The lawsuits keep piling up for Sean “Diddy” Combs, who faces new allegations of sexual harassment, physical abuse, forced labor and swindling from Dawn Richard, a former member of girl group Danity Kane.
Richard’s civil lawsuit, filed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, names the music mogul, his company Bad Boy Records and other entities associated with the rapper as defendants and seeks an unspecified jury award. Representatives for Combs did not immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.
The singer alleges that from 2005 to 2012, Combs subjected her to abusive working conditions, withheld earnings and used threats of violence to control her. The lawsuit, obtained by TheWrap, describes an environment in which Richard and others, including singer Cassie Ventura, were allegedly physically and emotionally abused.
Richard’s complaint says she witnessed Combs assaulting Ventura, and endured violent outbursts herself, with the mogul throwing objects in fits of rage, including phones and laptops, and uttering threats like “I end people” and “you could go missing.” She also accuses Combs of forcing her to strip in front of others and groping her without consent.
Richard also says Combs and his companies withheld her earnings from albums and performances, including royalties for her contributions as a songwriter and performer. She estimates the losses from unpaid wages, touring fees and royalties at over $4 million.
The “Damaged” singer’s lawsuit also targets music entities under Universal Music Group and Interscope Records, accusing them of enabling Combs’ behavior by continuing to profit from his ventures despite knowledge of misconduct.
Danity Kane formed on MTV’s “Making the Band” in 2005 with five members. The group’s first two albums debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, but internal tensions led to multiple departures and after several reunions, the group continued as a trio of Aubrey O’Day, Shannon Bex and Richard. They also eventually split, with O’Day and Bex forming dumblonde and Richard joining Diddy for Dirty Money with Kalenna Harper.
Combs was hit with several lawsuits over the course of 2024, in which he’s been accused of rape, gang rape, sex trafficking, drugging and more. In March, Homeland Security raided the rapper’s homes in the New York City, Los Angeles and Miami areas.
In November of 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, whom she dated for more than 10 years after the two met in 2007 when she was 19 and he was 37. The complaint alleged a years-long campaign of sexual abuse and control for the duration of their relationship, which ended in 2018 after she claimed Combs raped her in her home when she attempted to leave him.
Combs and Ventura settled the lawsuit just one day after it was filed, but at least five, including Richards’, still remain. Earlier this week, Combs was ordered to pay $100 million to a Michigan inmate who claimed he was drugged and assaulted at a party in 1997.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
