Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a wave of new civil lawsuits, with five separate complaints filed in federal court on Monday. The allegations, spanning from 1995 to 2021, include claims of sexual assault and rape involving three men and two women, none of whom are named in the filings. These lawsuits were brought under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which allows older claims to be filed through March 2025.
One of the lawsuits accuses Combs of sexually assaulting and raping a 19-year-old college student in a Manhattan hotel room. The suits, filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, seek unspecified damages and list Combs and his various business entities as defendants. In an interview, Buzbee told NBC News that he intends to file claims that are “credible and legitimate.”
Buzbee described a consistent theme in the cases, stating that Combs “feels like he can do whatever he wants.” Combs’ legal team has yet to respond to these new complaints, though the music mogul has previously denied all accusations, labeling them “sickening” and part of a scheme for a “quick payday.”
These lawsuits come as Combs is already battling federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking. The criminal case, which paints a picture of drug-fueled parties mixed with violence, is set to go to trial on May 5. Combs, who is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, has been denied bail twice but is appealing those rulings.
This legal trouble follows a lawsuit filed last year by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse. Although the case was quickly settled, Combs has continued to deny any wrongdoing. The case took a more public turn in May when surveillance footage was released, showing Combs assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. He later apologized for the incident, calling it a one-time occurrence, and claimed to have sought therapy since.
Combs’ legal team has also accused federal prosecutors of leaking evidence, including the surveillance video, to the media. They are requesting an evidentiary hearing to address these concerns, though prosecutors have denied any wrongdoing.
