Three women speak out against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in sexual assault lawsuits

As more women come forward, companies are distancing themselves from Diddy amidst the controversy.


Pop Culture & Art May 29, 2024

Three women are speaking out about their sexual assault lawsuits against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs for the first time.

In a report by Rolling Stone, published on Tuesday, May 28, Joi Dickerson-Neal, Crystal McKinney, and an anonymous “Jane Doe” revealed insight into their individual experiences.

“It isn’t about money,” Dickerson-Neal, who filed a lawsuit against Diddy, 54, in the New York Supreme Court in November 2023, told the outlet. “It’s about making sure the world sees that this man who rose to the level of an ‘icon’ is actually sick and has left so many victims in [the wake of his] unpunished disgusting behaviour for years.”

Dickerson-Neal starred alongside the music mogul in a 1990 music video and claimed he asked her on a dinner date in 1991. According to Dickerson-Neal, Combs allegedly “drugged, sexually assaulted and abused” her during their meeting. Court documents obtained by Us Weekly at the time also include Dickerson-Neal alleging she was the victim of “revenge porn” that Diddy created and distributed.

McKinney, 43, shared her own alleged experience with the outlet. “I had a whole future [in modelling] mapped out that was stolen from me. Being sexually assaulted and having no recourse is so painful,” the model, who filed a lawsuit against Combs on Tuesday, May 21, said.

McKinney claimed she connected with Diddy in 2003 at a Men’s Fashion Week event at Cipriani Downtown in New York City and he subsequently invited her to his music studio. She claimed that some of his colleagues were present at the studio and were drinking Hennessy and passing joints around. McKinney smoked a portion of the joint and alleged it felt “very powerful,” which made her feel like she was floating.

In the filing, McKinney shared that she believes the joint was laced with a narcotic or some other drug. She alleged that Combs then forced her to perform oral sex on him. Speaking to Rolling Stone, McKinney added, “I felt like I was dying every day because I did not yet have the strength to come forward … I hope that by speaking out, I can help other survivors come forward and seek justice.”

The report also included comments from a third woman. A “Detroit-area Jane Doe,” who was 17 years old at the time, accused Diddy of gang-raping her in 2003. Rolling Stone reported Doe found it was “incredibly difficult” to share her story publicly, but she was “encouraged” to do so after hearing the “voices of the other women.” “It is important to remember that it is not just Combs, but also all of those who acted with him, stood silent, and actively covered up his behaviour that must be held accountable,” she said.

Combs’ attorney did not respond to the specific allegations made by the three women who featured in the report, but did share a statement to Rolling Stone. “Mr. Combs cannot comment on settled litigation, will not comment on pending litigation, and cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable,” attorney Jonathan Davis told the outlet. “We are aware that the proper authorities are conducting a thorough investigation and therefore have confidence any important issues will be addressed in the proper forum, where the rules distinguish facts from fiction.”

The shocking report comes after multiple women have come forward with claims of alleged misconduct by Combs. Us confirmed in November 2023 that Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of rape and repeated physical abuse that lasted nearly a decade. Cassie and Diddy dated off and on from 2007 to 2018.

In March 2024, several of Diddy’s homes, including properties in Miami and Los Angeles, were raided by Homeland Security in connection to a sex trafficking investigation.

Now, several companies appear to be distancing themselves from the rapper as a result of the ongoing controversy. America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses confirmed to Us Weekly on Tuesday, May 28, that it had halted sales of frames from Diddy’s Sean John range. Peloton also announced via a private Facebook group in May that it “paused the use of Sean Combs’ music, as well as removed the Bad Boy Entertainment Artist Series, on our platform” after a 2016 video of Diddy physically assaulting Cassie surfaced. The company added, “This means our instructors are no longer using his music in any newly produced classes.”
 

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