Greater than 100 persons are to sue rap musician Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation, a US lawyer has stated.
Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee stated that a few of the alleged victims embody minors who had been abused once they had been as younger as 9 years outdated.
“This is a crucial matter that we intend to aggressively pursue,” Mr Buzbee advised reporters.
Erica Wolff, a lawyer representing Mr Combs, stated the rapper “emphatically and categorically” denies the allegations, saying they’re “false and defamatory”.
Talking at a information convention on Tuesday, Mr Buzbee stated he and his group “will go away no stone unturned to search out doubtlessly liable events” within the alleged abuse, or “any particular person or entity who participated in or benefited from this egregious behaviour”.
Ms Wolff stated in an announcement to the BBC that Mr Combs “appears ahead to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court docket, the place the reality can be established based mostly on proof, not hypothesis”.
The authorized motion is the most recent in opposition to Mr Combs.
Mr Combs was arrested final week and is going through prison expenses of racketeering and intercourse trafficking. He’s at the moment in federal custody after he was denied bail, which he’s interesting.
He has denied all allegations of prison wrongdoing.
In keeping with Mr Buzbee, who’s licensed to follow regulation in Texas and New York, the whole variety of alleged victims he’s representing is 120, with half of them being males and the opposite half girls who hail from greater than 25 states throughout the US.
He added that 25 of the alleged victims he’s representing had been minors. This marks the primary time that Mr Combs has been accused of sexually abusing youngsters.
The allegations span between 1991 to as just lately as this 12 months with the incidents going down in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, Mr Buzbee stated. He added a lot of the incidents occurred after 2015.
Many of the plaintiffs, he stated, allege they had been date raped after events hosted by Mr Combs that had been held at well-known venues, in addition to non-public residences and motels.
Mr Buzbee stated the events had been both to mark an album launch, or had been New Yr’s Eve events and US Independence Day events. Others occurred at what he stated had been auditions.
“Many occasions, particularly younger folks wanting to interrupt into the business, had been coerced into one of these conduct within the promise of being made a star or the promise of getting Sean Combs hearken to their tape,” Mr Buzbee stated.
One man, who was aged 9 on the time, alleges he was sexually abused by Mr Combs and his associates at a recording studio in New York whereas attempting to land a report deal, based on his lawyer.
“Had he not been in energy, I really feel I might’ve been one thing nice. I give up the business due to what Sean Combs did to me,” he stated in an announcement through his lawyer.
One other man, who was additionally a minor on the time, alleged he was advised by Mr Combs he could be made a “star”, however he first wanted to go to the rapper alone with out his dad and mom.
As soon as in a personal space, his lawyer claimed Mr Combs then requested the boy carry out oral intercourse on him.
Mr Buzbee additionally raised the case of a then-15-year-old lady who alleges she was flown to New York for a celebration hosted by Mr Combs and was subsequently raped by him and others.
The lawyer claimed there was a transparent modus operandi with alleged victims usually being supplied “laced” drinks earlier than being sexually assaulted.
“The largest secret within the leisure business has lastly been revealed to the world,” Mr Buzbee stated. “The wall of silence has now been damaged.”
He added that this isn’t a category motion lawsuit and that there can be particular person circumstances filed for every alleged sufferer.
Andrew Van Arsdale, an legal professional on the AVA regulation group which is working with Mr Buzbee, stated his agency had obtained greater than 3,000 telephone calls from folks alleging abuse by the music mogul.
Along with the 120 alleged victims, he stated his agency had been working to vet one other 100 circumstances.