Sean "Diddy" Combs has been slapped with a fresh lawsuit, accusing him of issuing menacing utterances prior to administering a beverage to a woman at a Los Angeles nightclub in 2016, which she alleges was followed by a sexual assault. According to a complaint lodged in the New York State Supreme Court and scrutinized by PEOPLE, the anonymous plaintiff maintains she was visiting Los Angeles in November 2016 when she ventured into Club Playhouse, where she encountered Combs and his entourage.
The complaint details how the founder of Bad Boy Records purportedly offered her a drink, but when she politely declined, Combs allegedly retorted, "Bitch, I'm not asking you. Drink that shit and shut the fuck up," with an air of authority. Feeling coerced, she asserts that she "was compelled to sip the beverage after he forcefully nudged the glass towards her."
Subsequently, Combs allegedly draped his arm around her in a semi-hug and "violently shoved his left hand up her skirt, forcefully penetrating her with his fingers while taunting her, 'Bitch, I do what I want, take that shit.'" As she tried to fend him off, she claims Combs chuckled, "appearing amused by her distress."
The complaint further contends that though he eventually permitted her to depart, she was already feeling disoriented as she hailed a cab back to her hotel. Upon arrival, she was so "dizzy, light-headed, and unable to stand unsupported" that hotel staff had to assist her to her room. The following morning, she discovered tears and bruises around her genital area, "presumably stemming from the assault," according to the complaint. Notably, the complaint does not allege that the drink was tampered with.
In response, Combs' attorneys issued a statement, insisting, "Irrespective of the number of lawsuits filed—particularly by individuals reluctant to attach their names to their allegations—it will not alter the truth that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or engaged in sex trafficking—against anyone, regardless of gender or age." They continued, "We inhabit a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for virtually any reason. Fortunately, a fair and unbiased judicial system exists to uncover the truth, and Mr. Combs is assured of his triumph in court."
Combs is also entangled in federal criminal charges encompassing sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution. He has steadfastly pleaded not guilty to these allegations. Currently, he resides in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, having been denied bail on three separate occasions, with his trial scheduled for May.
