The legal troubles continue to mount for Sean “Diddy” Combs, as former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard has come forward with new allegations of sexual harassment, physical abuse, forced labour, and financial exploitation.
Richard filed a civil lawsuit on Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, targeting Combs, his label Bad Boy Records, and other associated entities.
Her lawsuit seeks a jury award, though the amount remains unspecified. Combs’ representatives have yet to respond to requests for comment as of Wednesday.
Richard claims that between 2005 and 2012, during her time with Combs’ label, she endured abusive working conditions, had her earnings unfairly withheld, and faced threats of violence designed to control her.
The lawsuit, was said to describe a toxic environment that also involved fellow artist Cassie Ventura.
Richard stated that Combs regularly subjected her and others to emotional and physical abuse, including throwing objects like phones and laptops in violent outbursts.
She recalls him making menacing statements such as, “I end people” and “you could go missing,” indicating the level of fear he instilled in those around him.
One of the most shocking accusations in Richard’s lawsuit is her claim that Combs forced her to strip in front of others and groped her without consent.
She also alleged that despite her significant contributions as a performer and songwriter, Combs and his affiliated companies withheld her rightful earnings, including royalties and performance fees.
She estimated that the total unpaid wages, tour fees, and royalties exceed $4 million.
Richard’s lawsuit extends beyond Combs, also implicating Universal Music Group and Interscope Records. She accused these companies of knowingly enabling Combs’ misconduct by continuing to profit from his ventures despite awareness of the abuse she and others experienced.
Danity Kane, the girl group that rose to fame on MTV’s “Making the Band” in 2005, enjoyed early success with their first two albums debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts.
However, internal conflicts led to multiple breakups, and despite several reunions, the group eventually dwindled to a trio comprised of Richard, Aubrey O’Day, and Shannon Bex before fully disbanding.
While O’Day and Bex went on to form the duo dumblonde, Richard joined forces with Diddy and Kalenna Harper to form the group Dirty Money.
Combs has faced a series of legal battles throughout 2024. The mogul has been accused of serious crimes, including rape, gang rape, sex trafficking, and drugging.
His homes in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami were raided by Homeland Security agents in March.
These new allegations follow a high-profile lawsuit filed by Cassie Ventura in November 2023, who dated Combs for over a decade after meeting him in 2007 when she was 19 and he was 37.
In her lawsuit, Ventura described years of sexual abuse and coercion, culminating in an alleged rape that took place in her home when she tried to leave him.
Although Combs settled Ventura’s lawsuit just a day after it was filed, he still faces multiple legal challenges, with at least five lawsuits, including Richard’s, pending.
Notably, earlier this week, a court ordered Combs to pay $100 million to a Michigan inmate who claimed he had been drugged and assaulted at one of Combs’ parties in 1997.
