Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard sues Diddy for sexual abuse

Photo illustration: Vulture; Photos: Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Dawn Richard, who worked with Diddy for nearly a decade in Danity Kane and Diddy–Dirty Money, is suing the hip-hop mogul for sexual abuse. Richard claims Sean “Diddy” Combs abused her for years, including sexually, since she first met him on his MTV show. The founding of the band in 2004, TMZ reported on September 11. Her lawsuit is one of over half a dozen already filed against Diddy, along with a federal investigation. While The founding of the band She claimed that Diddy humiliated the contestants at auditions, calling them “fat,” “ugly,” and “sluts.” Later, Diddy forced her to rehearse for days without sleep, causing her to lose weight and develop rashes. When she began singing in Diddy's trio Diddy–Dirty Money, Diddy touched her breasts and butt without her consent and once came into her dressing room naked. She even claimed Diddy once locked her in a car for two hours. When her father came to New York to help her report Diddy to the police, Diddy told him to “think about your daughter's career.”

Richard also claims she saw Diddy abuse his ex-girlfriends Kim Porter and Cassie. She said she once saw Porter leave a studio crying and with bruises on his face. She also claimed she saw Diddy choke Cassie, punch her, drag her up the stairs and throw hot eggs at her. (Cassie settled a lawsuit against Diddy earlier this year.) Richard said she and her Dirty Money bandmate Kalenna Harper once tried to get Cassie to leave Diddy, and when he found out about their conversation, he threatened her. “I'm messing up artists,” he reportedly told them. “I'm putting careers on hold… You could be missed… You bitches want to die today?”

Richard isn't the only member of Danity Kane to have hit back at Diddy. Her former bandmate Aubrey O'Day said she “tried to tell y'all” after Cassie filed her lawsuit against him. O'Day also claimed Diddy tried to get the band members to sign non-disclosure agreements in exchange for the rights to their music. “There's a lot more to all of our stories!” O'Day said Rolling Stone at the time. Richard also supported Cassie during her lawsuit, saying she was “beautiful and brave.”