After announcing two weeks ago that he was working with 120 people, including 25 minors, claiming sexual abuse against Sean "Diddy" Combs, Houston-based lawyer Tony Buzbee filed his first six complaints in the Southern District of New York today, per Rolling Stone. Using the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, which extends the statute of limitations on crimes like sexual assault, Buzbee represents four John Does and two Jane Does alleging sexual abuse taking place between 1995 and 2021.
One John Doe claims that he was 16 when Diddy molested him in 1998 at one of the rapper-producer's infamous White Parties in the Hamptons. The complaint states that Doe attended the party as the guest of a friend, and "Combs took an interest" an interest in him. Though Doe did not believe themselves to be a great talent, Diddy allegedly "assured him that did not matter[…]Combs could transform Doe—or anybody—into a star." Doe claims Combs told the teenager that "he needed to drop his pants" so that Combs could "inspect" his penis, described by Combs to Doe as "a rite of passage and the route to becoming a star, and also as a way to prove himself."
"Out of fear, anxiety, and the imbalanced power dynamic between himself and Combs, John Doe then dropped his pants and exposed his penis as Combs previously instructed," the filing states. "Combs moved closer and grabbed John Doe's penis and genitals with his hand. He firmly cupped and held onto John Doe's genitals for an extended period of time. During this time, Combs moved his hand in such a fashion to manipulate John Doe's genitals, squeezing and feeling them … Combs abruptly then let go of John Doe's genitals and told him that his people would be in touch. Combs continued with his party as if nothing had happened, but for John Doe, everything had changed."
Buzbee claims there are other allegations involving minors. "When we talk about the ages of the victims when the conduct occurred, it's shocking," Buzbee said at an October 1 press conference. "Our youngest victim at the time of the occurrence was nine years old. We have an individual who was 14 years old. We have one who was 15."
Combs continues to deny the allegations. In a statement, his legal team said, "[Combs] cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors." "
