Sean 'Diddy' Combs sued by pop singer for 'sexually abusing' her

Sean 'Diddy' Combs is currently facing another lawsuit amid his mounting legal woes as Danity Kane's Dawn Richard sued the rapper for 'terrorizing and sexually abusing' her. 

The Coming Home performer, 54 - who was recently 'ordered to pay $100 million in a sexual assault judgment' - has notably been embroiled in legal issues and sexual abuse allegations. 

Richard, 41, crossed paths with the music artist in 2004 while appearing on his MTV series, Making The Band - and became a member of the girl group, Danity Kane, on the show.

In the lawsuit, obtained by DailyMail.com, Richard claims that she was 'manipulated' by Combs on promises that he would help her music career. 

She also alleged that during the audition process for Making The Band, Sean had called female contestants various names, such as 'fat', 'ugly,' 'b****es' and also 'h***.'

In response, Erica Wolff, an attorney for Sean Diddy Combs, told DailyMail.com: 'Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.'

Read More

Sean 'Diddy' Combs 'ordered to pay $100 MILLION in sexual assault judgment'

Wolff continued: 'If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.'

Dawn claimed that Combs did not like her because of her eagerness and excitement to work alongside a big star.  

In the documents, she claimed that she was a victim of Diddy's abuse in the past, stating that she had been forced to have 48-hour rehearsals without a break. 

Due to the exhaustive practices and lack of sleep, Richard claimed that she suffered weight loss, dehydration and health issues such as rashes. 

Dawn alleged that she had also been asked to go to the rapper's home in Miami, and found him inside only wearing his underwear. 

After asking that he put clothes on, she claimed that the star denied her request and said, 'This is my f***ing house!'

Richard also claimed that Diddy's treatment towards her progressively got worse from 2009 through 2011.

In the documents, the Damaged songstress claimed that Combs had entered her dressing room located at his recording studio when she was fully undressed. She claimed that the music artist placed his hands on her breasts and buttocks. 

Dawn claimed another incident occurred when the rapper locked her in a car for two hours. She tried to get help but she claimed the windows were tinted, and eventually had to call her father. 

Richard claimed that her father traveled to New York to help his daughter and also approached Combs about his behavior. 

However, Dawn alleged that in response, the music artist responded with, 'Think about your daughter' as well as 'think about your daughter's career.'

In the lawsuit, the singer claimed that she had witnessed Combs abusing other women, such as his ex, Kim Porter. 

She alleged that back in 2005, she saw Porter leaving his recording studio in tears with injuries on her face. 

Dawn claimed that she witnessed Sean throwing his ex, Cassie, against a wall at his home in Los Angeles in 2009, followed by him 'choking her and dragging her' up stairs when he was high on drugs.

At another time, Richard alleged that she saw the rapper throw a hot pan of eggs at Cassie as he said, 'I've been asking you for my s**t; I can't stand you b***h, you never do it right!' 

Dawn claimed in the lawsuit that she and other women came to Cassie's aide and encouraged her to break up with Diddy. 

However, the music artist found out and said, per TMZ, 'Y'all b****es don't get in my relationship.' 

'Don't tell my b***h [Cassie] what she need to be doing...Just make money and shut the f**k up...I end artists...I shelve careers...You could be missing...You b***es want to die today.'

Former Danity Kane member, Aubrey O'Day, shared in June that she immediately supported Cassie after she accused her ex-boyfriend Diddy of sexual abuse, while talking to Us Weekly. 

'[I was] the first one who came out and stood for her. It was a little too silent for my liking.'

Last year in November, he settled a federal lawsuit with singer and ex, Cassie - who accused him of rape and claimed he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes. 

At the time, O'Day took to social media to share a message of solidarity to Cassie.

'I had it up within the first five minutes of seeing it because Cassie is a victim and she has an insane amount of bravery,' O'Day told the outlet.

The artist's November Instagram post read: 'Been trynna tell y'all for years. Prayers up for this queen @cassie.'

O'Day had been picked to be a part of Diddy's girl group Danity Kane on 2005's Making the Band, but she later asserted that he fired her because she 'wasn't willing to do what was expected of [her] - not talent-wise, but in other areas.'

In May, months after Cassie and Diddy resolved their legal dispute, a video from 2016 emerged, purportedly showing the rapper physically assaulting her.

Diddy issued an apology on social media, seemingly expressing remorse for his 'inexcusable' behavior, though he did not directly reference Cassie.

At the time, O'Day took to social media to call out that Diddy 'did not apologize to Cassie' but 'he apologized to the world for seeing what he did.'

Shortly after the rapper's homes were raided by Homeland Security in a sex trafficking probe, Aubrey also took to social media to share her thoughts and penned, 'What you sow, you shall reap...' 

O'Day also claimed in September of last year that Diddy recently asked her and former Danity Kane bandmates to sign NDAs.

'And me, as somebody that's a girl's girl, I hit everyone in my group and said, ‘Absolutely do not take this deal.'

Both Dawn and Aubrey are former members of Danity Kane, as well as Shannon Bex, D. Woods and Aundrea Fimbres. 

The group was formed on MTV's Making The Band under Diddy's Bad Boy Records - but since 2020, the group has been on an indefinite hiatus. 

And on Tuesday, amid Diddy's legal woes, it was revealed the rapper has been 'ordered to pay $100 million' in a default judgement over sexual assault allegations by Michigan inmate, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith.

Cardello-Smith - who is currently serving time at the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility - claimed Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted him at a party that took place 27 years earlier in 1997. 

Derrick sued Combs for $100 million, but due to the star not responding to the lawsuit and failing to attend a virtual hearing on Monday, a judge entered a default judgement against Combs that requires him to pay the $100 million, per TMZ.

Beginning next month on October 1, the disgraced music artist will have to pay Cardello-Smith in $10 million installments monthly, according to the outlet.

Derrick first crossed paths with the rapper when he was working at a restaurant in Detroit. 

In the lawsuit obtained by TMZ, Cardello-Smith claimed that both he and Combs were drinking and smoking marijuana at a 1997 party when the alleged sexual assault took place.

At one point, while performing a sexual act with one of the women at the party, Derrick claimed that the rapper placed a hand on his buttocks.

He also claimed that afterwards, he accepted a drink from Combs that had been drugged and Derrick proceeded to pass out.

Upon waking up, he noticed Diddy having sex with one of the women at the party and claimed Combs told him, 'I did this to you, too.'

The $100 million default judgement comes just one month after Cardello-Smith filed a temporary restraining order against Diddy in August, according to the Detroit Metro Times.

Derrick was able to show records that the rapper had visited him at the prison he is currently serving time at.

He alleged that Combs offered $2.3 million in order for Derrick to drop the sexual assault allegations against him.

During a hearing that took place last month in August, Cardello-Smith claimed that Diddy had told him, 'You know how we get down,' when Derrick refused to drop the lawsuit.

Derrick claimed that in response to Combs, he told the rapper, 'I disagree with how you get down.'

According to the Detroit Metro Times, the $100 million default judgement has the possibility of being the largest award to a non-attorney and individual currently serving time.

Diddy's attorney Marc Agnifilo told DailyMail.com: 'This man [Cardello-Smith] is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years.

'His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.'

And last month in August, Combs filed a motion to dismiss a $30m lawsuit filed by record producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones, who sued him for constant groping and a possible drug-induced rape. 

Also in August, former porn star Adria English accused Diddy of sex trafficking her - after filing a $50 billion civil suit against the music artist.