Former Danity Kane member sues Sean Combs, alleging he groped and threatened her
Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued in federal court Tuesday by a former member of Danity Kane — the girl group he assembled on the MTV reality competition “Making the Band” — who is alleging he groped, assaulted and imprisoned her, and threatened her life when she tried to intervene in defense of his then-girlfriend.
Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued in federal court Tuesday by a former member of Danity Kane — the girl group he assembled on the MTV reality competition “Making the Band” — who is alleging he groped, assaulted and imprisoned her, and threatened her life when she tried to intervene in defense of his then-girlfriend.
Dawn Richard, who was handpicked by Combs to be a member of the urban pop band, also alleges in the lawsuit that she is owed several million dollars in unpaid wages from her time with Danity Kane and another group founded by Combs. She is requesting a jury trial. Her attorney, Lisa Bloom, said in a statement Wednesday: “We will not rest until we achieve full and complete justice for Dawn in this case.”
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, joins a string of others that have accused Combs of various forms of sexual assault and misconduct. The lawsuits are filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which allows people to file lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse even after the statute of limitations had passed. Combs, who is also the subject of a federal inquiry, has denied the allegations.
In a statement Wednesday, his attorney said Combs “is shocked and disappointed” by Richard’s lawsuit.
“In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour,” Erica Wolff said, while pointing to Richard’s long history working with Combs. “It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”
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