Following accusations of sexual assault from three different women, multiple organizations are distancing themselves from Sean “Diddy” Combs. It was announced on Tuesday that Combs would be temporarily stepping down as chairman of Revolt, the media company he founded in 2013. A statement posted to Revolt’s Instagram confirmed the news.
“While Mr. Combs has previously had no operational or day-to-day role in the business,” it read, “this decision helps to ensure that Revolt remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora.”
Capital Prep Harlem, a charter school opened by Combs in 2016, has also announced that it will be parting ways with the rapper. The school released a statement from Dr. Steve Perry, the founder of Capital Preparatory Schools.
“Following a comprehensive evaluation, a decision has been made to end the partnership between Capital Preparatory Schools and Sean Combs,” the statement read. “While this decision was not made lightly, we firmly believe it is in the best interest of our organization’s health and future.”
Earlier this month, Combs was sued by former girlfriend Cassie (real name Cassandra Ventura). She claimed that the hip-hop mogul was physically and sexually abusive to her and that he would provide her with “copious amounts of drugs.” Combs settled the case the day after she filed.
A week later, two more women came forward to accuse Combs of sexual assault in lawsuits of their own. The first woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, alleges that Combs and singer Aaron Hall raped her and her friend at Hall’s apartment in the early ’90s. A few days later, her filing states, Combs showed up to her home and choked her until she passed out.
The second woman, Joi Dickerson-Neal, alleges that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her while she was a student at Syracuse University in 1991. Dickerson-Neal says that she “reluctantly” went on a date with Combs, during which he “intentionally drugged” her before taking her “to a place he was staying to sexually assault her.”
All three cases fell under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which allowed victims of sexual assault one year to sue their alleged abusers, even in cases where the statute of limitations had run out. In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson for Combs claimed that Dickerson-Neal was a “scammer” exploiting the Adult Survivors Act in a “money grab.” He similarly denied Doe’s allegations, writing off the contents of the suits as “fabricated.”
In a statement to NBC, Dickerson-Neal said, “For 32 years, the only people I have been able to confide in were my close friends and therapists. I’m feeling as if the darkness has been lifted and I can freely move forward in achieving my full potential.”
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