Diddy accuses former Bad Boy Records singer of “occasionally” fabricating “false claims” amid mounting legal troubles

The former Danity Kane member accused the label's founder of sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and fraud. Richard also claims in her lawsuit that she saw him brutally beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

Similar to how Sean Combs previously reacted to such allegations, his lawyer Erica Wolff once again strongly denied the allegations. His legal representative dismissed the lawsuit against the now disgraced artist and told TMZ: “Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit.”

Diddy's lawyer criticizes Dawn Richards' allegations against him

Wolff portrayed the Danity Kane singer as an opportunist, saying: “In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now constructed a series of false claims in the hope of making money – conveniently timed to coincide with the release of her album and press tour.”

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Wolff further questioned the plaintiff's morals, accusing her of saying that Richard “would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs” for the R&B trio Dirty Money if she had had “such negative experiences” during her previous engagements on the MTV show “Making the Band” in 2004 and with the girl group.

Wolff emphasized that Richard returned in 2020 for the reboot of “Making the Band” and will be featured on Diddy's fifth studio album, “The Love Album,” in 2023, and urged, “Ms. Richard has given up their 20-year friendship to try to get money from him, but Mr. Combs confidently stands by the truth and looks forward to proving it in court.”

What are the allegations in the lawsuit filed by former Danity Kane member?

Richard's lawsuit alleges that she became involved in Diddy's affairs when she began her journey as a contestant on “Making the Band.” According to her alleged experience with the mogul, Diddy referred to female contestants during auditions as “bitches,” “ugly,” “fate,” “fat,” and “ugly.”

Court documents state that Richard began to fear for her life when she recognized one of the influential producer's ex-girlfriends as a victim of his allegedly violent behavior.

In 2005, a devastated Kim Porter reportedly left a music studio, raising fears in the Danity Kane member about Diddy's intentions. Legal documents also highlight that she witnessed a drunk Diddy ruthlessly attack, choke and drag Cassie up the stairs of his Los Angeles mansion. According to the former Dirty Money member's account, Diddy also threw a flaming pan of eggs at Ventura while verbally abusing her: “I asked you for my sh*t; I can't stand you, bitch, you never do it right!”

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Eventually, the alleged cycle of abuse against Richard intensified when she and her Dirty Money bandmate Kalenna Harper advised the “Is It You” singer to leave Diddy and his toxic ways. Shortly after finding out about their relationship, Combs angrily threatened them, “You bitches don't interfere in my relationship,” adding, “Don't tell my bitch. [Cassie] what she should do… Just make money and shut up… I'm destroying artists… I'm putting careers on hold… You could be missed… You bitches want to die today.”

Sometime between 2009 and 2011, Diddy groped Richard after she entered her dressing room without any clothes on. The 41-year-old singer also accused Diddy of forcibly locking her in a car with heavily tinted windows for two hours. When she called her father for help, he eventually traveled from Baltimore to New York. Although she threatened to report the rapper to the police, Diddy told Dawn's father to “think about (his) daughter's career.”

Judge orders Sean “Diddy” Combs to pay $100 million to Michigan prisoner

Richard's lawsuit made headlines a day after the “Bad Boy for Life” was sentenced to pay $100 million in a default judgment at a hearing on Monday for the alleged sexual assault of Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith. The Michigan inmate, who is serving up to 75 years in prison for sexual abuse and kidnapping in 2008 and 2019, filed a civil lawsuit against Diddy in June over an alleged incident in 1997.

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The lawyer of the “Notorious BIG” artist, Marc Agnifilo, recently told several media outlets: “This man [Cardello-Smith] is a convicted felon and sex offender who has been convicted of 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the past 26 years. His resume now includes a prison court fraud, as Mr. Combs has never heard from him, let alone been served with a lawsuit. Mr. Combs hopes to have this conviction overturned quickly.”