegations against Combs, but he has not been sued in relation to these alleged incidents.
Three unnamed women who claimed they attended Howard University with Combs said they witnessed him assaulting a woman on campus.
The mother and two close friends of Shakir Stewart, a music executive who died in 2008, told Rolling Stone that Combs broke a chair over Stewart’s head in 2000. They said Combs attacked him because Stewart tried to date Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Kim Porter.
Kirk Burrowes, the former president of Bad Boy Records, and Felicia Newsome, the first manager of Bad Boy’s recording studio, claimed that Combs attacked an unnamed woman inside the label’s offices in 1994 and they had to pull the rapper off her.
Another woman, who went by the pseudonym of Anna, told Rolling Stone that Combs tried to solicit her for sex while she was working as a freelance graphic designer for Bad Boy Records in 2001.
Davis, Combs’ attorney, told Rolling Stone in a statement that the rapper refused to respond to the new allegations.
“Mr. Combs cannot comment on settled litigation, will not comment on pending litigation, and cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable,” Davis said. “We are aware that the proper authorities are conducting a thorough investigation and therefore have confidence any important issues will be addressed in the proper forum, where the rules distinguish facts from fiction.”
Representatives for Combs did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
May 29, 2024: CNN reports that Combs’ case may be brought before a federal grand jury.
Combs’ legal issues may escalate to a criminal trial, according to a report published May 29.
CNN reported, citing unnamed sources, that federal investigators aim to bring Combs’ accusers to testify in front of a federal grand jury. However, according to the CNN report, the case would be focused on sex trafficking, money laundering, and illegal drugs.
Grand juries, which are comprised of citizens, assess the evidence provided by prosecutors and determine whether there is enough “probable cause” to put an individual on trial.
The jury would determine if there is enough evidence to charge Combs. These hearings are held in secret, and only the prosecutors are present, giving the prosecution an advantage in getting an indictment.
CNN also reported, citing unnamed sources, that federal agents have already interviewed most of the people who have filed lawsuits against Combs and questioned individuals seen in a video filmed inside Combs’ house.
Representatives for Combs did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
A representative for the Homeland Security Investigations agency declined to comment.
July 3, 2024: Another woman files a lawsuit against Combs.
On July 3, , Fox News, and TMZ reported that Adria English, a pornstar, accused Combs of sexual assault, sexual harassment, and sex trafficking in a lawsuit filed in a district court in New York.
The LA Times reported English said she worked for Combs between 2004 and 2009 and accused him of forcing her to have sex with guests at his high-profile “white parties.”
The publication reported that English claimed Combs forced her to have sex with guests, including celebrity jeweler Jacob Arabo, while she worked for Combs at his high-profile parties in Miami and New York between 2004 and 2009.
English said Combs threatened to “blackball” her from the entertainment industry if she did not engage in sex work at the parties. English said she went back to California in 2009 to escape Combs.
A representative for Arabo did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
Jonathan Davis, Combs’ attorney, told Business Insider in a statement: “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. 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.”
August 26, 2024: Combs files to dismiss Jones’ lawsuit.
Combs filed a new motion in Jones’ lawsuit against him, requesting the court to dismiss the case.
The motion said that Jones failed to provide enough evidence for multiple allegations.
“Jones’ Second Amended Complaint is his third attempt to dress up a run-of-the-mill commercial disagreement as a salacious RICO conspiracy,” the motion reads. “Replete with legally meaningless allegations and blatant falsehoods, the SAC’s true purpose is to generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement.”
The motion also alleged that Jones posted a video on X in which he and rapper Uncle Murda joked about the lawsuit. The video no longer exists on Jones’ X page, but the motion provides a link to another account that has reshared it.
According to the account @ArtOfDialogue, the video was taken at 50 Cent’s Humor & Harmony weekend festival, which took place between 7 to 11 August.
Lil Rod, who’s currently suing Diddy for $30 million over allegations of sexual assault, sent a message to Diddy, saying he wants his money by Monday, after being spotted by Uncle Murda at 50 Cent’s ‘Humor & Harmony Weekend.
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_)
Blackburn did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
August 27, 2024: Jones tells Rolling Stone that he’s been “blackballed” since his lawsuit against Combs.
A day later, Jones spoke to Rolling Stone about working with Combs and why he decided to speak out.
Jones alleged that his first “uncomfortable” experience with Combs was “around Thanksgiving” when Combs asked him to do drugs. Jones didn’t specify whether this was 2022 Thanksgiving or 2023 Thanksgiving.
“He’s a monster. He’ll do whatever is necessary to get exactly what he wants. He doesn’t take no for an answer,” Jones said of Combs.
Jones said the lawsuit has affected his career and he has found it “very tough” to find work since speaking out.
“Here I am standing up for justice, for what I believe is right for my life, and I’m being punished for that,” Jones said. “I’ve had many nights and weeks and months of suicidal thoughts. It’s the music that has kept me living all my life.”
Jones also said he has received threats and is paranoid whenever he leaves his house. He said he hired security to protect him, but still had a “couple mental breakdowns” while performing a gig with T-Pain in June.
“My anxiety was out the roof,” Jones said of the incident. “I saw different guys backstage I didn’t know and got scared. I wondered where the security was. It made me very uncomfortable. It’s not a good feeling wondering if someone was there to attack me.”
Correction: May 24, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misstated the date that Cassie Ventura spoke out. It was May 23, 2024, not May 23, 2023.
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