One of six new lawsuits filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs goes a bit further than other claims in trying to hold some of the music mogul’s celebrity friends accountable for the alleged sexual exploitation and other depravity that took place at his infamous parties.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in New York comes from a now-37-year-old woman who alleges that, as a 13-year-old girl, she was raped by Combs at a party he hosted in 2000 — with the help of an unnamed “male and female celebrity,” Deadline and TMZ reported. The 19-page filing gets a bit specific in that it says that the rape occurred at a party he hosted after the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, which took place that year at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Not surprisingly, the reference to the 2000 VMAs has set off an online guessing game over who the two unnamed celebrities might be, while many online have expressed frustration that the accuser and her attorney are holding back from identifying the stars.
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe in the court documents, said that on Sept. 7, 2000 she tried to go to the awards ceremony but couldn’t get a ticket, TMZ reported. Hanging around outside Radio City Music Hall, she said she was noticed by a driver working for Combs and brought to the party. She said the assault occurred after she went to an empty bedroom to lie down, because she felt “woozy and lightheaded” from a drink she had been given.
“Soon after, Combs, along with a male and female celebrity, entered the room,” the filing said, according to Deadline. “Combs aggressively approached Plaintiff with a crazed look in his eyes, grabbed her and said, ‘You are ready to party!’”
Combs, then 30, allegedly “threw” the girl toward another male celebrity, referred to as Celebrity A, who removed the teen’s clothing, Deadline reported.
“Plaintiff was held down by Celebrity A who vaginally raped her while Combs and Celebrity B, a female, watched,” the lawsuit said. “After the male celebrity finished, Combs then vaginally raped Plaintiff while the Celebrity A and Celebrity B watched.”
377894 22: (FILE PHOTO) Jennifer Lopez and Sean “Puffy” Combs arrive for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards September 7, 2000 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. On Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2001, Combs” spokesperson announced that Lopez and Combs were no longer a couple. The announcement confirmed months of speculation over demise of the superstars’ relationship. (Photo by George De Sota/Newsmakers)
The complaint also alleged that Combs attempted to force the alleged victim to perform oral sex on him, but she resisted by hitting him in the neck, so he stopped. The woman said she escaped the room and had her father pick her up from the party.
In its report on the lawsuit — which did not name names — Page Six published a photo of Combs with then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, who was his date to the 2000 VMAs. Lopez, then an up-and-coming singer and actor, donned what was said to be an “iconic look” to that year’s VMAs: a white cropped tank top, matching pants and heels, E! News also reported. Lopez won the award that night for best dance video.
Lopez’s reportedly volatile relationship with Combs lasted from 1999 to 2001, during which they made waves at a number of high-profile events, including at the 2000 Grammys, when she wore another iconic look: a the green Versace gown with plunging bodice and very high slit. The couple also became the focus of unwelcome headlines and an NYPD investigation when they were arrested in December 1999 while fleeing a Manhattan nightclub after a shooting, which left three people injured. Combs was put on trial in 2001 for the shooting but was acquitted by a jury, the New York Post reported.
Lopez is among a number of A-listers facing scrutiny for once moving in the record producer’s orbit and for being happy to be seen at his lavish, star-studded parties. For the most part, stars like Usher, Justin Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mariah Carey and Ashton Kutcher have not commented publicly on their friendship with Diddy, the sex abuse allegations against him or his Sept. 15 arrest on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the federal criminal charges and is being held at Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center after being denied bail.
One notable celebrity reaction thus far has come from Jay-Z and Beyonce, who demanded a retraction and apology from singer Jaguar Wright for making “totally false” comments on Piers Morgan’s show, “Uncensored,” the BBC reported. Wright called the couple “monsters” and implied that they were aware of his alleged behavior, though no one has produced evidence to support these claims.
After Jay-Z and Beyonce’s attorneys said that linking the couple to Combs’ alleged behavior was “defamatory,” Morgan responded by issuing an apology and by saying that Wright’s comments would be edited out of the interview, the BBC reported.
The new lawsuit, implicating the two unnamed celebrities, is one of six filed Sunday and one of a dozen filed by Houston attorney Tony Buzbee on behalf of female and male victims, Deadline reported. The lawsuits cover allegations of rape, false imprisonment and sexual harassment that took place from 2000 to just two years ago.
Combs’ downward spiral began in November 2023 when his ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, filed a lawsuit accusing him of raping, sex trafficking and physically abusing her throughout their decade-long relationship, Page Six said.
Combs, who denied Ventura’s claims at the time, settled the case with her the following day, Page Six also reported. However, Ventura’s lawsuit opened up the floodgates, as dozens of others have since come forward with abuse allegations against Combs, many of whom claim the attacks unfolded at his star-studded parties.
