In the ongoing legal storm surrounding Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, new accounts and amended lawsuits have intensified the scrutiny on the music moguls. A male accuser, who had previously filed a lawsuit under a pseudonym "John Doe," is now speaking on camera, albeit with concealed face and distorted voice, alleging a brutal sexual assault at one of Combs' famed "White Parties" in the Hamptons. He claims the incident took place in 2007, not 2006 as initially stated, and that two suspicious drinks left him incapacitated.
"The first drink started to have some effect on me and I just thought, 'Ah these are really strong drinks,'" the man told CNN. "It wasn't until the second drink and it was already too late that I realized there was something wrong with the drinks."
He alleges that Combs then assaulted him inside an SUV. "I was screaming, telling him to stop. It was incredibly painful, and he was acting like it was nothing." He also claimed that "Sadly, Sean Combs was waiting in the wings," adding that once he was rendered helpless, "He was watching from some sort of vantage point, and once I was in a helpless position and he was sure that he was in a position of power, then he took advantage of the situation."
This lawsuit, first filed in October, has now been amended, shifting the date to align with the known timeline of Diddy's White Parties. Initially, the accuser said there was a 2006 Hamptons event, but records show Combs held the party in St. Tropez that year, with the Hamptons event occurring in 2007.
Diddy's attorneys responded to the amendments and the accusations: "After Buzbee was exposed this week for pressuring clients to bring bogus cases against Mr. Combs, and after public records showed that - contrary to his allegations - there was no white party in the Hamptons in 2006, Buzbee amended this complaint to walk back the allegations and now claim a different day and wholly different year."
Meanwhile, Diddy and Jay-Z also face another high-stakes legal battle involving underage rape allegations. A woman identified only as Jane Doe claims that in 2000, at a post-MTV Video Music Awards afterparty, both men assaulted her when she was just 13, while an unnamed female celebrity allegedly watched. "You are ready to party!" Combs allegedly told her before the incident, according to the amended complaint obtained by PEOPLE. She also accuses Jay-Z of involvement, stating in the complaint that "After Carter finished," she was raped by Combs as Jay-Z and the female celebrity watched.
Jay-Z categorically denied these claims in a statement shared on X: "These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?" He added, "My only heartbreak is for my family. My wife and I will have to sit our children down ... and explain the cruelty and greed of people."
In court filings, Jay-Z's lawyer Alex Spiro has asked the federal court in New York to dismiss the case and reveal the accuser's identity. "Mr. Carter deserves to know the identity of the person who is effectively accusing him - in sensationalized, publicity-hunting fashion - of criminal conduct," the filing stated, further alleging that Buzbee's approach was designed to force a settlement.
Diddy's attorneys have also weighed in, saying: "This amended complaint and the recent extortion lawsuit against Mr. Buzbee exposes his barrage of lawsuits against Mr. Combs for what they are: shameless publicity stunts." They maintain Combs' innocence, insisting, "In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone - man or woman, adult or minor."
As both cases unfold, Combs remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, awaiting a May 2025 trial on separate charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and been denied bail multiple times.
In the meantime, these new allegations and adjustments to existing lawsuits highlight the complexities of the claims and the strategies employed by attorneys on all sides. Both accusers and defendants navigate a landscape charged with public interest, while lawyers spar over credibility, shifting timelines, and the role of media coverage. For the accusers, it's about finding a path to justice; for the accused moguls and their counsel, it's a matter of preserving reputations and insisting that the truth will ultimately emerge in a court of law.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.
