Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted a teenager when she was walking home from a babysitting job, a new lawsuit against the embattled music mogul claims.
The 16-year-old high school student, referred to as Jane Doe in the suit, was allegedly convinced by Combs to get into his vehicle in New York in late August or early September 2000.
The claims come as part of a lawsuit filed on Monday and obtained by Rolling Stone, who were first to report them. Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, ahead of his trial on sex trafficking charges.
Over the past 16 months, at least 40 other plaintiffs have sued Combs over allegations of sexual assault or other sexual misconduct.
The 55-year-old was indicted in September and has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in New York City on September 16 and has been detained since.
According to the outlet, the woman alleges she was a part-time babysitter at an apartment building in lower Manhattan where “a well-known woman whom the defendant was in a relationship [with] also resided.” The “well-known woman” is not named.
The plaintiff claimed she was exiting the apartment building and was heading back to her family home nearby when she encountered Combs sitting in an SUV with the door open.
“Combs engaged her in conversation, asking where she was going so late at night, and that it was not safe for her to be walking alone,” the lawsuit alleges. The woman claims she told the music mogul she lived close by but that he persisted and ultimately convinced her to get inside his vehicle.
It was a decision the woman would “regret forever,” the suit stated. It added that another man was present in the vehicle, which also had a driver, – both are referred to as John Doe.
“During the ride, plaintiff became scared when they did not drop her off at home as promised,” the lawsuit stated, per Rolling Stone. “The defendant gave her a drink to ‘calm her down.’ She soon became groggy and unsteady.”
The lawsuit says Combs and the other men drove the teen to a location “where plaintiff was raped by Combs… She was eventually taken home and left in the lobby of her building by the same driver.”
In a statement provided to The Independent, Combs’ legal team vehemently denied the claims.
“No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor,” the statement read.
“We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”