A sixth woman has courageously stepped forward, leveling assault allegations against Sean "Diddy" Combs in a fresh lawsuit. She boldly claims that the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted her in New York City during the 1990s, a dark chapter in her life that she's now determined to bring to light.
The lawsuit, obtained by PEOPLE, was filed in the Supreme Court of New York on Thursday, May 23, by April Lampos and her attorneys. They are suing Combs, his record label Bad Boy Records, Arista Records, and others, alleging battery, sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and violation of the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law.
In the lawsuit, Lampos's harrowing narrative of four "terrifying sexual encounters" with Combs is laid bare. She recounts one particularly disturbing instance where she alleges that the rapper coerced her into taking "ecstasy" and then forced her to have sex with his then-girlfriend Kim Porter. Lampos further alleges that Porter retaliated against her, and that both she and Combs conspired to get her fired from a job.
Lampos recalls meeting Combs in 1994 when she was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). She says he often invited her to his Bad Boy Records studio in New York City, promising to introduce her to influential figures in the music and fashion industries and assist her in finding work.
However, their relationship soon took a turn for the worse. Lampos alleges that Combs's initially kind gestures transformed into an aggressive, coercive, and abusive sexual relationship. She describes their first "horrific" encounter in 1995, when she claims Combs pressured her to drink at a New York City bar. She alleges that she was then taken back to his hotel, where he forcibly raped her despite her attempts to avoid the interaction.
Lampos further alleges that after the assault, Combs attempted to lure her back into his orbit by sending her gifts, cards, and flowers, along with invitations to exclusive music industry events. She says she agreed to meet with him again to discuss potential business opportunities, only to find that he had regained her trust in order to continue his abusive behavior.
In her account, she boldly declared that in 1996, she was sexually assaulted by Combs. It was a fateful moment when the musician summoned Lampos to his Manhattan apartment. There, he forcibly coerced her and his then-girlfriend, Porter, to consume ecstasy. She recounted that he subsequently "demanded" Porter engage in sexual relations with Lampos. When Porter vocally expressed her opposition to this idea, Combs, according to court documents, "reminded her" that he had the power to make her lose her job. Following their reluctant sexual encounter, Lampos alleged that shoved Porter aside and raped her once again, leaving her traumatized and horrified.
According to court documents, Lampos's fateful encounter with Combs occurred towards the tail end of 2000, just as the new millennium dawned in early 2001. She revealed that she had severed ties with him in 1998, yet their paths crossed again unexpectedly at Rockefeller Center. There, Combs confessed that he had "missed her," words that Lampos found unsettling. She promptly fled the scene, but he persisted, relentlessly calling her until she reluctantly agreed to let him visit her apartment.
Lampos recounted that upon his arrival, Combs apologized for his "past behaviors," professing that he was now a "changed man." However, his tone soon shifted as he began dropping subtle hints about their potential sexual encounter. Suddenly, the atmosphere turned violent as Combs "grabbed her forcibly and forcibly imposed himself upon her," kissing and touching her against her will.
Lampos stated in the court documents that she ultimately opened the door and demanded that Combs leave, realizing that "he hadn't changed at all." She was also aware of his romantic relationship with Jennifer Lopez at that time, which added to her discomfort. The exact amount of damages she is seeking remains unspecified, but the emotional toll of this encounter is undoubtedly immense.
Diddy’s representatives and Lampos’ legal team remained silent in response to PEOPLE’s urgent request for comment. This revelation comes hot on the heels of a bombshell statement made by Combs’ former partner, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Cassie’s emotional declaration followed the release of a shocking video, which captured the moment she was physically abused by Combs during a fateful encounter in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
In her candid words, Cassie emphasized the gravity of domestic violence, confessing that it had torn her down to a shadow of her former self. “Domestic Violence is THE issue,” she wrote, revealing the profound impact it had on her mental and emotional well-being. “It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become,” she continued, adding that although she has made strides in healing through hard work, “I will always be recovering from the past.”
Beyond Lampos and Ventura, the renowned rapper behind the hit song “Victory” now faces a daunting array of legal challenges. He is embroiled in sexual assault and harassment lawsuits filed by four other women and one man, each alleging disturbing instances of misconduct. The situation has escalated into a full-blown scandal, leaving the rapper’s once-sterling reputation in tatters.
