This article details sexual assault and abuse
Since November 2023, American rapper, producer, and record label owner Sean “Diddy” Combs has been in the media after ‘Long Way 2 Go’ singer and Step Up 2: The Streets star Cassandra “Cassie” Fine sued her former boss for abuse and rape that began when she was 19 years old. What has transpired since the news broke is shocking revelations and allegations against Diddy. The recent updates on Diddy’s numerous cases of abuse and assault are that former Making the Band star and former member of the American band Danity Kane, Dawn Richard, had filed a lawsuit against her former boss. She sued him for sexual abuse, brutality, and manipulation, according to court documents Us Weekl y obtained.
Richard made her debut on Making the Band Season 3 in 2005, which formed Danity Kane. Since being in the band and the reality series, Richard states in her lawsuit that Diddy promised to advance her singing career if she gave in to his demands. After wrapping Season 3, the lawsuit alleges that the abuse she suffered worsened.
The ‘Making the Band’ and Danity Kane Alum Details Abuse
In her lawsuit, Richard accuses Diddy of making her rehearse for 48 hours straight without any sleep, causing her to become dehydrated and develop rashes. The lawsuit also states that Diddy asked her to come to his house with “nothing but underwear”. Once she got there, she asked if she could put her clothes on, to which he responded by yelling, “This is my f-cking house!”. Richard then accuses Diddy of touching her inappropriately after barging into her dressing room at his recording studio and also accuses him of locking her in a car for two hours as she screams for help.
Her recent accusations corroborate Cassie’s claims of abuse, as she also states that she saw Diddy abuse Cassie. She says in the legal paperwork that she witnessed Diddy throw Cassie against the wall in Los Angeles before choking her. However, years before that, in 2005, she allegedly witnessed Diddy abuse his former and late girlfriend Kim Porter, but the lawsuit does not detail what she saw in 2005.
When she witnessed the abuse Cassie suffered, she alleges in the paperwork that he said, “I’ve been asking you for my s-t. I can’t stand you, b-tch, you never do it right!” She also claimed that she and American singer and songwriter Kalenna Harper tried to convince Cassie to leave Diddy, which he found out about during the time the incidents were happening. The legal papers accuse Diddy of threatening the pair, saying, “Y’all b-tches don’t get in my relationship. Don’t tell my b-tch 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-tches want to die today”.
Diddy’s Attorney Responds To The New Lawsuit
In response to the lawsuit and the claims Richard made against her former boss, Diddy made a statement through his attorney, Erica Wolff. Diddy expressed that Richard’s claims “shocked and disappointed” him. The statement goes on to dismiss Richard’s allegations.
“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 payday – conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour. 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”.
Richard formed Danity Kane alongside Aundrea Fimbres, D. Woods, Shannon Bex, and Audrey O’Day. They are known for their hit single ‘Damaged’, which was their second song to reach the top ten after ‘Show Stopper’. Diddy also formed a trio with Richard and Harper, Diddy – Dirty Money, which debuted in 2009 and disbanded in 2012. They were most known for their 2011 single ‘Coming Home’ featuring Skylar Grey. If you have been affected by the contents of this article, you can visit the National Mental Health Hotline for help and resources. Making the Band clips are available to stream on YouTube.
