Sean "Diddy" Combs is the target of three newly filed civil lawsuits in New York, adding to a string of sexual assault allegations that have surfaced against the hip-hop mogul in recent months. The latest cases include one filed by an anonymous male accuser and two by women who say they were attacked in the 1990s, including incidents at a Trump Hotel penthouse in Manhattan.
According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY, an anonymous John Doe alleges Combs subjected him to forced labor, human and sex trafficking, sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, and breach of contract. The man, who says he was an aspiring musician and entertainer in Las Vegas, claims he was coerced into strip shows and sexual encounters while "under the influence due to covert drugging." Doe alleges "Combs had raped him" on "more than one occasion" and threatened him with blackmail via hidden-camera footage.
Los Angeles-based attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents the John Doe plaintiff, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In the complaint, Doe accuses Combs of "instilling fear in (Doe), misleading (Doe) and manipulating him with promises that never materialized." Doe contends that the alleged abuse extended over roughly five years, causing him "severe emotional and psychological trauma" and ongoing health issues.
Two additional lawsuits were filed the same day by women identified as Jane Does in the New York County Supreme Court. Their attorney, Texas-based Tony Buzbee, said his clients accuse Combs of orchestrating sexual assaults in the late 1990s. One suit describes a scenario in which "she was 'vaginally raped by Combs' associates, at Combs' direction, while Combs was present" after being served a purportedly drug-laced beverage at one of Combs' parties. Both women allege they were taken against their will to Trump Hotel rooms in Manhattan and forced into group-sex activities they did not consent to.
Buzbee, who has stated he is representing "more than 100 alleged victims of Combs," confirmed the new complaints and told The Mirror: "These latest two cases are part of a group of at least ten cases that will be filed in New York over the next several days. I expect there will be many more that we will file thereafter to meet the upcoming deadline at the end of February."
Combs' legal team responded to the mounting suits with a statement provided to multiple outlets. "No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted, or sex trafficked anyone-man or woman, adult or minor," his attorneys wrote. "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court."
Combs, who is currently in jail and has been denied bond multiple times, awaits trial on May 5 for separate federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. He has consistently denied wrongdoing, though more than two dozen civil suits allege rape, trafficking, or sexual abuse spanning from the 1990s to 2024. Both the Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard and other high-profile claimants have come forward in recent months with similar accusations.
In the John Doe suit, the plaintiff recalls meeting Combs in 2007 while performing in Las Vegas. He alleges Combs gave him drinks and baby oil that left him disoriented. The plaintiff further claims that he traveled to multiple cities, hopeful Combs would advance his music career, but instead found himself coerced into sexual acts. "Combs' conduct... was extreme and outrageous, going beyond all possible bounds of decency," the filing reads.
Jane Doe allegations against Combs also detail repeated violent behavior at clubs, "shadow parties," and hotels under Combs' direction. One plaintiff contends she was assaulted while Combs looked on, then forced to take drugs before being subjected to unwanted group activities. "Plaintiff and her friend... had no choice and... were not allowed to leave," reads one complaint.
No further responses have emerged regarding alleged incidents at Trump properties, while Combs remains in custody pending his upcoming court appearance in May.