Music mogul Sean Combs has finally responded in court to the latest in a series of sexual abuse lawsuits filed against him over the past several months. In a legal filing registered on Feb. 20 in a Southern District of New York court, Combs formally denied charges that he participated in the gang-rape of an unidentified 17-year-old 20 years ago.
In the filing, Combs claims he “never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise” with the plaintiff.
Combs has been subject to four different sexual assault lawsuits since last November.
The suit in question, filed in December, claims that Combs and Harve Pierre, the then-president of Combs' company, Bad Boy Entertainment, gang-raped an unidentified 17-year-old high school student in 2003 after Pierre met her at a club in Detroit. The plaintiff claims she was flown to New York to meet Combs at a recording studio, where she claims she was subsequently given "copious amounts" of drugs and alcohol, and then raped by Combs, Pierre, and an unidentified third man.
The lawsuit includes several photos allegedly taken of the plaintiff (her face obscured) at the location, as well as a photo of the plaintiff with Combs prior to the alleged assault.
In Combs’ filing, his lawyers claim “the context, genuineness, and/or accuracy of the photographs are disputed.”
The filing also makes the claim that the law under which the suit was filed, which allows victims of alleged sexual assaults to file claims even after the statute of limitations has expired, is unconstitutional. “Plaintiff’s decision to wait more than two decades to file her Complaint has prejudiced Defendant, as he has lost the ability to defend himself fully and fairly in this action,” the filing states.
A photo allegedly taken of Combs and his then-17-year-old accuser was included in the December lawsuit against the mogul.
The December lawsuit prompted Combs’ first direct, out-of-court statement on the series of allegations against him, when he took to Twitter on Dec. 6 to post: “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."
The allegations began on Nov. 17, when R&B singer Cassie filed suit against Combs, her former partner. Her suit included allegations of rape, physical abuse, and even threats to blow up the car of rapper Kid Cudi, with the rapper confirming to the New York Times that a car had indeed exploded in his driveway. Combs denied the allegations through his attorney, and the case was settled out of court the following day, with Cassie saying in a statement: "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control.”
The following week, Combs was accused in separate lawsuits by Joi Dickerson-Neal and an unidentified woman for sexual misconduct that allegedly occurred in the 1990s. Combs' attorney also denied those allegations.
Combs' once-lucrative association with liquor giant Diageo was dissolved earlier this year.
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The four suits have already lead to a number of professional consequences for the mogul. Combs stepped down from his position as chairman of Revolt, the television platform he co-founded, on Nov. 28. His once-lucrative association with the liquor giant Diageo ended on Jan. 16.
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