Law&Crime Sidebar - P. Diddy Accused of Molesting 16-Year-Old Boy at White Party: Lawsuit

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this Law and Crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondry Plus in the Wondery app Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Agent Nate Russo returns in Oracle 3, Murder at the Grandview, the latest installment of the gripping Audible Original series. When a reunion at an abandoned island hotel turns deadly, Russo must untangle accident from murder. But beware, something sinister lurks in the grand. views shadows. Joshua Jackson delivers a bone-chilling performance in this supernatural thriller that

Starting point is 00:00:35 will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. The wall of silence has now been broken and victims are coming forward. A Texas lawyer promised that more than 100 lawsuits were coming down the pike for Sean Diddy Combs and now he is starting to fulfill that promise. Tony Busby filed several complaints on behalf of six alleged Diddy victims on Monday, and the victim in one of those suits

Starting point is 00:01:08 says he was just 16 years old when he claims he was groped during one of Diddy's infamous white parties. We've got the latest on these new disturbing allegations of sexual assault. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber. As 54-year-old Sean Diddy, Cohn sits behind bars in Brooklyn, New York on federal sex crimes charges.

Starting point is 00:01:32 People from all over the country have been reaching out to Texas attorney Tony Busby to put their claims against the rapper on the record. Now, at the beginning of this month, Busby announced that his firm had gotten thousands of phone calls with stories of sexual assault and mistreatment, and then he vetted more than 100 cases that they believed they could take to civil court. Now, during his news conference, Busby emphasized that Combs' alleged victim pool was vast. covering different ages and genders and races and locations. You should know, in this group, it is evenly divided between males and females.

Starting point is 00:02:10 There are 60 males and 60 females who have joined us to pursue these claims as plaintiffs. In this group, 62% of American, 30% are white, and the remainder are Hispanic or Asian. The victims are from more than 25 states. The majority are from California, New York, Georgia, and Florida. Our youngest victim at the time of the occurrence was nine years old. We have an individual who was 14 years old. We have one who was 15. 25 of the 120 individuals who are plaintiffs in these cases were minors at the time of the acts complained of.

Starting point is 00:02:56 Most of these events and incidents occurred at parties, typically after parties, our album release parties, New Year's Eve parties, 4th of July parties, something they called a puppy party, a white party, although several of these events occurred at auditions. Many times, especially young people,

Starting point is 00:03:17 people wanting to break into the industry, were coerced into this type of conduct in the promise of being made a star and the promise of having Sean Combs listen to their tape or even let them read for Sean Combs. What a story, right? I'm not going to lie to you, sometimes what we cover here on Sidebar can be a lot to take in. And that's why I always like to just take a minute to talk about something else, something positive. And one of the things that I really love to tell you guys is I love to talk to you about our sponsor, Upside. This is an awesome product. So Upside is a free app that helps you get

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Starting point is 00:04:25 Now, Sean Combs is, of course, a Grammy-winning music producer, rapper behind the record label Bad Boy Entertainment, the Sean John Clothing Label. He's been a staple in entertainment and music for years. But now, anytime you mention his name, really what it comes back to is that he is an indicted defendant in New York. He's an accused sexual predator. He's been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors allege that Combs used his power, his money, his influence to force employees, commercial sex workers, even unsuspecting women to facilitate and or participate in the now infamous freakoffs, described as hours-long sex performances that were usually recorded

Starting point is 00:05:11 without the people's consent or knowledge and propelled by illegal drug use. But here's the thing. Prosecutors aren't the only ones making allegations. allegations against Combs because we know that Combs was already facing a whole slew of civil lawsuits prior to this week with a civil action that was filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassange Ventura in November of 2023. We believe that that was the lawsuit that really kicked everything into high gear, all the lawsuits, ultimately the criminal charges. And remember, Ventura claimed that during her on again, off-again relationship with Combs, he forced her to partake in these freak-offs to the point that everybody would need an IV drink.

Starting point is 00:05:49 to recover. Now, during his news conference, going back to attorney Tony Busby, he said to the public and the media, you should expect the first of more than 100 new civil lawsuits to be filed against Combs in the next 30 days. But what happened? The first six came much sooner than that. As a note, Combs has adamantly denied any and all allegations old and new. In a statement, Combs' legal team said that this is a clear attempt to get publicity. The attorney said they and Combs have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone, adult or minor, man or woman. However, in his own statement Monday, Tony Busby said,

Starting point is 00:06:34 quote, the Busby law firm, along with co-counsel AVA Law Group and New York local council Curris Law is filing six cases this week, alleging aggravated sexual assault, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against Sean Diddy Combs and those entities with whom he has been affiliated to include in one case, Macy's department store and in another married hotels. The cases are being brought for conduct that occurred over a span beginning in 1995 through 2021. All of the events occurred in New York and are being filed pursuant to the victims of gender-motivated Violence Protection Act, which we'll talk about in a minute. four of the alleged victims in these cases are male, two are female. One was 16 at the time of the

Starting point is 00:07:17 alleged occurrences. We will let the allegations and the filed complaints speak for themselves and will work to see that justice is done. We expect to be filing many more cases over the next several weeks, naming Mr. Combs and others as defendants as we continue to gather evidence and prepare the filings. Okay, so with that, we're going to be focusing on one lawsuit. We're going to be focusing on the allegations being made by the now-grown man who says that he was 16 when Combs assaulted him. He is identified only as John Doe in this lawsuit. And while there have been accusations in prior civil lawsuits that Combs engaged in inappropriate or even a legal behavior with minors to be very clear about something, his federal criminal charges do not relate to children in any way.

Starting point is 00:08:02 There is, of course, the chance that there will be a superseding indictment, meaning that prosecutors go back to the grand jury with evidence of additional crimes that may relate to minors, but we're not at that point. He's not being charged with respect to minors currently. Having said that, now let's go back to this lawsuit. Let's break it down. So the lawsuit that was filed in New York federal court begins. This case seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the sexual assault of a minor.

Starting point is 00:08:30 Let me stop right there. So compensatory damages are, yes, to compensate a plaintiff for what happened to them. to make them whole again. Punitive damages are a way to punish the defendant for really egregious conduct. So we start there. The assault, which was part of a practice that defendant Sean Combs had of grooming or attempting to groom minors, occurred at what was termed a white party at Combs' residence in New York. The conduct described herein is shockingly typical of defendant Sean Combs. Combs was aided in his abhorrent conduct over the years by many individuals and entities. Sean Combs for many years believed he was above the law.

Starting point is 00:09:09 He is not. First glance, practice, typical conduct over the years. These terms, I imagine, will not only be a theme in this lawsuit, but the other lawsuits that are filed by Tony Busby. But it is also a common theme in the prosecutor's indictment, too, that they were these alleged repeated patterns of illegal conduct by Sean Combs. Now, some of the accusations that are made against Combs in this lawsuit, they really echo some of the overt acts that prosecutors have pointed to in their effort to make the case that Combs was running a criminal enterprise. So in this lawsuit, it reads, Combs is one of the wealthiest musical artists in the world.

Starting point is 00:09:54 Behind the facade of being a three-time Grammy award winner, discovering and developing multiple famous musical artists, ranking on Forbes list of the highest pay. entertainers in the world, there existed something sinister, a dark underbelly of crime, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, bribery, and prostitution. This is almost verbatim in a way from the criminal indictment. It goes on to say that Combs is a menace to society, women, and children. While his wealth has kept him above consequence for years, Combs now faces the awesome power of the American judicial system and ultimately a jury of his peers who will be asked to punish him for the deplorable conduct described herein. Now, Combs isn't the only one that John Doe is suing in this lawsuit.

Starting point is 00:10:38 Now, the lawsuit also names Daddy's House Recordings, this is a recording studio in New York, Combs Enterprises, Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Productions, this is amongst others. And the reason is because, as they say, quote, Combs and his agents, employees, and contractors through these Combs businesses, would tell victims, this is what it takes to be famous. What are you willing to do to become a star and perform this sexual act or else to coerce the victim into performing a non-consensual sex act for the gratification of Combs and his cohorts?

Starting point is 00:11:12 Each of the Combs corporations aided and abetted Combs in committing the unlawful sexual violence against plaintiff described herein are alter egos for Combs, completely dominated by him and used for his personal interest, and to engage in the unlawful sexual violence. and wrongdoing, which harm plaintiff and others, and or serve or have served as vehicles for Combs to move, dispose of, and or insulate his assets, including connection with his criminal activities, and to avoid compensating the victims of his many crimes, including plaintiffs. So big theme there, that Combs had control over these entities. Sometimes we see these cases where corporations and business entities are trying to be held liable for the

Starting point is 00:11:51 conduct of an employee or an associate. Sometimes a defense will be a that this employee is not really an employee is not acting within the scope of their employment, that there is a separation between the company and the defendant. Here, if you're saying he's in control of all these entities and he's using these resources and assets for his benefit to perpetrate a crime, that argument becomes a lot more difficult. But going back to the lawsuit, the lawsuit then goes on to describe what happened to John Doe or what John Doe says happened to him. Mr. Combs' legendary white parties in the Hamptons were well-known. known by many, including John Doe, the kind where countless celebrities would attend.

Starting point is 00:12:30 In 1998, when John Doe was only 16 years old, he was recruited out of New York City, and indeed, while residing in New York City, received an invitation to one of Combs' parties through a mutual connection. As John Doe made his way through the crowd toward the restroom, he unexpectedly bumped into Combs. Shocked, John Doe found himself face-to-face with Combs, a titan in the music industry, standing right in front of him in his own party. took a picture with Combs at the 1998 party. Now, here's the thing. That picture is actually included in the lawsuit. John Doe, whose faces blurred out, is standing next to a smiling Sean Combs outside, clear his daylight. The lawsuit goes on to say that Combs took an interest

Starting point is 00:13:12 in John Doe and wanted to talk to him. They walked to a more private area near the portable restrooms brought in for the party. There, John Doe told Combs he was a big fan of Combs and shared his dreams of becoming a star. Combs smiled, telling him he had potential and the look. When John Doe admitted his voice was not great, Combs assured him that did not matter. Combs made clear that the only thing that mattered was having the right look for the industry, and with it, Combs could transform Doe or anybody into a star. Combs abruptly told John Doe that he needed to drop his pants.

Starting point is 00:13:47 John Doe, caught completely off guard, confusingly asked Combs to repeat himself. Combs made himself clear. He instructed John Doe to drop his pants and expose his penis so that Combs could inspect it, explaining it was a right of passage and the route to becoming a star and also as a way to prove himself. Don't you want to break into the business? Combs allegedly said.

Starting point is 00:14:10 Doe immediately felt uncomfortable, froze, and did not know what to do. Combs remained calm and stood in front of him and stretched out his hand in a cupped position out of fear, anxiety, and the imbalance power dynamic between himself and Combs, John Doe then dropped his pants and exposed his penis as Combs previously instructed. Now, that point's really important because to anybody that would say this is consensual, and by the way, when you're talking with a minor, there is no such thing as consent. But generally speaking, that power dynamic becomes a key in sexual assault cases

Starting point is 00:14:45 as well as sex trafficking cases. So that power dynamic, that fear becomes a really, really big, important factor. But what is the lawsuit claim? The lawsuit claims that Combs groped this teenager, that he sexually assaulted him. Apparently, by the way, without any concern that someone might walk nearby or see them. And by the way, when you think about that, if this were to go to trial, Combs could say, would he really do something like this in the open or anyone could observe this, this allegedly criminal behavior? the other way of looking at this, and I don't know if this would make its way into this kind

Starting point is 00:15:21 of trial. Remember what we all saw? Sean Combs in 2016, purportedly beating Cassandra Ventura in a hotel hallway while wearing a towel. If we want to talk about what's blatant and out in the open, is that not a pretty clear example of what he potentially is capable of or allegedly capable of. And by the way, he admitted that in an Instagram post, two days after that video was released by CNN, basically said it was him. So if he would beat somebody in a kind of a public area like that, is it with beyond the realm of possibility that he could do something like this? Again, very unrelated incidents, but something that I thought about as I was reading this lawsuit. Now, John Doe says that after several minutes, Combs walked away from this assault as

Starting point is 00:16:11 if nothing had happened. The complaint reads, as a result of Combs' sexual assault onto John Doe while he was a minor, John Doe experienced damages, including pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, and emotional torment. The interaction continues to humiliate and cause shame on John Doe. Because of Combs' power and notoriety, plaintiff was afraid to report what had happened. John Doe became yet another sexual assault victim of Combs through the same pattern and abuse of influence combs exercised over others previously. Now, that's important because it goes to the argument of why now. If this goes to trial and this accuser testifies, you know he's going to be grilled

Starting point is 00:16:51 about why he is coming out now to file this lawsuit. The allegation would be put forward by the defense. He's only doing this to jump on the bad wagon, that this isn't true, that he's just looking for a payday. Everybody else sued Sean Combs, why not do the same? But this assertion in this complaint suggests he was in fear. And that is a common theme for many accusers. We have seen it in a lot of different sexual assault cases, whether civil cases,

Starting point is 00:17:21 criminal cases, that people do not come forward for a variety of reasons and that can't necessarily be used against them. Sure, Sean Combs would have the opportunity to cross-examine this witness. Goes to his credibility, totally fair game. But the other way of looking at it, we have a much. different and deeper understanding of sexual assault today than maybe we did 10, 15 years ago. And remember here, the argument is, and we've seen this reflected in other lawsuits, that it took Cassandra Ventura and others to file their lawsuits,

Starting point is 00:17:51 and especially now for Combs to be locked away in pretrial detention, for these people to feel safe to come forward with their own allegations. So we will see how that shakes up. Now, the lawsuit names one cause of action, violation of New York City's victims of gender motivated violence protection act. This is important. We've talked about the GMVA before. It has been cited as a cause of action in numerous prior lawsuits against Sean Combs.

Starting point is 00:18:17 So John Doe's legal team argued why the GMVA would apply to this case. They write the requirement that the crime of violence be committed because of gender or on the basis of gender and do at least in part to be an animus based on the victim's gender is satisfied because defendant Combs forced plaintiff to engage in a sexual interaction without consent. John Doe could not effectively consent because of his age. The non-consensual sexual touching of a minor herein presented a serious risk of physical injury and, in fact, caused such injury. And by the way, there is now a look-back window to sue for these kinds of claims that would

Starting point is 00:18:54 otherwise be time-barred. People can sue under this law until February 28, 2025. That is why we are seeing a lot of these lawsuits. the way, another significant difference between this law and let's say the Adult Survivors Act in New York, which also created a look-back window to sue, but for specifically sexual assault claims, this Protection Act allows plaintiffs to recover not only damages, but also attorney's fees and costs, which can be quite significant. But what about the businesses associated with Combs?

Starting point is 00:19:25 The lawsuit says, quote, the Combs business enabled Combs to commit the crime of violence motivated by gender, by failing to, among other things, protect plaintiff from a known danger and or have sufficient policies and procedures in place to prevent sexual assault and or train their employees on identifying and preventing sexual assault. Given long-standing pattern and practice of committing sexual violence against minors who were boys, including on premises, owned and or operated by defendants, the Combs corporations had and or should have had knowledge that Combs was a danger to plaintiff and did nothing to stop Combs. The Combs corporations further enabled Combs to commit the crime of violence motivated by gender

Starting point is 00:20:06 by actively placing, maintaining, and or employing Combs in a position of power and authority, despite the fact that they knew and or should have known that Combs had a widespread and well-known practice of committing sexual assault and gender-motivated violence, including on premises owned and or operated by defendants. And as I mentioned before, we've seen this in other law, The defense would be that Combs wasn't acting within the scope of his employment. He wasn't engaged as an employee when this alleged conduct occurred. Therefore, how can you hold them liable? So we'll see again how that shakes up.

Starting point is 00:20:38 Now, as I mentioned, Tony Busby's law from filed lawsuits in behalf of six new clients on Monday. He expects many more to be on the horizon, which is, you know, not good news for one of the richest men in hip-hop. But as I said on a previous sidebar, it is possible, and we may see Sean Combs' legal teams fighting to stay or pause these civil lawsuits until the completion of the criminal case. So we'll see if that happens and we'll also see what happens with new lawsuits as they potentially come up. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us.

Starting point is 00:21:12 And as always, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. Speak to you next time. You can binge all episodes of this law and crime series ad free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

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Law&Crime Sidebar - P. Diddy Accused of Molesting 16-Year-Old Boy at White Party: Lawsuit

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