Making the Band alumnus Sara Rivers has filed a $60 million lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, alleging he sexually harassed her, assaulted her, and cut her out of the music industry following her stint on the MTV reality show. Rivers, who performed in the R&B group Da Band, detailed her claims in a 148-page complaint submitted just before the close of a lookback window allowed by New York City's Gender Motivated Violence Act (GMVA). She says Combs "blackballed" her after she resisted his advances, warning she would be "banished" from the industry if she refused to cooperate.
Rivers alleges Combs subjected her to harsh filming conditions, intimidation tactics, and repeated instances of unwanted sexual advances. She claims Combs stroked her breasts in a recording studio while asking, "if she needs anything to let him know," after blocking her path with his arm. Rivers' complaint also describes "inhumane" working conditions on set, such as forcing cast members to walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn to fetch a cheesecake, and says she was mocked for an eating disorder. "Diddy made it known, if plaintiff did not sign, the group would not continue," she stated, describing a forced contract she accepted under what she calls duress.
According to Rivers, she was never compensated for her role on Making the Band, which was filmed around the clock over multiple seasons from 2002 to 2004. The only payments she received, she alleges, were small performance fees of $5,000 from tour stops, plus a $25,000 check in exchange for signing away publishing rights to a company owned by Combs' mother, Janice. The new lawsuit also targets MTV, Viacom, and several other Bad Boy officials. "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason," Combs' legal team said in a statement. "No matter how many lawsuits are filed ... it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone."
In an additional filing, Rivers claims that her refusal to pose for Playboy at Combs' request triggered an abrupt termination of her contract and the dissolution of the entire Da Band lineup. She alleges that Combs then blacklisted her in the industry by personally contacting record label executives, warning them not to sign her. This stifled her attempts at a solo career, including a prospective deal with Capitol Records. Diddy "interfered and personally called executives at the label telling them not to sign" with her, she wrote in her complaint.
Rivers also frames her story as part of a larger pattern of allegations against Combs. The complaint mentions other lawsuits lodged by ex-collaborators, such as the embattled producer Lil Rod, who claimed Combs failed to pay him for work on "The Love Album: Off the Grid," and singer Dawn Richard, who once accused the mogul of "mistreatment" during her time with Danity Kane. The complaint contends a culture of intimidation, underpayment, and sexual impropriety has followed Combs across multiple projects.
The timing of Rivers' lawsuit coincides with a flood of other filings against Combs under the GMVA, which temporarily permits otherwise time-barred claims. Numerous plaintiffs raced to meet the law's deadline, echoing allegations of sexual assault, abuse, or harassment by Combs in different eras of his career. Rivers' attorneys argue she was left with no option but to file now to ensure her experience would be heard in court. "Diddy once backed her into a corner while running his hand across her breasts," reads one section of the complaint. Rivers sees the new legal opening as a chance to hold him accountable.
Combs' lawyers, meanwhile, denounce the wave of lawsuits as "meritless claims." They say, "Mr. Combs remains confident he will prevail in court," emphasizing that their client "has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone - man or woman, adult or minor." The defense further asserts these litigants are opportunists exploiting the GMVA window for financial gain. In a prior statement, they also noted that "the deadline for New York's Gender-Motivated Violence Act expiring tomorrow" has led to multiple last-minute claims.
