Embattled United States rapper and music mogul, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, is facing new allegations of rape, sexual abuse and assault after a series of new lawsuits were filed against him on Monday.
At least six lawsuits were filed in New York federal court by two women and four men. They included allegations spanning from 1995 to 2021.
The BBC reports that the unnamed accusers alleged that some of the assaults happened at Diddy’s parties, which were attended by major celebrities and music artists.Diddy ‘Combs’ has previously denied all civil and criminal claims against him.
One of the accusers said he was 16 when he attended one of the parties in the Hamptons in 1998.
In the lawsuit, he said he was thrilled to get an invitation to Combs’ party, which became a premier A-list annual event for celebrities.
The accuser who pleaded anonymity said he saw countless celebrities and music artists as he walked around, and ran into Combs while he was on the way to the bathroom.
He narrated that he started talking to Combs about breaking into the music industry when they went to somewhere more private.
The accuser alleged that during their conversation, Combs abruptly ordered him to undress.
The lawsuit included a photo of the pair together at the party with the teen’s face blurred out.
According to the lawsuit, Combs said it was “a rite of passage” and “the route to becoming a star”.
The rapper allegedly told the teen he could make anyone a star and the teen had the right “look”, the lawsuit stated.Another lawsuit filed on Monday included allegations by a woman who claimed that Combs raped her in a hotel room in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student.
According to the lawsuit, she met the music mogul at a photoshoot, where he then invited her and a friend to attend a private party at his hotel.
Once they arrived, the lawsuit alleged that Combs “fondled, molested, and ultimately raped her” despite her repeatedly asking him to stop.
Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee, who is representing the accusers, said he was representing more than 100 people who planned to sue the rapper on allegations of sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation.
Buzbee said that some of the alleged victims included children, adding that the lawsuits were being brought under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows victims to file older claims.
Combs and his legal team have not responded to the latest allegations.
The lawsuits were the latest of more than a dozen that have been filed against Mr Combs recently. Reports indicates that he is facing federal criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. A judge last week tentatively scheduled his trial to begin on May 5, 2025.
Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his arrest on September 16. His lawyers have argued for his release until the trial, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions.
A New York federal judge denied their request for bail, arguing that Combs was a “serious flight risk”.