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Diddy seeks dismissal of lawsuit accusing him of running a “sex trafficking enterprise”

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Musician and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs wants to dismiss a lawsuit filed earlier this year accusing him of sexual assault, illegal drug use and running a “sex trafficking enterprise.” He argues the suit is full of “meaningless allegations and blatant falsehoods.”

Key data

Combs filed the motion to dismiss the lawsuit on Monday in response to music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones' lawsuit filed in February accusing him of hosting house parties where Combs, his son and his associates recruited women and underage girls to perform sexual acts for money “through force, threats of force, fraud, abuse of process and coercion.”

Jones also claimed in the $30 million lawsuit that Combs drugged him, sexually harassed him and tried to persuade him to have sex with a male producer colleague.

Combs' lawyers argued that there was no evidence that Combs sexually abused Jones and that Combs could not be held liable for any sexual assaults that occurred at the parties he described because he could not have foreseen the assaults and could not control everything on the premises.

Combs' legal team said the lawsuit contained “countless fabrications” and said Jones had since made “calculated efforts to promote his personal brand and profit from the notoriety.”

The lawsuit filed by Jones against Combs is one of several filed last year in which multiple women accused Combs of rape, sexual assault and other misconduct. It came shortly before Department of Homeland Security agents conducted raids on the rapper's homes in Florida and California that were reportedly connected to a federal sex trafficking investigation.

Tyrone Blackburn, an attorney for Jones, said the motion to dismiss was “nothing more than a score-scoring exercise by Sean Combs' latest group of lawyers. It's a feeble attempt to line their pockets before he's indicted.”

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Important background

Jones' high-profile lawsuit was filed in federal court in New York in February. The 73-page suit detailed the parties Combs allegedly hosted and accused him of running a “sex trafficking enterprise” that was largely ignored by others in the music industry. The suit claimed that those who were associated with or sponsored Combs' parties were rewarded with business referrals and connections to Combs' vast network of artists, athletes, politicians and international dignitaries. The suit was full of allegations of illegal behavior, from claims that Combs had separate bottles of drugged alcohol for women at his parties to accusations that he was involved in selling illegal weapons and drugs. At the time, Combs' attorney Shawn Holley said Jones was “shamelessly after an undeserved payday” and said the allegations in the suit were “pure fiction.”

tangent

Jones' lawsuit came amid a series of complaints from women accusing Combs of sexual assault, rape and other crimes, led by singer Casandra Ventura, Combs' ex, who filed suit in November 2023. The $30 million lawsuit alleges that Combs subjected them to a years-long abusive relationship, as well as rape and sex trafficking. The next day, the suit was settled for an undisclosed amount, and his attorney, who had accused Ventura of being “out for money,” said the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.” Months later, CNN released surveillance video showing Combs hitting Ventura in a hotel hallway, to which Combs responded with an apology video calling his behavior “repulsive.” After Ventura's lawsuit, more lawsuits followed. An unnamed plaintiff accused Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall of raping her and a friend in the early 1990s; Joie Dickerson-Neal said she was drugged and assaulted in 1991; model Crystal McKinney said she was drugged and assaulted by Combs in 2003; another lawsuit accused him of participating in the gang rape of a 17-year-old that same year. Combs has denied all allegations.

What you should pay attention to

A Netflix documentary. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson said in May that a docuseries in the works from his production company about the allegations against Combs had been picked up by the streamer. A title or release date for the project has not yet been confirmed.

More information

ForbesAll of Diddy's Instagram posts and videos – including Cassie's apology – have been deletedFrom Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
ForbesSean “Diddy” Combs says he is “disgusted” by the video of him hitting Cassie in 2016From Mary Whitfill RoeloffsForbesRapper Sean “Diddy” Combs charged with rape and sexual assault in two new separate trialsFrom Britney NguyenForbesDespite being named in the Diddy trial, Prince Harry is not accused of wrongdoingFrom Mary Whitfill Roeloffs

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