Law&Crime Sidebar - P. Diddy Allegedly Raped 10-Year-Old Boy During Rap ‘Audition’: 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 will

Starting point is 00:00:35 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. New allegations again, Sean Diddy Combs, and these are some of the most horrific yet. A man says he was just 10 years old when the rapper allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted him during what was supposed to be an audition, sending him back to his parents crying and in pain. The latest lawsuits against the music mogul seem to reinforce previous claims made in both civil and criminal court, and we're going to break down these most recent allegations right now. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime. I'm Jesse Weber.

Starting point is 00:01:20 On Monday, Texas attorney Tony Busby's law firm filed two new lawsuits in New York State Supreme Court, alleging that music superstar Sean Diddy Combs sexually assaulted two underage boys in the early 2000s, and one of them was allegedly just 10 years old at the time, as if these allegations couldn't get worse. Now, we've been closely following the legal drama that's been stalking Sean Combs, and right now, as we know, he's locked up in the Metropolitan Detention Center out in Brooklyn. He's been denied bond twice. His attorneys, though, they plan to try for a third time to get him out of lockup as he waits for trial. He's now going to be petitioning the new judge overseeing this case, Judge Arun's Subramarian.

Starting point is 00:02:05 And we actually just learned that when it comes to where he's locked up, multiple agencies are investigating the Metropolitan Detention Center, the MDC, maybe looking into the conditions, maybe doing a sweep of contraband in the area. We did actually a whole sidebar episode dedicated to that. because the circumstances in that facility are pretty horrific. And we were wondering whether or not Sean Combs and the notoriety of his case has facilitated or has led to this investigation. We talked about it. You can check it out on our long-crime YouTube channel. It should be up there right now.

Starting point is 00:02:40 Now, as we get into these latest developments, I have to warn you. I have to give you a trigger warning here. These details are not only unimaginable, but they're horrifying. They're horrifying. They can be incredibly difficult to listen to. I got to tell you, I was reading these lawsuits, and I even winced because it's so just disgusting. It's incredibly disturbing. But look, this is a legal case now, and it's important to understand what the victims are alleging,

Starting point is 00:03:13 the legal basis for their claims, what evidence they may have to support their claims, and the impact that this could have on Sean Combs and, of course, his criminal case. So with that in mind, we're going to talk about it. Now, before we even get into the actual claims of this lawsuit, I have to give you a brief background about where we're at. So a grand jury in the Southern District of New York indicted Sean Combs on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Starting point is 00:03:43 He was arrested on September 16th. He's been, as I said, behind bars ever since after being denied bail. And prosecutors say that Combs used his money, his influence, to organize what are called freak-offs. These are essentially orgies that involved hiring male sex workers, procuring drugs, and then filming these sex acts. That he used force, fraud, coercion to get what he wanted, that he engaged in a campaign of sexual exploitation and abuse of women.

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Starting point is 00:05:13 using our link, calshy.com slash sidebar, or you can scan the QR code on screen. And if you're one of the first 500 traders who deposit $100, Kalshi will give you a free $20 credit. That's calshy.com slash sidebar. The fact that Combs now faces criminal charges in federal court, though, it hasn't stopped what has been an onslaught of civil cases against him. In fact, he is facing new allegations every single week. And we told you about Tony Busby, this Texas attorney who announced that he was going to be filing more than 100 individual civil actions against Sean Combs. And he's been true to his word. I mean, so far, Busby and his partners have filed more than a dozen of these lawsuits with many more seemingly looming on the

Starting point is 00:05:56 horizon. Combs, though, he's always denied any wrongdoing. Let's be clear about that, both in federal court and in statements released by his attorneys in response to these new civil lawsuits. He's always maintained his innocence. In a statement, a representative for Combs said, Mr. Combs and his legal team 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. And when it comes to Tony Busby, Sean Combs' team had this to say, the lawyer behind this lawsuit is interested in media attention rather than the truth, as is obvious from his constant press appearances and 1-800-number. As we've said before,

Starting point is 00:06:38 Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to. to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstratively false. And it is important to note, while Combs has settled at least one lawsuit, like the bombshell lawsuit filed by his ex Cassandra Ventura nearly a year ago that started the whole ball rolling with this legal saga, he has not admitted any culpability. While he did apologize on Instagram after the 2016 video of him purportedly beating Cassandra Ventura at a hotel hallway surface by CNN, but other than that, look, to be clear,

Starting point is 00:07:12 hasn't been found liable in any court. He hasn't been found guilty of any wrongdoing in any court. So right now, he is presumed innocent. And these are allegations. They're serious allegations, but they're allegations. But having said that, what is being put out there now in the course of these new civil lawsuits is arguably even worse than what we've heard before.

Starting point is 00:07:36 It's kind of hard to judge, but let me get into this. Because on Monday, Tony Busby and his legal partners, they filed a suit against Combs on behalf of a John Doe who lives in California. The lawsuit states, this case seeks compensatory and punitive damages for the drugging and sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy when he met defendant Sean Combs for an audition. The conduct described herein is shockingly typical of how Combs conducted himself for many years. And look, that is true. Many of the allegations from Combs' accusers say they were drugged and then they were assault.

Starting point is 00:08:11 that this is a pattern. And of course, we know when it comes to the federal charges, Combs is accused of using drugs to have people engage in those freak-off sessions. By the way, when we talk about compensatory damages, those are damages to really restore someone to hole where they were before the incident, and punitive damages are a way to punish the defendant. Okay, but back to the lawsuit. Combs isn't the only defendant named. In fact, this is very typical of a lot of lawsuits we're seeing because it's not just Combs, it's business entities. Because the plaintiff also alleges here misconduct by multiple companies that are associated with Sean Combs and his entertainment empire. This includes Combs Enterprises LLC, bad boy entertainment LLC. There are more. The complaint reads on the surface, each of these businesses served a legitimate purpose related to entertainment, music, and other subjects. But in reality, Combs by and through himself and his agents, employees, and contractors use these businesses to sexually assault, abuse, threaten, and coerce hundreds of individuals.

Starting point is 00:09:11 individuals through sexual quid pro quo schemes as well as to take advantage of individuals with impunity thinking the victims would never seek recourse. 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 sexual act for the gratification of Combs and his cohorts. Now again, that is very consistent. with the criminal racketeering charge that Combs faces, that he used his businesses to further illegal activities like sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson.

Starting point is 00:09:54 But let's talk about the specific claims from this John Doe and this lawsuit. Again, trigger warning, very difficult to listen to. But it says, quote, in 2005, plaintiff was a 10-year-old boy interested in becoming an actor and or rapper. Plaintiff lived in the Los Angeles area and used his proximity to the entertainment industry to secure several acting roles and a part in a music video. To help their son's burgeoning career, plaintiff's parents found and hired an industry consultant through an internet ad. The consultant recommended that the family visit New York City to meet with people in the music industry.

Starting point is 00:10:27 During the trip, plaintiff's consultant arranged a meeting with defendant Combs for a quote audition. Combs indicated that he wanted to meet with plaintiff alone first prior to meeting the family. The consultant, without plaintiff's parents, took plaintiff to the purported audition at a hotel in the same general vicinity as plaintiff's own hotel. The consultant brought plaintiff to Combs' room, but left him with Combs and told plaintiff that she would be back later. Plaintiff recalls other people in the room or area, but he did not know who any of the people were. So here's this claim that a consultant, I don't even know if the proper word is recruit, but facilitated. this meeting between this boy and Sean Combs, seemingly convinced the parents that it was okay for him to go alone to meet one of the most famous men in the world at the time.

Starting point is 00:11:20 And for anyone, of course, the allure of money and fame, that can be pretty mesmerizing, but especially, I would imagine, for a child, but keep that in mind, 10-year-old child here. The complaint says, quote, plaintiff performs several rap songs for Combs. Combs complimented plaintiff on his rapping and told plaintiff that he could make him a star, Combs asked plaintiff how badly he wanted to be a star and what plaintiff would do to get to be one. Plaintiff responded, as might any 10-year-old child, that he would do anything. So at this point, one of the other people present allegedly gave this boy a soda, and after he drank it, he started to feel, quote, a little funny, but he chalked it up to being maybe just so excited

Starting point is 00:12:02 about his opportunity to rap for Sean Combs. But the plaintiff now believes that that soda was drugged with either GHB, known as the date rape drug, or ecstasy, or maybe even both. And that's interesting because, again, it's not Combs accused of giving a drug drink to an alleged victim. It's one of his employees or associates or friends, people who were involved in something that likely didn't appear to be above board, and yet did it anyway. That person, though, to be clear, is not named in the complaint. The complaint says, quote, after plaintiff consumed his soda and began feeling its effects. Combs told plaintiff to move closer to him, which plaintiff did. Combs then abruptly push plaintiff down and said words to the effect of, you have to do some stuff, you don't

Starting point is 00:12:46 want to do sometimes. Now, the next part of the complaint is just incredibly graphic. I'm not going to repeat it here, but essentially John Doe claims that Combs sexually assaulted him and then he lost consciousness, 10 years old. Quote, when plaintiff awoke, he began crying immediately. Plaintiff's pants were undone, and then he says that his private areas hurt badly. Combs was still present. Plaintiff cried that he wanted to go to his mom and dad. Combs replied that if plaintiff told anyone about what had happened, he would hurt plaintiff's mom and dad badly. Upon plaintiff's return, his parents immediately noticed that he was lethargic and acting differently. Although plaintiff ultimately told his parents what happened, Plaintiff and his parents were terrified of the potential consequences of reporting the abuse.

Starting point is 00:13:33 I want to focus on that point real quick, because assuming these allegations are true, some might say, how could you not report this to the police? Your child gets attacked? I don't care who the person is. You go to the police. The other way of looking at it is, and this is a big theme that makes its way into these lawsuits and even the criminal case, is that Combs' power, his influence, his money. That scared people from coming forward. It was what led them to engage in these activities, the fear for their lives, their fear of reprisals. look, that will ultimately be up to a judge or a jury to decide regarding the credibility of this John Doe if this should make its way to trial. But I just have to call that point out. According to the complaint, John Doe has had serious behavioral and emotional issues since this alleged 2005 incident. He reportedly suffers from depression, panics easily, battles night

Starting point is 00:14:25 terrors, and he's bringing his claim against Combs as part of the New York City Victims of gender-motivated violence protection act. We've told you about this before. It's a law referenced by Combs' accusers, more specifically, the Tony Busby clients. And what this law does is it allows an alleged victim of gender-motivated violence, where it doesn't just have to be sexual assault, by the way, it can be any kind of violence, a look-back window to file a lawsuit, even if their claims would otherwise be too old. Remember, this is in 2005. So now they have until February 2025 to file lawsuits. That's one of the reasons why you're seeing so many happen right now. According to the complaint, the requirement that the crime of violence be committed

Starting point is 00:15:05 because of gender or on the basis of gender and do at least in part to an animus based on the victim's gender is satisfied because defending Combs forced plaintiff to engage in a sexual interaction without consent. Plaintiff 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. Gender animus endures when consent is absent. And the lawsuit reiterates that businesses connected to Combs could be at fault as well. It alleges the Combs businesses had knowledge and or should have had knowledge of Combs' widespread and well-known practice of committing sexual assault and gender-motivated violence,

Starting point is 00:15:45 including on premises owned and or operated by defendants and did nothing to stop it. And the plaintiff here is demanding a jury trial. Okay, so putting that horrifying lawsuit to the side, we have another one that we want to tell you about. Because, That is not the only man, claiming that Sean Combs assaulted him in the early 2000s during the height of his career. Another California John Doe filed a suit on Monday as well. According to the filing, this case seeks compensatory and punitive damages for a violent sexual assault that occurred at a Making the Band audition in New York. Now, as many of you might recall, making the band was a very popular reality show on MTV where participants lived together. They competed to become part of a new singing group.

Starting point is 00:16:27 The show created O-Town, Dan and E. Kane, a group known as the band. Being chosen to be part of the band at the end of the series, that could be life-changing. Do you remember the girl group Danney Kane? Not only they had record deals, they went on tour, but there was clothing and perfume lines. The lead singer, Aubrey O'Day, was featured on Visa debit cards at one point. So this, as you can imagine, is a huge opportunity for somebody like John Doe. His complaint says, in or around 2008, plaintiff then 17 years old participated in a a three-day audition for making the band, having seen the opportunity online and through

Starting point is 00:17:01 newspaper advertisements. During the audition process, plaintiff advanced to a stage where contestants met individually in private rooms with Combs and his bodyguard. John Doe says that on the first day of the audition, he had a one-on-one interview with Combs, and Combs allegedly asked him hypothetical questions about how he would handle situations involving sexual pressure. The plaintiff says as Combs was talking to him, he started groping the then 17-year-old and allegedly told him to undress. And John Doe even claims that during all of this, Combs allegedly pleasureed himself. And Combs reportedly emphasized that he could make or break John Doe's career. The second day featured a longer meeting. Quote, during this interview, Combs again

Starting point is 00:17:50 instructed plaintiff to undress, explaining that plaintiff needed to demonstrate the ability to embody a sex idol persona, which was purportedly required for the band's image, this encounter eventually escalated into Combs forcing the plaintiff to perform oral sex on him and Combs sodomizing the plaintiff. And here's where a brand new allegation is made. According to John Doe, Combs' bodyguard, who's unnamed in the lawsuit, was not only present during the alleged sexual assault, but also participated in the sexual assault. Quote, Plaintiff's facial expressions during this ordeal showed his discomfort and hesitation, prompting Combs to express dissatisfaction.

Starting point is 00:18:32 Combs stated that plaintiff's demeanor suggested an intention to report the incidents, and as a result, Combs said he would be keeping an eye on plaintiff. Ultimately, this led to plaintiff's elimination from the competition, as Combs claimed that plaintiff was untrustworthy due to his reservations about performing oral sex on his bodyguard. As a result of these assaults during the audition process and plaintiff's reactions to them. Plaintiff was excluded from further opportunities in the competition and was unable to return to the music industry for seven years. And this John Doe is also demanding a jury trial. Now, one final note about these Tony Busby lawsuits, aside from Sean Combs, mostly everyone else who either

Starting point is 00:19:11 participated in or facilitated this alleged abuse or allegedly did so is not identified by name in these lawsuits. Not clear why. Could be maybe Tony Busby in the the team don't know the identity of these people? Maybe they don't know the identity of the people yet. Perhaps they will be added as defendants. In fact, there's a line in the complaint that reads plaintiff reserves the right to add as defendants any individuals, including but not limited to celebrities and business entities. Or is it possible that Tony Busby and his team know who these people are, particularly celebrities, as have been listed in other lawsuits, and maybe there is an effort to try to settle the claims with them so that they are not named.

Starting point is 00:19:53 in the lawsuits. Remember, he is indicated to TMZ that this is what might be happening, that people are reaching out to settle claims so they're not named. And also, look, we do not know now if these accusers or any of the Tony Busby clients will be witnesses in Combs criminal trial. Prosecutors, they have laid out a criminal timeline from 2008 to 2024, so some of these allegations fall outside of that window. But does it necessarily mean that evidence and incidents like this couldn't come in. However, it does become a question of how expansive a criminal case prosecutors want to move forward with. I don't imagine it's going to include every allegation against Sean Combs. As of now, they seem to be really focused on the freak-offs, particularly.

Starting point is 00:20:38 But what I will say is that given what we're hearing lately, more and more claims about Sean Combs allegedly abusing minors, you do have to wonder if Combs is hit with a superseding indictment, meaning you go to the grand jury to present new evidence of new crimes. You can add additional charges, amend charges. You have to wonder whether he will be hit with charges related to minors, very similar to R. Kelly's federal case. Obviously, it would have to fit within the federal charges. The claims would have to be vetted, but I will tell you this much.

Starting point is 00:21:13 If you have federal charges related to minors, his defense radically changes. But what we do know is that these allegations, allegations against Sean Combs continue, and they are getting more and more disturbing. That's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar, everybody. Thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time.

Starting point is 00:21:51 of this long crime series, ad free right now on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Law&Crime Sidebar - P. Diddy Allegedly Raped 10-Year-Old Boy During Rap ‘Audition’: Lawsuit

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