Sean Combs to face sexual misconduct lawsuits from 120 more accusers, attorney says (original) (raw)
Sean "Diddy" Combs' long list of legal woes could soon be getting longer.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee announced Tuesday that he is representing 120 individuals who plan to file sexual misconduct lawsuits against the embattled hip-hop mogul, who is currently awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Buzbee said in a press conference that he anticipates the complaints will be filed over the next month, according to the Associated Press. He added that the accusers comprise 60 men and 60 women, and that 25 of them were minors at the time when the alleged misconduct occurred.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
An attorney for Combs, Erica Wolff, denied the allegations. "As Mr. Combs' legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus," Wolff said in a statement provided to Entertainment Weekly. "That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation."
Combs, 54, was arrested in Manhattan on Sept. 16 in the wake of a grand jury indictment. The rapper, producer, and Bad Boy Records founder remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being denied bail following his not-guilty plea to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
According to the unsealed indictment, Combs and members of his enterprise are accused of engaging in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
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"For decades, the defendant abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct," the indictment says. "To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise."