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Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of sexual abuse by over 100 people

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of sexual abuse by over 100 people

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Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing lawsuits from more than 100 people over allegations of sexual abuse and sexual assault.

Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee announced the pending civil lawsuits during a news conference Tuesday. The lawyer announced that he is representing 120 accusers who are making allegations against the embattled music mogul of, among other things, “violent sexual assault or rape,” “facilitating sex with a controlled substance,” “dissemination of video recordings,” and “sexual abuse of minors.” other crimes.

“We will expose the enablers who enabled this behavior behind closed doors,” Buzbee said. “We will investigate this matter regardless of who the evidence implicates.”

Buzbee added: “It's already a long list, but because of the nature of this case, we're going to make damn sure we're right before we do that. But the names we're about to name…are names that will shock you.

This new wave of legal action follows Combs' arrest in September and subsequent charges of sex trafficking, extortion and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. The rapper, who has maintained his innocence over the past year despite an avalanche of civil lawsuits alleging sexual and physical abuse, remains in custody at the special housing facility at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

The cases, filed by 60 men and 60 women, include incidents dating back to 1991, Buzbee said. Twenty-five of the accusers were minors when they were allegedly attacked by Combs.

“When you talk about the age of the victims at the time of the conduct, it's shocking,” Buzbee said. “Our youngest victim was 9 years old at the time of the incident. We have one person who was 14 years old. We have one that was 15 years old.”

Combs' legal team denied any “false and defamatory” claims made against him.

“As Mr. Combs' legal team has emphasized, he cannot respond to every unfounded allegation in what has become a ruthless media circus,” Combs' attorney Erica Wolff said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday. “He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be determined based on evidence and not speculation.”

USA TODAY has reached out to Buzbee for comment.

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Attorney Tony Buzbee called the allegations at Diddy's press conference “shocking and heartbreaking.”

Buzbee had previously announced in an Instagram post on Saturday that his law firm would file claims against Combs, adding that “many of them were minors” when the alleged incidents occurred.

“This group of courageous individuals includes both men and women; many were minors when the abuse occurred. Some of these brave individuals reported the incidents to the police, others did not,” Buzbee wrote.

Uncovering old complaints and allegations: Diddy's arrest interrupts a long history of legal problems

“Every single story is heartbreaking and heartbreaking. The alleged acts occurred in hotels, private homes and also at PDiddy's infamous “Freak Off” parties. The violations committed against this group of people are staggering and can only be described as debauchery and depravity perpetrated by the powerful against minors and the weak.”

Buzbee's Texas law firm has represented victims in high-profile cases, including a July lawsuit against R&B singer Chris Brown. He also represented 22 women who sued Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson during his time in Houston, accusing him of sexual misconduct during massage sessions from early 2020 to March 2021.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' recent legal troubles

The criminal complaint against Combs comes nearly a year after the rapper and “Me & U” singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura's ex-girlfriend accused Combs of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse in November 2023. The lawsuit triggered multiple civil suits against him with allegations of rape, sexual assault and similar claims detailed in the indictment released by investigators.

Combs and Ventura settled for an undisclosed amount a day after their lawsuit was filed, but the unsealed indictment represents the first criminal complaint in recent allegations against the Bad Boy Records founder. Combs has denied all allegations against him, although he has pleaded not guilty May publicly apologized after surveillance video was leaked of him physically assaulting her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

Prosecutors reportedly have “dozens” of videos showing Combs' so-called “freak offs” – sometimes days-long sex performances between sex workers and people he allegedly coerced into participating through drugs and intimidation – that corroborate witness accounts.

Combs' indictment says Homeland Security Investigations agents recovered drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricants that were allegedly used in Combs' “freak out” during the March 25 raids on Combs' homes. Several AR-15 rifles and large magazines were also reportedly discovered.

After Combs' arrest, further allegations of sexual abuse followed. A woman whose boyfriend allegedly worked as an executive at Bad Boy Records alleged in a Sept. 24 complaint that Combs and his former bodyguard “viciously raped” her in 2001. Another woman claimed in a lawsuit filed Friday that he drugged and impregnated her for four years.

Contributors: Brent Schrotenboer and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY

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