Oct. 2 (UPI) — More than 100 people will file individual civil lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs, accusing the embattled American music mogul of sexual assault, according to their legal representation who said more defendants would be named.
Houston-based lawyer Tony Buzbee told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday that his law firm has been retained by 120 alleged victims of Combs and plans to start filing lawsuits against him — and other alleged perpetrators — within the next 30 days.
Buzbee described the victims as being “evenly divided between males and females.” Twenty-five were minors when the alleged assaults occurred, with the youngest person being 9 years old, he said.
The victims come from 25 states and the alleged assaults occurred between 1991 and this year, though most were documented after 2015, according to Buzbee.
Most of the alleged assaults took place in either Manhattan or the Hamptons, N.Y., Los Angeles or Miami, Fla., during after-parties, album release parties, New Year’s Eve parities, Fourth of July parities and the musician’s lavish White Parties, he said.
The cases will be individually filed and some will name other alleged perpetrators, he said, adding that some to be named “will shock you.”
“They already know who they are,” he said.
“And I’m talking here about not just the cowardly-but-complicit bystanders, that is those people that we know who watched this behavior occur and did nothing. But I’m talking about the people that participate, encouraged it, egged it on.”
Defendants will not only include individuals who participated but those who encouraged the assaults, anyone in the room when the alleged crimes occurred and did not try to intervene, as well as companies Buzbee accuses of profiting off of Combs’ alleged behavior, including banks, pharmaceutical companies and hotels.
“I would imagine, as we speak here, there are a myriad of people who are very nervous,” he said. “You can’t hide skeletons in the closet forever.”
Combs remains in a New York jail, awaiting trial on sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation charges.
He was charged Sept. 16 in a three-count indictment that alleges between 2008 and this year, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women and others, and led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice and other crimes.
Buzbee said they were contacted by alleged victims prior to the announcement of charges against Combs, but have been inundated since.
More than 3,285 individuals have contacted Buzbee’s firm alleging abuse by Combs, he said, stating each claim is being vetted with some having already been rejected.
Buzbee described a typical assault beginning with a victim served a drink laced with drugs, and once the concoction takes effect, “the perpetrators perform all kinds of sexual acts on the victims, many times passing him or her around as other people watch and enjoy the show.”
The victim is then left “ashamed, confused, injured and wondering what happened,” he said.
Of the 120 claimants, 55% filed reports with authorities, including police and hospitals, and Buzbee said they are in the process of collecting those medical and police records.
“We’re going to follow this evidence wherever it takes us. We will find the silent accomplices. We will expose the enablers, who enable this conduct behind closed doors. We will pursue this matter, no matter who the evidence implicates. These brave victims who have stepped forward deserve nothing less,” Buzbee said.
“The wall of silence has now been broken and victims are coming forward.”
Erica Wolff, Combs’ lawyer, said the rapper denies the allegations.
“As Mr. Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” Wolff said in a statement, NBC News reported.
“He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
