A Guide to the Many Lawsuits Against Diddy

Self-proclaimed “bad boy for life” Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing serious legal issues following numerous allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking throughout his career. On March 25, simultaneous bicoastal raids of his Los Angeles and Miami homes played out live on CNN while the hip-hop mogul was on his private jet amid what could turn out to be a very public reckoning. On September 16, the indictment against Diddy was revealed and he was charged on three counts, including sex-trafficking by force. He pleaded not guilty before he was denied bail. He is currently being held in jail awaiting a trial. was charged with In addition to an investigation from Homeland Security and the federal government, he is also facing four federal lawsuits. A fifth, brought in late 2023 by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, which included allegations of rape and physical abuse, was settled and dismissed days after it had been filed. Below, the biggest lawsuits involving Combs, including the latest from a Jane Doe.

Case no. 1  

RODNEY JONES V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Rodney “Lil Rod’ Jones Jr., a record producer from Chicago, filed a 105-page federal complaint against Combs accusing him and the people who work with him of being part of an illegal racketeering enterprise. Jones alleges in his complaint that he has “irrefutable evidence of: (a) the acquisition, use, and distribution of ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, marijuana, and mushrooms; (b) the displaying and distribution of unregistered illegal firearms; and (c) the solicitation of minors and sex workers.” 

According to Jones, as he alleges in the complaint, Combs reached out to Jones in 2022 to help him produce songs, but Jones claims the work Combs required of him went far beyond producing music. He claims in the lawsuit that he was tasked with procuring drugs and soliciting sex workers to “perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs.” Jones alleges that Combs also required him to tape these sex acts and that Combs would “often threaten to inflict bodily harm” on him if he did not comply with his demands. Jones alleged in his complaint that Combs kept “specific bottles of alcohol designated for females” on hand and, “according to Mr. Jones, Mr. Combs forced all the women to drink laced DeLeon liquor. Upon information and belief, Mr. Combs laced the liquor with ecstasy,” the lawsuit claims. He also accuses Combs of sexual harassment and assault for allegedly grabbing him without his consent and forcing him to work while Combs paraded around naked. Jones also alleges that Combs once left him alone in a makeshift studio on a yacht with Cuba Gooding Jr., who he said then began “touching, groping, and fondling” his upper thighs near his groin. He said Gooding did not stop until he forcibly pushed him away. 

When was it filed?

February 2, 2024, in Manhattan’s federal court. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. Jones’s lawyer has accused Combs of “harassing behavior,” including “manufacturing stories about Plaintiff on TMZ and dispatching his agents to harass Plaintiff’s 8-year-old daughter, the mother of his child, and ex-spouses, all of whom have expressed fear of potential harm by Defendant Combs.” Jones’s attorney told Judge J. Paul Oetken, who is overseeing the case, that an additional police report had been filed on March 3. Jones is asking the court for a jury trial. 

What was Combs’s response?

When reached out to for comment, Combs’s attorney Shawn Holley provided a near-identical statement he provided to The New York Times on February 26, 2024. “Mr. Jones is nothing more than a con man, shamelessly looking for an easy and wholly undeserved payday,” it said. “We have indisputable, incontrovertible proof that his claims are complete fabrications. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn has refused to return our calls. We look forward to addressing these ridiculous claims in court and intend to take all appropriate action against all who are attempting to peddle them.”

Case no. 2  

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Doe alleges that she was gang-raped and sex trafficked by Combs and former president of Bad Boys Records Harve Pierre when she was only 17 and in the 11th grade. She alleges she met Pierre in a lounge in Detroit and he told her he was “best friends” with Combs. Doe claims Combs convinced her to accompany Pierre and a third assailant on a private jet to come to his studio in New York City. She claims she agreed and boarded a jet that flew to Teterboro, New Jersey, and was taken to Combs’s studio. She alleges that, once there, Combs and his associates, including Pierre, plied her with drugs and alcohol and alleges she was subsequently “gang-raped” at the studio by Combs, Pierre, and a third assailant. Her complaint states that “while Mr. Combs was raping Ms. Doe, he complained that he could not ‘get off” unless she pinched his nipples as hard as she could” and that Combs then allegedly watched as the third assailant raped her while she told him to stop. “After Third Assailant was finished, Mr. Pierre took his turn at raping Ms. Doe and then violently forced her to give him oral sex, during which Ms. Doe was choking and struggling to breathe,” according to the complaint. 

When was it filed?

December 2, 2023, in federal court in Manhattan. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. Combs and Pierre have denied the allegations against them in this case. Combs’s attorneys have asked the judge to dismiss the entire case and says Combs was a victim of the “cancel culture” frenzy in the courts. The victim has been attempting to remain anonymous. Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke, overseeing the case, has so far denied the woman’s request to continue to remain anonymous but has stayed that ruling until she makes a decision on Combs’s motion to dismiss. The judge has given the woman until March 29 to file a response to Combs’s dismissal motion. 

What was Combs’s response?

Combs posted a statement on December 6, 2023, addressing the lawsuit. “Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth.” Pierre also released a statement vehemently denying the accusations: “This is a tale of fiction,” he said. “I have never participated in, witnessed, nor heard of anything like this, ever. These disgusting allegations are false and a desperate attempt for financial gain. I will vigorously protect my reputation and defend my name. Those who know me recognize that these claims are not true.”

Case no. 3  

CASSANDRA ‘CASSIE’ VENTURA V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Cassie’s 35-page federal complaint accused Combs of sexual assault, battery, and sex trafficking and of requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts. According to her complaint, Combs signed Cassie to his label when she was 19 and he was 37. She claimed he was physically abusive throughout their relationship. “Mr. Combs asserted complete control over Ms. Ventura’s personal and professional life, thereby ensuring her inability to escape his hold.” She also claimed he demanded she carry a firearm for him in her purse, and forced her to engage in sex acts with male sex workers, according to her complaint. She claimed that Combs’s staff and Bad Boy Entertainment employees were aware of the abuse. Ultimately she left her “long-time abuser” in 2018 after the alleged rape. She continues to struggle with intense emotional distress, she said in her court papers.

When was it filed?

November 16, 2023, in Manhattan’s federal court. 

What’s the status?

Cassie and Combs mutually agreed to settle the case on November 17, 2023. Four days after filing her lawsuit, Cassie asked the court to dismiss her entire case “with prejudice,” which meant that her claims could not be filed again. 

Case no. 4  

LIZA GARDNER V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Gardner filed a 22-page lawsuit accusing Combs and Aaron Hall of forcing her to have sex with them against her will when she was only 16. Garner claims she met Combs and Hall in New York at an event for the album release for Jodeci. After a dinner for the event, Combs allegedly invited Gardner and her friend to Hall’s apartment for an after-party. She alleged it was there that Combs “coerced” her into having sex with him, and while she was getting dressed after that Hall barged into the room, pinned her down, and allegedly forced her to have sex with him. Gardner claims that she had immense pain vaginally afterward. She said she fled the apartment and later learned that her friend also allegedly had sex with both Combs and Hall. The day after the assault, Gardner alleged that Combs came to her home and began “assaulting and choking” her to the point that she passed out. Gardner’s complaint states that since “being violently and statutorily raped by Combs and Aaron Hall, Ms. Gardner’s life has been overwhelmed by depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and strained relationship with men” and has asked the court for a jury trial. 

When was it filed?

November 23, 2023, in New York Supreme Court one day before the deadline ended to file cases under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The act gave victims one year to bring civil complaints for sexual offenses that had previously been barred by the statute of limitations. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. Both Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall, who was also named in the suit, were served with copies of the complaint against them on March 23, 2024. 

What was Combs’s response?

Combs’s representative issued a statement after the lawsuit was originally filed calling the claims “fabricated” and “bogus” and the case a “money grab.” Vulture reached out to Hall for comment but did not hear back.

Case no. 5  

JOI DICKERSON-NEAL V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

In her 22-page complaint, Dickerson alleges that she met Combs after she had appeared in a music video with him while she was a student at Syracuse University. She claims she later agreed to go out to dinner with him on January 3, 1991, while on school break. During their date, Dickerson alleged that Combs intentionally drugged her. She accused Combs of sexually assaulting her and video recording the sexual assault, according to her complaint. Days later, a male friend allegedly revealed to her that he along with other men had viewed the “sex tape.” She asked her friend who had seen the tape and her friend allegedly told her “everyone.” Dickerson claims from that point her life went into a “tailspin,” and after returning to college she had to be admitted to the hospital for severe depression and suicidal ideation. 

Dickerson claims she has “suffered a lifetime of injuries from being drugged, sexually assaulted and abused, and being the victim of “‘revenge porn’ that Sean Combs, or ‘P. Diddy,’ created and distributed.” She is suing him for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, and revenge porn. 

When was it filed?

November 23, 2023, in New York Supreme Court, which was one day before the cut off for civil cases for past sexual offenses under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. On March 1, 2024, Dickerson’s attorneys filed papers giving Combs until April 12, 2024, to respond in court to her complaint. 

What was Combs’s response?

Through a spokesperson, Combs “denied and rejected the claims of misconduct.” “He recognizes this as a money grab,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for accusers who will falsify the truth, without conscience or consequence, for financial benefit. The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited for improper purposes. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these unsubstantiated allegations.” 

Case No.6  

GRACE O’MARCAIGH V. CHRISTIAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Sean Combs’s 26-year-old son Christian “King” Combs is being sued for sexual assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other allegations.

The 31-page lawsuit brought by Grace O’Marcaigh claims that she was sexually assaulted while working as a yacht deckhand for the family during Christmas break in 2022 in the Caribbean. She is also asking that Sean “Diddy” Combs be held liable for his son’s actions for charting the yacht assuming responsibility for his guests throughout the Caribbean trip. 

O’Marcaigh alleges that there was “a constant rotation of suspected sex workers and other A-List celebrities such as French Montana and actor Cuba Gooding Jr.” on the yacht. O’Marcaigh alleges “sex workers were sprawled out unconscious about that yacht and it was difficult to distinguish which bottles of alcohol were laced with drugs and which bottles were not.” In the early morning of December 28, 2022, a “heavily intoxicated” Christian Combs physically assaulted her, according to her complaint. She alleges that Christian blocked her from leaving, took off all his clothes, and tried to force her to “perform oral copulation” on him. O’Marcaigh is suing Diddy, blaming him for fostering an “environment of debauchery” filled with suspected sex workers, violence, alcohol allegedly laced with drugs, and “disrespect” for crew. 

When was it filed?

April 4, 2024, in Los Angeles Superior Court. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. 

What was Combs’s response?

Aaron Dyer, an attorney for the father-son duo, called the lawsuit’s claims “lewd and meritless.” “This complaint is filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect from Blackburn,” he said, referring to the lawyer also representing Rodney Jones. “This is exactly why the federal judge in New York slapped him two days ago for a ‘pattern of behavior’ in ‘improperly [filing] cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly,’ and why he was referred to the disciplinary committee in the Southern District of New York. We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim.” 

Case no. 7  

CRYSTAL MCKINNEY V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

McKinney says she met Combs when she was a 22-year-old model and a designer flew her into New York City to attend a Fashion Week event at Cipriani. The unnamed designer handpicked her clothes — a black leather coat, a translucent chiffon beige V-cut shirt — which McKinney says she has kept unwashed in plastic wrap after the “traumatic events.” McKinney alleges Combs told her that he had power in the industry and was going to help her advance her career. Later that same night, McKinney alleges she met Combs at a studio where he gave her a laced joint, plied her with alcohol, followed her to the bathroom, and forced her to perform oral sex on him. After the alleged assault, McKinney believes Combs “blackballed” her in the modeling industry. She’s since suffered depression and even attempted suicide.

When was it filed?

May 21, 2024, in federal court in Manhattan. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. 

What was Combs’s response?

Representatives for Combs have not yet responded to requests for comment. 

case no. 8  

APRIL LAMPROS V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

April Lampros filed a 22-page lawsuit against Sean Combs accusing him of battery, sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and committing a crime of violence motivated by gender. Lampros’s complaint, filed in New York State court, alleges that Lampros  met Combs in early 1994 when she was a college student at the Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Initially, Lampros says, Combs promised to mentor her and “showered her gifts and flowers.” Lampros says she endured “four terrifying sexual encounters” up until the 2000s. The first occurred in 1995 when she felt uneasy after he pressured her to drink. Lampros alleges that Combs took her to a hotel, ignored her pleas, and raped her, according to the lawsuit. 

Lampros says months after Combs continued to sent her gifts and flowers, believing the first rape was a “mulligan,” she decided to give him a second chance. The second accusation occurred in a parking lot in view of a parking-garage attendant. She says Combs “forced his erect penis into her mouth and demanded” she perform oral sex. 

During the third encounter, in 1996, he allegedly forced her and an ex of his, the singer Kim Porter, to take ecstasy and have sex with each other. Combs allegedly masturbated and then raped Lampros, according to the complaint. Lampros says the fourth incident occurred at the end of 2000, when Combs was dating Jennifer Lopez. She claims he came over to her apartment with his security and tried to get her to have sex with him, but she was able to refuse his advances by opening the door and demanding that he leave. Years later, at an event in 2023, Lampros says a man informed the person she was with that he had seen a tape of Lampros having sex with Combs filmed without her consent. 

When was it filed?

May 23, 2024, in New York County Supreme Court. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. 

What was Combs’s response?

Combs’s rep has not yet responded to Vulture’s request for comment. 

case no. 9  

DERRICK LEE CARDELLO-SMITH V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith filed a personal-injury complaint against Combs alleging that the singer sexually assaulted him, according to news reports.

Cardello-Smith, who is currently incarcerated in a Michigan correctional facility until 2026, told Michigan judge Anna Marie Anzalone, who held a virtual hearing with Cardello-Smith from jail in July, that he recently had a meeting with Combs in which Combs told him that he would make him an offer to settle the case “because of other things that he stated he had going on in his life that required his money right now and he wants to see everything off.” Cardello-Smith claimed Combs offered him $2.3 million to “allow what happened to me to go away.”

When the settlement money never materialized, Cardello-Smith asked the judge for a preliminary temporary restraining order injunction that prevented Combs from selling his Los Angeles mansion for $70 million for 90 days. Judge Anzalone granted Cardello-Smith’s request and then at a hearing September 9 granted his additional request for a $100 million default judgment against Combs for failing to appear at the hearing, according to court records.

This is not Cardello-Smith’s first jailhouse lawsuit. He’s filed three others while incarcerated. According to the Detroit Metro Times, he is known for his “long history of challenging the judicial system with civil lawsuits.”

When was it filed?

June 10, 2024 in Michigan’s Lenawee County Circuit Court. 

What’s the status?

A judge has set aside the $100 million judgment because the notice of the case was not properly sent. There will be another hearing on November 4.

What was Combs’s response?

After the judgment was issued, Combs’s attorney Marc Agnifilo released this statement on behalf of his client to the multiple media outlets:

“This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years,” the statement reads. “His résumé now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.” 

case no. 10  

DAWN RICHARD V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Dawn Richard, who was a member in two of Combs’s musical groups — Danity Kane and then Diddy-Dirty Money — filed a 55-page lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan’s federal court saying she personally witnessed Combs assault his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Richard’s suit claims that his abuse included “chocking and strangling Ms. Ventura, striking her with his hands and with objects, slapping her, punching her and throwing items at her including a scalding hot pan.” Richard also describes trying to help Ventura and Combs threatening her life in return. 

Richard’s lawsuit alleges that Combs “regularly hurled objects in fits of rage,” including mobile phones, laptops, food, and studio equipment, at people. Richard says she also saw Kim Porter, the mother of three of Combs’s children, leave the recording studio 2005 in tears and with visible facial injuries. Richard claims she was present when Combs had a party and that dozens of girls, some of whom appeared to be underage, were given drugs and alcohol and that even though “many of them appeared lethargic or passed out,” Mr. Combs and his guests performed sexual acts on them, according to her complaint. “Mr. Combs repeatedly said things like, ‘This is a buffet, enjoy yourselves; this is what we do, this is how we party,’” Richard’s lawsuit states. 

Richard says was concerned for her safety, was subjected to gender-motivated violence, and was sexually harassed and assaulted by Combs. She is suing Combs for sex trafficking, sexual assault, sexual battery, and false imprisonment among other claims and is demanding a jury trial. 

When was it filed?

September 10, 2024, in Manhattan’s federal court. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. 

What’s Combs’s response?

Combs’s attorney Erica Wolff shared the following statement: “Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this 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. If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. 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.”

case no. 11  

THALIA GRAVES V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Thalia Graves filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of “viciously raping her” in 2001 after having her tied up naked with her hands behind her back when she was unconscious. Graves, 53, alleges that she was just 25 when Combs summoned her to his studio to talk about the performance of her then boyfriend, who was an executive at Bad Boy Records at the time. 

Combs and his bodyguard Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman picked Graves up at her mother’s house in Queens and drove her to the studio. During the car ride, Combs gave her a glass of wine, which later caused her to briefly lose consciousness, according to her lawsuit. 

When she awoke, Graves said she was naked with her hands tied behind her back. Sherman, she said, slammed her face on a pool table then Combs walked into the room naked, put lubricant on his penis and violently anally and vaginally raped her. She also alleged that afterward Sherman forcibly inserted his penis into her mouth and hit her until she lost consciousness again. 

After Combs and Sherman left her, Graves said she dressed and she left “crying uncontrollably.” A driver took her to a hospital and tried to convince her to report the rape, but Graves said she was going through a divorce at the time and was scared she would lose custody of her young child. 

“The violation that I have experienced during the assault has had lasting effects on my body, causing ongoing health problems and complications,” Graves said on September 24 during a press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred at her side. “I want to continue on this journey toward recovery and healing. I am glad that he is locked up, but that’s a temporary feeling of relief.”

When was it filed?

The 26-page lawsuit was filed in Manhattan’s federal court. 

What’s the status?

Graves has filed a request to issue a summons to inform Combs of the lawsuit and that he is being sued. Her attorney has asked that the summons be sent to Combs at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Graves has also filed a request for a summons and a copy of the lawsuit to be sent to Sherman. 

What was Combs’s response?

Combs’s legal team has not yet responded to Graves’s allegations in the lawsuit she filed against him. 

case no. 12  

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

In a new 18-page lawsuit, a woman, who is choosing to remain anonymous, has shared allegations of abuse against Diddy. She alleges that Diddy drugged her and that she was sexually assaulted on various trips that she felt forced to go on with him. 

The woman says she met Combs in 2020 overseas when she was invited on a trip that he paid for. That the next year, she says, Combs’s employees would arrange for her to travel to Combs’s homes in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami at a monthly basis. The woman alleges that Combs would send drivers to pick her up before she had even agreed to attend a trip. Among her allegations, she says she was forced to ingest ketamine, Combs forced her to have sex without her consent, and, in one instance, she woke up with bruises and bite marks on her body. At one point after being allegedly drugged, she says she took a pregnancy test and learned it was positive. She alleges that Combs’s employee and ex-girlfriend, rapper Yung Miami, harassed her to have an abortion and she later suffered a miscarriage. She also says, mirroring Graves’s allegations, that Combs would record his sexual encounters with her without her permission. Doe alleges that the abuse spanned four years, up until Homeland Security raided his home in July 2024.

When was it filed?

The lawsuit was filed on September 27 in New York Supreme Court. 

What’s the status?

Ongoing. 

What was Combs’s response?

Combs had not yet responded to a request for comment.