Accusations of drugging and sexually assaulting a university student in 1991 have surfaced against Sean “Diddy” Combs in a lawsuit filed in a New York court on Thursday, marking the second suit of similar nature against the hip-hop mogul within a week.
This complaint emerged alongside a surge of lawsuits targeting public figures under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, capitalising on the brief one-year window preceding the expiration for such complaints, despite the statute of limitations.
The lawsuit alleges that Combs intentionally drugged and assaulted Joi Dickerson-Neal, a Syracuse University student visiting New York City in January 1991. The filing further claims Combs videotaped the alleged assault and disseminated the footage within the music industry.
In the words of Dickerson-Neal’s attorneys, “The sexual assault, and public exposure of it, caused her to suffer overwhelming feelings of humiliation, embarrassment, violation, and constant apprehension about who all viewed it.”
Dickerson-Neal is seeking unspecified compensatory damages for emotional distress, mental anguish, and harm to her reputation.
Responding to the accusations, a spokesperson for Combs vehemently denied the claims, dismissing Dickerson-Neal’s account as “made up and not credible” and attributing the lawsuit to a mere financial pursuit.
This lawsuit follows a recent settlement where Combs resolved a case brought by his ex-girlfriend, R&B vocalist Cassandra Ventura, accusing him of extensive physical abuse, sexual enslavement, and rape. Combs staunchly refuted all allegations in that instance as well.
At 54, as the founder of Bad Boy Records and an influential figure in hip-hop, Combs remains a prominent producer and executive within the music industry, alongside heading his Sean John clothing line.
