Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing two new accusations of sexual assault. In separate lawsuits filed Thursday in New York, two women accused the rapper-producer of rape and abuse in incidents alleged to have happened in 1990 and 1991.
Combs has denied the accusations through his spokespersons.
The lawsuits were both filed on the day New York’s Adult Suvivors Act expired. The law allowed victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file claims that would otherwise be past the statute of limitations for sexual crimes.
The first of the two lawsuits was filed by Joi Dickerson-Neal, who says that she was assaulted by Diddy in 1991 while she was a student at Syracuse University.
According to Dickerson-Neal, she and Combs had friends in common and she “reluctantly” agreed to have dinner with him on Jan. 3 of that year, when he was a rising executive with Uptown Records. Dickerson-Neal says she was drugged “intentionally” by him and taken to an apartment where he raped her.
She also says Combs recorded the sexual assault and was told by a friend that he had shown the video to several other people. She says this led to several mental health struggles — including a hospital stay for depression — and directly contributed to her dropping out of college, as well as to mental health difficulties that continue for her to this day.
In addition to Combs, she also names his company Bad Boy Entertainment and his personal LLC. The lawsuit specifically accuses Combs of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sex trafficking, creating revenge porn and gender-motivated violence. She is demanding a jury trial and seeks whatever compensatory and punitive damages the court deems appropriate.
“This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head,” Combs’ representative said in a statement provided to NBC. “Ms. Dickerson’s 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her, and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”
The second lawsuit, filed by an anonymous Jane Doe, names Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall as defendants. According to that suit, the two men sexually assulted the Jane Doe and a friend of hers in an incident that took place either in 1990 or 1991. Later, the lawsuit alleges, Combs also physically assaulted her.
In a statement, Combs’ reps said, “These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute. This is nothing but a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for anonymous accusers who lie without conscience or consequence for financial benefit. The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited by scammers. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these bogus allegations.”
Hall, who was a solo artist as well as a member of the group Guy, has not made a public statement yet.
The lawsuits came just under a week after Combs settled a similar lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie.
