p diddy yacht victorious

The Definitive Voice of Entertainment News

Subscribe for full access to The Hollywood Reporter

site categories

A timeline of sean “diddy” combs’ recent legal troubles, from cassie’s lawsuit to his arrest.

A complaint from the rap and fashion mogul's ex-girlfriend began the slow unraveling of the high-flying life of the iconic figure of the 1990s and beyond.

By Kevin Dolak

Kevin Dolak

• Share on Facebook
• Share to Flipboard
• Send an Email
• Show additional share options
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Pinterest
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Tumblr
• Share on Whats App
• Print the Article
• Post a Comment

Related Stories

Diddy's defender: how his legal team will fight sex trafficking, racketeering charges, former rapper shyne says sean "diddy" combs "destroyed my life" over nightclub shooting.

Combs entered a not guilty plea on these charges and, in a statement after his arrest, his attorney Marc Agnifilo said the U.S. Attorney’s Office is pursuing an “unjust prosecution,” adding that Combs has cooperated in the investigation. 

“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community,” Agnifilo, a former federal and state prosecutor, said. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.”

Here is a look at the accusations that have emerged over the past 10 months involving Combs.

Nov. 16, 2023: Cassandra Ventura, also known as the singer Cassie, filed a legal complaint alleging years of sexual abuse, harassment and rape during the relationship she entered in with Combs and remained in for years. Cassie also alleged in the suit that Combs made a threat to blow up Kid Cudi’s car; later, the rapper’s car exploded and Cudi confirmed the version of events detailed in her suit. Her case was filed under New York’s Adult Survivors Act and just one day after it was filed, the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.

Dec. 6, 2023: Combs is accused of involvement in a gang rape in 2003 where he allegedly drugged the accuser, who was 17 years old at the time; two other men have been accused in the alleged assault, which the alleged victim says took place in a recording studio in 2003. The backlash against Combs after this accusation is palpable and he steps down as chairman of Revolt TV ; several brands also decide to cut ties with his business​. Combs takes to Instagram and denies all the allegations in the lawsuits he now was drowning in: “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” he wrote. “I will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth.” Feb. 26, 2024: The famous Lil’ Rod lawsuit drops , accusing Combs of sexual assault and forcing the upstart producer to engage with prostitutes, ingest drugs and engage in various uncouth activities. The complaint details elements of Rodney “Lil’ Rod” Jones’ 14-month odyssey living and working with Combs; in the complaint, the 38-year-old says he was sexually assaulted, allegedly forced by Combs to engage in sex acts, made to solicit sex workers, drugged, humiliated and repeatedly groped — and in what his attorneys say is the real motivation behind the suit, Jones alleges he was stiffed by Diddy for his work on the mogul’s 2023 album. Combs’ legal team cries foul on all of the details of the suit, calling them “pure fiction” and denying Jones completed the work he claims he produced for 2023’s Grammy-nominated The Love Album: Off the Grid .

April 4, 2024: A lawsuit implicated Christian Combs, the rap mogul’s son, in a sexual assault that allegedly involved a staff member on a yacht that had been chartered by the beleaguered rapper. In the suit, Combs is accused of facilitating the environment that allowed the assault to take place.

April 26, 2024: At this point, Combs’ legal team goes on the offensive when they file motions to dismiss key elements of the lawsuits. Their argument? Some of the claims, like those relating to revenge porn and human trafficking, were not illegal in 1991, which is when they allegedly occurred​. This specifically relates to Dickerson’s lawsuit, which involved footage of the alleged rape being circulated. In the filing, they also slam the “numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations” made.

May 10, 2024 : Combs’ legal team again pushes back on claims against their client, this time alleging the lawsuit from the Detroit woman alleging Combs raped her with two others in a studio in 2003 was filed too late and that the claims around Combs’ alleged behavior are “false and hideous.”

June 9-10, 2024: Howard University revokes an honorary degree it handed to Combs; the rapper returns a key to New York City at the request of Mayor Eric Adams.

June 10, 2024: Longtime rap game rival of Combs, Suge Knight, who ran Death Row Records on the West Coast while Diddy was at the helm of Bad Boy, dropped a theory from prison that the mogul is working with the FBI as an informant. This is why, Knight claimed, Combs had been able to act as he did with impunity. “It shouldn’t be a gray area when it comes to doing something right, doing something positive, or doing something for the community,” Knight said on an episode of his Collect Call with Suge Knight podcast. “That being said, naturally, Puffy has been an FBI informant forever, as they would say. That’s why it’s different when it comes to him.”

Aug. 26, 2024: Combs’ attorneys issue a motion to dismiss Lil Rod’s explosive case , saying that his accusations were exaggerated and some even fabricated. They accused Jones of aiming only to exploit his fame for media attention and a potentially large settlement​. They also mention that his initial gripe with Combs had to do with nonpayment and that it was only when he teamed up with his attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, that he began to make the salacious claims in his complaint, which includes the assertion that Combs was using kompromat as leverage to gain power and control over others.

Sept. 11, 2024: Singer Dawn Richard filed what is now the 10th lawsuit against Combs since the cascade of litigation began in November. In 2003, Richard formed the girl group Danity Kane, which Combs mentored as part of his role in MTV’s Making the Band . She alleges that Combs, as they worked together, subjected her to years of psychological and physical abuse, which included groping. 

Sept. 15, 2024: Combs had returned to New York in anticipation of his arrest. He was spotted around Manhattan multiple times and reports indicate the beleaguered near-billionaire seemed to be in good spirits. On the Sunday before he was taken into custody, Combs was spotted mingling among fans in Central Park and is seen in a photo obtained by News Nation sitting on a bench with his attorney; that night, he was photographed walking around town with his son, Christian Combs.</p>

Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested in Manhattan and an indictment , unsealed the following day, accuses the fallen mogul of crimes related to an alleged decades-long pattern of physical and sexual violence against women. Federal prosecutors charged him with sex trafficking and racketeering for directing a vast criminal enterprise through which he assaulted and trafficked women with the help of his various businesses from at least 2008. He pleaded not guilty and fought for a $60 million bond, but the judge decided he would be detained until his trial. 

THR Newsletters

Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day

More from The Hollywood Reporter

How ‘am i racist’ scored the top political doc opening in 20 years by duping dei gurus, sean “diddy” combs arrest video shows mogul leaving new york building in handcuffs, bobby brown presents usher with humanitarian award in full-circle moment at bmac gala, diddy’s defender: how his legal team will fight sex trafficking, racketeering charges, a friend in need: why matthew perry couldn’t make it, welcome to p1harmony’s second chapter.

Live Coverage

Sean Combs’ son Christian accused of sexual assault on yacht that Diddy chartered

• Copy Link URL Copied!

This story contains a description of an alleged sexual assault.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been named in another civil lawsuit, this time by a woman alleging that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted her aboard a superyacht the Bad Boy Entertainment co-founder chartered in late 2022.

But the Combs team dismissed it as “just another lewd and meritless claim” by the woman’s attorney, Tyrone A. Blackburn, that is “filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts” they say they have come to expect from the New York-based lawyer.

In the new lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Grace O’Marcaigh added her name to the list of people accusing the embattled business mogul of wrongdoing while he faces a federal probe into sex-trafficking allegations. O’Marcaigh, who worked as a steward on the Victorious ship, alleged that 26-year-old rapper Christian Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her in late December 2022 aboard the charter boat, which Diddy “sold as a wholesome family excursion” but allegedly devolved into a “hedonistic environment.”

O’Marcaigh, who was 25 around the time of the alleged incident, provided dinner and drink service on the yacht from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The bartender also said she witnessed partying and drug use between a “constant rotation of suspected sex workers and other A-List celebrities,” according to the filing reviewed by The Times.

Entertainment & Arts

What to know about the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrest, lawsuits, raids

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested in New York after a grand jury indictment. Combs is facing multiple lawsuits and is the subject of a sweeping sex trafficking probe.

Sept. 19, 2024

O’Marcaigh is accusing Christian Combs, one of Diddy’s children with the late model Kim Porter , of sexual assault, sexual harassment and infliction of emotional distress in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Diddy, 54, who is named as a co-defendant, is being sued for premises liability as the person who leased the yacht and “had full control of the staff and premises” and for aiding and abetting his son in the alleged assault. O’Marcaigh accused him of orchestrating a “subsequent coverup” of her alleged assault that ultimately resulted in her termination in May 2023.

She claimed that Diddy allowed “unwanted exposure to unlawful drug use, sex work, and general chaos” and “created an extremely hazardous environment” in which staff was often “treated with disrespect, suspected sex workers were sprawled out unconscious about the yacht, and it was difficult to distinguish which bottles of alcohol were laced with drugs and which bottles were not.” She described women aboard the yacht “falling over themselves, panicking, or passing out” after one shot of tequila or one mixed drink, which she believed were “likely laced with drugs.”

The complaint was filed by Blackburn, the lawyer who is also representing Diddy’s former “Love” album producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones in a sexual harassment and assault case brought against the Grammy Award winner, his son Justin “Dior” Combs, Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and other members of Diddy’s inner circle . (O’Marcaigh, in her complaint, described Jones as “an extended member of the service staff” who spent time with her at the service bar and piano room on the yacht.)

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex slams feds, posts dramatic video of L.A. raid where his sons were detained

Misa Hylton, mother of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ son Justin Dior Combs, accused federal agents of racism when they detained him at his father’s L.A. mansion.

April 2, 2024

She also made several other allegations about illicit behavior by Diddy and Gooding, whom she said she witnessed “inappropriately touching” Jones, as was alleged in Jones’ lawsuit.

“Like father, like son,” Blackburn said in a statement to NBC News , which first reported on the new lawsuit. “It gives us no joy or pleasure in filing this suit against Christian Combs, who has clearly adopted his father’s pattern and practice of depravity.”

“As long as sexual harassment and assault continues to happen, and as long as people out there still think it is even slightly okay, or can get away with it because of their celebrity, then everyone is still in danger of this happening to them,” added Blackburn’s fellow filing attorney Tyrone S. Diggs. “I am here to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves and I applaud Grace for being so brave to come forward with her truth. “

However, the Combs team kept its focus squarely on Blackburn.

“This is just another lewd and meritless claim from Tyrone Blackburn — just like what he filed in the Rodney Jones lawsuit, which he still has not served,” said attorney Aaron Dyer, who represents both Sean and Christian Combs.

“This is exactly why the federal judge in New York slapped [Blackburn] two days ago for a ‘pattern of behavior’ in ‘improperly [filing] cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly,’ ” he added, “and why he was referred to the disciplinary committee in the Southern District of New York. We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim.”

In the past, Diddy has denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the lawsuits. Four women, including ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura , have sued him since last November, alleging sexual assault.

O’Marcaigh, who is described in court documents as “a European Caucasian female who worked as a Stewardess in the Yachting Industry since 2018,” said she planned to work the entirety of her career in hospitality and the yachting industry but, as stated in her complaint, “those plans have been derailed due to the trauma [she] continues to have as a result of the assault.”

Behind the calamitous fall of hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

In the wake of multiple lawsuits filed against him, former members of Combs’ inner circle told The Times that his alleged misconduct against women goes back decades.

Dec. 13, 2023

On or around Dec. 28, 2022 — days before Diddy hosted a star-studded New Year’s Eve party aboard the ship , which was at sea — O’Marcaigh said that she worked the late shift on the yacht when Christian Combs, who usually stayed at a nearby villa on shore, came aboard “heavily intoxicated” from what O’Marcaigh believed was “a mixture of narcotics and alcohol.”

While she was serving drinks in the studio, where Jones also was present that night, Christian was being “particularly attentive with her, which she considered very inappropriate.” Christian then insisted that O’Marcaigh take a shot of tequila, which she believed he had spiked. She said in the filing that she “felt comfortable” knowing that Mr. Jones was present and “didn’t think anything more of it,” assuming she could return to her work elsewhere on the yacht after the drink. But when she took the shot, she said, the “mood changed” and things “became sinister.”

O’Marcaigh described Christian violently grabbing her arm and hurting her as he insisted that she take another shot. After that, “the situation escalated” and she described being physically assaulted by Christian, whom she alleged touched her legs, breasts, anus and vagina, and who also tried to kiss her on the neck, face and hands.

She said the timeline then became “very blurry and vague.”

But because O’Marcaigh said Diddy insisted on “Mr. Jones recording everything,” Lil Rod obtained an audio recording of the alleged incident. The recording was submitted as an exhibit in O’Marcaigh’s case.

In a transcript of the recording that was included in the complaint to describe the alleged incident, O’Marcaigh tries to leave but Christian does not let her. She tells him not to touch her legs or backside.

After she left, the complaint said, Christian later found her, refused to go back to shore and “demanded that she find him a place to sleep on the yacht.”

A timeline of allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

Hip-hop mogul and entrepreneur Diddy has been accused of physical and sexual violence dating back to 1990. Here’s a timeline of the allegations.

May 21, 2024

O’Marcaigh went with him to the cinema, which was commonly used as an extra sleeping area, and he allegedly blocked her from exiting. She described Christian getting “physical and extremely aggressive,” cornering her and allegedly groping her despite her pushing back. He allegedly removed his clothes, exposed his erect penis and physically tried to force her to perform oral sex on him. She began fighting him, and then one of her colleagues entered the cinema, startling Christian. O’Marcaigh was able to leave.

She said she was “seriously bruised as a result of the attack,” that she did not consent to any of the sexual assault or misconduct, and that she was drugged and intoxicated by Christian. Images of her bruising were also included in the complaint.

O’Marcaigh said she complained to the yacht captain the next morning but alleged that he “berated [her and] lacked compassion or concern, failed to investigate, and insisted that [she] was probably voluntarily partying with the guests.” (She said she was not.)

After the incident, O’Marcaigh said, she was assigned to work the “front of the house,” which required her to personally serve Christian Combs while he was aboard the yacht. She also alleged that the captain “received a generous tip” from Diddy to keep him “quiet and from protecting [O’Marcaigh] or taking action on her behalf.”

She alleged that Diddy “fostered and encouraged an environment of debauchery” and “did not have any safeguards in place to ensure there was no excessive drug use, no excessive drinking, and no importation of purported sex workers.”

Where is Diddy? Sean Combs remains in U.S. amid widening sex trafficking probe, sources say

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs remains in the United States and vows to fight sex trafficking allegations, sources close to the music legend said.

March 27, 2024

“He intentionally created an unsafe environment that gave license to [Christian Combs] and his friends to believe that he was free to sexually assault [O’Marcaigh]” and allowed him and his friends “to behave carelessly, as they observed and mimicked his actions.”

O’Marcaigh said that the alleged assault deeply impacted her mental health, as well as her professional and personal life. She alleged that as a result of the alleged attack, her mental health deteriorated, she experienced anxiety and panic attacks and had severe suicidal ideations, the lawsuit said. She claimed the emotional strain also affected her physical health and that she developed an eating disorder and epileptic seizures after the incident.

In an unrelated action, Blackburn was chastised in a Wednesday court filing by New York Judge Denise Cote and referred to the grievance committee for the Southern District of New York after receiving repeated admonishments from another judge in a separate case. The attorney, known for his cases against celebrities, has brought lawsuits against rappers Nicki Minaj, T.I. and his wife Tiny, and comedian Tiffany Haddish.

Diggs said of the new lawsuit, “This case, just like others, should be viewed on the merits and not against other attorneys as a means of distraction.”

More to Read

Opinion: What’s different about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ indictment compared with those of other alleged abusers?

Sept. 20, 2024

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs placed on suicide watch at N.Y. jail; sources call it routine

A wall of secrets may crumble as feds call out enablers of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ alleged sex crimes

The biggest entertainment stories

Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

Nardine Saad covers breaking entertainment news, trending culture topics, celebrities and their kin for the Fast Break Desk at the Los Angeles Times. She joined The Times in 2010 as a MetPro trainee and has reported from homicide scenes, flooded canyons, red carpet premieres and award shows.

More From the Los Angeles Times

In a year of great pop music, Katy Perry’s latest is pop trash

Ex-Bad Boy Records rapper Shyne says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ‘destroyed my life’ as mogul awaits trial

Meet the 8 Noche de Cumbia acts bringing the tropics to Hollywood

4 new broadcast dramas, reviewed: Our critic on which shows are worth your time

Most read in entertainment & arts.

Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, faces lawsuit over her new children’s book

Don’t have time for a ‘WandaVision’ rewatch? What you need to know for ‘Agatha All Along’

Sept. 18, 2024

Michaela DePrince, resilient ballerina who worked with Beyoncé and Madonna, dies at 29

Sept. 16, 2024

Meet the makeup wizard who transformed Sebastian Stan into ‘A Different Man’

site categories

Diddy’s downfall: a timeline of heinous accusations and actions against sean combs.

Cassie Ventura's November 2023 lawsuit sparked a movement against the Hip-Hop mogul.

By DeMicia Inman

DeMicia Inman

Staff Writer, News

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Print this article
• Share this article on Print

Warning: The following article contains triggering language, photos and/or videos related to domestic violence.

A disturbing video showing Sean “ Diddy ” Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura was released last Friday (May 17), validating violent claims made by the singer in a November 2023 lawsuit. The groundbreaking action made by Ventura sparked a storm of stories detailing alleged disturbing behavior from Combs.

The 54-year-old, who founded Bad Boy Entertainment after being fired from Uptown in 1993, allegedly used his money, power, and fame to enable activities that have led to a Homeland Security raid on his properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation in March 2024.

As portrayed in the multiple lawsuits, rumors, and recollections, Combs’ evolution from Puffy, to Puff Daddy, to P. Diddy, to Diddy, and landing on Love, was largely at the expense of others’ safety. The Harlem native’s rise to becoming one of the music industry’s most successful figures allegedly included decades of overlooked, ignored, and dismissed criminal activity.

Since Ventura’s initial filing, multiple alleged victims have come forward with allegations against the Hip-Hop mogul, accusing him of rape, assault, and other egregious behavior. Although he issued a statement regarding the shocking video footage calling his kicking and punching of Ventura “inexcusable,” Combs has remained adamant in clearing his name.

“LET ME BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR,” he continued. “I DID NOT DO ANY OF THE AWFUL THINGS BEING ALLEGED. I WILL FIGHT FOR MY NAME, MY FAMILY AND FOR THE TRUTH. SEAN DIDDY COMBS,” exclaimed a statement issued in December 2023 , after an alleged fourth victim came forward with their story.

Read below for a timeline of the fall of Sean Combs ‘ empire since November 2023.

November 2023: Cassie Ventura Lawsuit

On Nov. 16, 2023, Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against Sean Combs , accusing him of repeated physical abuse for over a decade, sex trafficking, sexual battery, sexual assault, and violations of New York City’s gender-motivated violence law. The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan Federal District Court under New York State’s Adult Survivors Act, which allows victims to file civil suits against their alleged abusers after the statute of limitations has expired. The one-year window to bring cases to court expired later that month.

Ventura, who met Combs when he was 37 years old in 2005 at the age of 19, claims he immediately began a “pattern of control and abuse,” alleging he manipulated her with drugs like ecstasy and ketamine, assaulted her, and forced her to sleep with several male prostitutes as he watched, masturbated, and recorded the encounters.

“He signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records, and within a few years, lured Ms. Ventura into an ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle, and into a romantic relationship with him — her boss, one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry, and a vicious, cruel, and controlling man nearly two decades her senior,” detailed the filing.

“Mr. Combs asserted complete control over Ms. Ventura’s personal and professional life, thereby ensuring her inability to escape his hold. He provided unprecedented avenues for success for the aspiring artist, but in return, demanded obedience, loyalty, and silence.

The lawsuit was settled on Nov. 18, 2023, for an undisclosed amount.

“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support,” said Ventura in a statement at the time.

November 2023: Joi Dickerson-Neal

Shortly after Cassie Ventura ‘s groundbreaking lawsuit, additional women took legal action against Sean Combs . In November 2023, VIBE reported he was served with two additional lawsuits accusing him of similar behavior. On the Thanksgiving holiday of last year, Joi Dickerson-Neal claimed Combs drugged and assaulted her while she attended Syracuse University in 1991. Dickerson-Neal alleges that during a dinner date, Combs slipped a drug into her drink while she went to the bathroom, and pressured her to smoke a “blunt” as they left the restaurant.

Her story continues to detail allegations that Combs sexually assaulted her, recorded it, and showed the footage to multiple people.

“This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head,” detailed a statement from a spokesperson at the time. “Ms. Dickerson’s 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her, and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”

In April 2024 , Combs filed a motion to dismiss the claims made by Dickerson-Neal with his legal team, claiming the allegations “were brought under statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred” and that they should be “dismissed with prejudice,” targeting the claims of revenge porn and human trafficking.

November 2023: Liza Gardner

The same day Joi Dickerson-Neal made her allegations against Sean Combs public, another traumatic account was revealed. Initially reported as a Jane Doe, Liza Gardner accused Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall of assaulting both her and a friend in Hall’s New York apartment in 1990 or 1991. According to NBC News , the alleged attack happened following an event at the offices of MCA Records.

According to Gardner’s story, she and her unnamed friend, who is not named as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, met Combs and Hall at a label event. The suit details that the two men were “very flirtatious and handsy with Liza Gardner and her friend,” and requested their presence at an afterparty.

“While at Hall’s apartment, Liza Gardner was offered more drinks and was coerced into having sex with Combs,” the suit recounts. “After Combs finished doing his business, Liza Gardner laid in bed, shocked and traumatized.” The filing continues to detail, Hall allegedly “barged into the room, pinned her down, and forced Liza Gardner to have sex with him,” as she attempted to get dressed. The lawsuit claims the unnamed friend was also assaulted.

The alleged attack did not stop there. Gardner also claims that following the assault, Combs visited where the girls were staying and became “irate” and allegedly assaulted and choked Gardner until she passed out,” while allegedly looking for the friend because he feared she would tell the “girl he was with at the time.”

“The claims involving alleged misconduct against Mr. Combs from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute are all completely denied and rejected by him,” explained a statement shared by a Combs’ spokesperson in November 2023. “He recognizes this as a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for accusers who will falsify the truth, without conscience or consequence, for financial benefit.”

An updated filing detailed that at the time of the assault, Gardner was 16 years old, too young to legally consume alcohol or consent to sex. The lawsuit names Combs, Hall, MCA Music Entertainment Group, and Geffen Records as defendants. 

In May 2024, Gardner moved to relocate the trial from New York to New Jersey after allegedly obtaining new evidence.

“Plaintiff and this writer have received information from several witnesses: a former employee of UMG subsidiary Uptown Records and a Bad Boy Records executive,” relayed a letter to the judge. “This new information adds context to the Plaintiff’s claims and clarifies the timeline. The first and second witnesses have photos of Plaintiff and Defendant Aaron Hall from the day of the assault, which was taken a few hours before he raped Plaintiff.”

Winter 2023: Business Ties Severed

As the lawsuits continued to pile up against Sean Combs , his businesses were impacted by the allegations. On Nov. 28, 2023 , Combs stepped down as Chairman Of REVOLT amid the various sexual assault accusations. Ahead of the decision, journalist Dawn Montgomery has decided not to renew her contract with the network.

“While Mr. Combs has previously had no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps to ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora,” explained a statement issued by the company at the time. The decision was considered a temporary move.

By December 2023, Combs had reportedly lost 18 partnerships with brands through his Empower Global project, an e-commerce platform that focuses on uplifting Black-owned companies. Some of the brands that have cut ties include Tsuri, Nuudii System, No One Clothiers, Fulaba, and House of Takura. Additionally, a reality show set for Hulu documenting the life of Combs and his family was canceled.

In March 2024 , Combs sold his remaining stake in REVOLT TV to an anonymous buyer. After the disturbing footage of Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura was released last Friday (May 17), REVOLT issued an official statement.

“Even with his recent separation from REVOLT, it is still our duty to address this matter, and recognize the direct impact it has on our staff, our audience, and the culture we represent,” detailed a memo. “REVOLT stands in solidarity with all who have been a victim of abuse and remains committed to upholding the values and integrity our community expects from us. We vehemently stand against any form of domestic abuse, and will always be a fearless advocate for truth and accountability.”

December 2023: Jane Doe

On Dec. 6, 2023, a woman identified as Jane Doe accused Sean “ Diddy ” Combs and others of rape in a lawsuit. Her story claims that Combs,  former Bad Boy president  Harve Pierre, and a third unidentified man gang-raped her at a Manhattan recording studio in 2003 when she was only 17 years old. The allegations claim the victim was trafficked across state lines and given “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol.”

According to the lawsuit, Doe and a friend were out in Detroit when Pierre approached her, eventually taking the teenager on a private jet to New York where she was allegedly drugged, groped, and raped. The horrific recount claims Combs led the Doe to a bathroom where he raped her as she “hung over the sink,” as she slipped in and out of consciousness. Doe continued to allege Pierre then subjected her to “nonconsensual vaginal sex,” and that he finished by “violently forcing her to give him oral sex.”

The victim claims to have been transported back to Michigan, with “very limited recollection” of the return flight. The lawsuit was filed under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act, which offers a two-year window for civil claims that fall outside the statute of limitations for incidents that happened in the five boroughs. It expires on March 1, 2025.

This accusation resulted in Combs’ first public statement about the flurry of allegations. Taking to social media, Combs wrote the following in all-caps:

“FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I HAVE SAT SILENTLY AND WATCHED PEOPLE TRY TO ASSASSINATE MY CHARACTER, DESTROY MY REPUTATION AND MY LEGACY. SICKENING ACCUSATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE AGAINST ME BY INDIVIDUALS LOOKING FOR A QUICK PAYDAY.”

In February 2024 , Combs called the lawsuit “fictional” and “unconstitutional.”

“The absence of evidence materially impacts defendant’s ability to defend against essential aspects of plaintiff’s claims. Witness identification, availability, and recollections are likely compromised due to the substantial passage of time since the alleged incident,” expressed his attorney at the time, Shawn Holley.

In March 2024 , Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke agreed that the woman must make her name public in the lawsuit, claiming she failed to properly convince the courts that she should remain anonymous throughout the case. 

“While the court does not take plaintiff’s concerns lightly, the Court cannot rely on generalized, uncorroborated claims that disclosure would harm plaintiff to justify her anonymity,” the judge explained. “Although this case involves highly sensitive allegations and Doe has not publicly revealed her identity, all other factors weigh against Plaintiff’s motion should this case survive Defendants’ dispositive motions.”

In May 2024, Combs filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. Jonathan D. Davis, the attorney representing  Sean Combs , Daddy’s House Recordings, Inc., and Bad Boy Entertainment Holdings, Inc., filed the request, claiming the lawsuit was a “false and hideous claim.”

February 2024:  Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones

Update: 11:33 a.m. ET (Sept. 17, 2024) – In August 2024, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs moved to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. According to The Hollywood Reporter , the motion seeks to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint filed in February with prejudice, claiming that Jones is after unpaid income.

In an interview that same month, Lil Rod claims that he has been having suicidal thoughts, is worried he may get killed if he is seen in public, has been struggling financially , and has essentially been in hiding, without even his mother knowing where he lives.

Original Story Below …

On February 27, 2024 , Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of illegal activity and assault. The lawsuit names Combs as well as his son Justin Combs, Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, and ex-Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam as defendants in the suit. 

In the lawsuit, Jones claims that he lived and traveled with Combs for work from September 2022 to November 2023 and while on the live-in gig, he allegedly recorded hours of video and audio detailing Combs’s explicit activities. Jones’s allegations include claims that he was repeatedly sexually assaulted and subjected to nonconsensual advances by Diddy’s associates, detailing incidents that Combs groped his genitals and his anus and allegations that Combs would walk around him naked.

Jones alleged that a female cousin of Diddy’s public romantic interest at the time Yung Miami also sexually assaulted him, claiming that the woman attempted to have sex with him in front of Diddy and his staff. Additionally, the City Girls rapper is accused of transporting “pink cocaine,” a combination of ecstasy and cocaine also known as “tusi” and “tuci” for Combs. Although Jones alleged the women included in the lawsuit were minors, the ladies claimed to be over 30 years old. Others mentioned in the lawsuit include Stevie J. and Cuba Gooding Jr.

“[Jones’] reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines,” Combs’ attorney, Shawn Holley detailed in a statement. “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls… We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”

“Justin Combs categorically denies these absurd allegations. They are all lies! This is a clear example of a desperate person taking desperate measures in hopes of a payday. There will be legal consequences for ALL defamatory statements made about the Combs family,” added a representative for Justin Combs.

In April 2024, Jomes launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund his legal quest against Combs. He asked for donations totaling $50,000, and noted that he may need as much as $300K should the case go to trial. Earlier that same month, Habtemariam refuted rumors that she would be testifying in a trial against Combs.

“I am informed and believe that Mr. Blackburn has falsely represented to various social media sites and other media outlets that I agreed to ‘testify against’ Mr. Combs,” Habtemariam said. “This is completely untrue. I have no personal knowledge of any alleged wrongdoing by Mr. Combs, and there is nothing I could testify to that would be against his interest… In short, there is no basis for any of the claims asserted against me, and I should never have been named a defendant in this lawsuit.”

Last Friday (May 17), Grainge, UMG, and Motown Recordings were dismissed with prejudice. Per The Root , a sworn declaration filed in court, Jones’ lawyer Tyrone Blackburn stated the following:

“Based on my examination of all of the papers submitted in support of both motions to dismiss, which addressed the issues I had, I have concluded that there is no legal basis for the claims and allegations that were made against the UMG Defendants. As such, I have determined that the proper course of action is for all of the claims and all of the allegations to be withdrawn immediately.”

March 2024: Federal Raid On Combs' Properties

On March 25, 2024, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs’ properties in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by the United States Department of Homeland Security in connection with a sex trafficking investigation. The Los Angeles residence is reportedly registered to Bad Boys Films, a subsidiary of Bad Boy Entertainment, and is also listed under the name of one of Combs’ daughters. 

According to Homeland Security expert, Hal Kempfer, the searched evidence included “laptops, flash drives, and anything that would connect Combs with the allegations.”

In a statement following the federal action, Combs’ Attorney Aaron Dyer expressed, “Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” he detailed. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”

Following the raids, Combs’ alleged drug mule Brendan Paul was arrested on cocaine and marijuana possession charges. Local authorities were reportedly working alongside Homeland Security when the arrest was made. Paul was also named in the lawsuit by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. In April 2024 , Paul pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Per The New York Times, Brian H. Bieber, a lawyer representing Paul released a statement last week (May 16) explaining that Paul had accepted prosecutors’s offer to enter a pretrial diversion program, and afterward, prosecutors will dismiss the case. The program involves a substance abuse course and is offered to nonviolent defendants with no criminal record.

If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, are worried about a friend or loved one, or need help, contact the free, 24-hour National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

May 2024: Cassie Ventura Video Footage Released

On May 17, 2024 video footage of Sean “ Diddy ” Combs physically abusing ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel was obtained and released by CNN, highlighting shocking, violent behavior as described in Ventura’s lawsuit . The surveillance video from March 5, 2016, shows Combs hitting Ventura repeatedly. In one moment, he grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her to the floor. He also turns around and kicks Ventura again as she lies motionless.

He then drags Ventura from in front of the elevators of the hotel and into the hallway, throwing a glass vase at her.

 “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light,” explained Ventura’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor.

“Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, strangers, and those I have yet to meet,” shared Ventura in a statement . “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning… Domestic violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.” 

April 2024: Grace O’Marcaigh

Sean “ Diddy ” Combs was named in a lawsuit that accused his son Christian “King” Combs of sexual assault.

Grace O’Marcaigh claims Sean Combs chartered a private yacht where she was employed as a steward a few days before New Year’s Eve in 2022. She claims during the affair, Christian Combs gave her a shot of liquor, which she believes was spiked. She also accuses the 26-year-old of attempting to grope and kiss her, despite saying no.

Additionally, O’Marcaigh alleges Combs cornered her again and attempted to force her to perform oral sex. Photos of injuries were included in her lawsuit.

Sean Combs is accused of aiding and abetting King, and O’Marcaigh also claims to have witnessed the Bad Boys Entertainment mogul with “sex workers” and exposing himself to rapper Yung Miami during a match of her drinking card game, Caresha Please.

May 2024: April Lampros, Crystal McKinney

In May 2024, two women filed separate lawsuits against Sean “ Diddy ‘ Combs.

Crystal McKinney claims that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the mogul in the early 2000s. According to her lawsuit, she attended a Men’s Fashion Week event at Cipriani Downtown in 2003 where she met Combs. Her story alleged she was invited back to his studio, where they shared alcoholic drinks and marijuana. McKinney called the joint “very powerful” as she felt like she was “floating” after taking a hit, alleging it was laced with a narcotic.

She also claims he pressured her to follow him to the bathroom, and forced her to kiss him and perform oral sex. McKinney says she attempted to walk away and began feeling woozy, and eventually lost consciousness. She later woke up in a taxi and came to terms with the fact that she was sexually assaulted. According to McKinney, she was blackballed after the incident, which led to her feeling depressed and attempting suicide in 2004.

April Lampros claims she met Combs in the 90s when she was a student at the Fashion Institute of Technology and he became her mentor. Lampros alleges that in 1996, Diddy “ordered” her to his apartment, where she was introduced to Kim Porter, forcing the women to have sex with each other as he masturbated.

She also claims that in 2000 she met with Combs after he “kept calling her.” Reportedly, she invited him to her apartment, where she says he “kissed and touched her without consent” before she forced him to leave.

Additionally, in May 2024 a male Hip-Hop producer named Amir “Prince” Motamedi alleged “Diddy tried to blackball me because I didn’t suck his d*ck,” in a social media post.

June 2024: Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith

According to ABC News, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith filed a complaint on June 10, 2024, alleging he met Sean “ Diddy ” Combs at a party in Detroit in June 1997, where he was drugged and sexually assaulted. Cardello-Smith, who is an inmate in a Michigan prison, claims he was working as a bartender and was invited to an event where he drank with Combs and some women and they all later engaged in group sex.

In his lawsuit, Cardello-Smith alleges Combs offered him a spiked drink and he passed out. When he came back to consciousness, Combs was engaging in anal sex with a woman, telling him, “I did this to you too.” He claims to have noticed bleeding when checking himself in the bathroom.

Earlier this month, Cardello-Smith was awarded a $100 million default judgment after Combs failed to appear in court.

“This man 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 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,” detailed a statement from Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo.

Combs moved to reverse the judgment, claiming he was never made aware of the lawsuit until news of the ruling was made public.

September 2024: Dawn Richard

On Sept. 10, 2024, Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit against Sean “ Diddy ” Combs for sexual and physical abuse, as well as inhumane treatment. The former Danity Kane and Dirty Money group member alleges she was verbally abused while a competitor on the Making The Band reality show. Richard claimed that Combs allegedly called the contestants “fat,” “ugly,” “b**ches,” and “h*es,” and accused him of “manipulating” her with promises of career advancements if she agreed to his demands.

Richard also claimed to have witnessed Combs physically abuse Cassie Ventura and Kim Porter. In one instance, she alleges Usher, Ne-Yo, and record executive Jimmy Iovine were witnesses to the abuse and seemingly ignored the alleged violence.

 “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,” claimed Combs’ attorney Erica Wolff in a statement to VIBE.

September 2024: Sean Combs Arrested

On Sept. 16, 2024, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs was taken into custody by law enforcement in New York City.

“Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs , based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” United States Attorney Damian Williams wrote on X at the time. The documents, unsealed the following morning, reveal charges against Combs include racketeering conspiracy due to allegations of him running an enterprise including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, sex trafficking by force, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs attorney Marc Agnifilo claims his client knew the arrest was coming, citing his relocation from Los Angeles to New York City weeks before.

“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo added. “To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

According to NBC News , the U.S. government is seeking to recover significant financial assets, however, the court document did not specifically list any assets or amount of money.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Vibe is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Vibe Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

News expand news menu.

• Movies & TV
• Entertainment

Music Expand music menu

• Music Premieres

Features Expand features menu

• Digital Covers

Lifestyle Expand lifestyle menu

Entertainment

• Newsletters

WEATHER ALERT

3 advisories in effect for 6 regions in the area

Sean 'diddy' combs arrest and indictment: a timeline of key events.

Associated Press

FILE - Music mogul and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards, May 15, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK – Sean “Diddy” Combs is in custody after being arrested and indicted by federal authorities in New York . He is accused of operating an empire of sexual crimes dating back to at least 2008.

The major move comes 10 months after sustained public allegations of sexual and other abuse against the music mogul. His attorney says he is innocent and he has pleaded not guilty.

Recommended Videos

Here is a look at the key events that have unfolded since late last year.

November 16, 2023

Cassie says in a lawsuit that Combs subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. The R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, signed to Combs' label in 2005, and the two were on-again-off-again romantic partners for more than a decade starting in 2007. The lawsuit filed in federal court says Combs was “prone to uncontrollable rage” and subjected her to “savage” beatings. It says he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs, through his attorney, “vehemently denies” the accusations.

November 17, 2023

With staggering speed, Ventura's lawsuit is settled the day after it is filed. The terms of the agreement are kept confidential. “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably," Combs says in a statement. "I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

November 19, 2023

Combs makes multiple calls that he recorded to another victim of his sexual abuse, according to a later court filing from prosecutors, asking for her support and “friendship” and attempting to convince her that “she had willingly engaged in acts constituting sexual abuse.”

Prosecutors say the calls came at the beginning of months of attempts to coerce and bribe potential witnesses against him as allegations emerged.

November 23, 2023

Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act , a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. The lawsuits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, allege acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false.

November 28, 2023

Combs temporarily steps down as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, because of the wave of sexual abuse allegations. It would be one of several business setbacks for Combs brought on by the lawsuits.

December 6, 2023

A woman alleges in another lawsuit that in 2003 when she was 17, Combs and two other men raped her. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan says she was living in a Detroit suburb and was flown to a New York studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol that made her incapable of consenting to sex, and the men took turns raping her.

The same day, Combs posts a statement on Instagram broadly denying all the allegations in the mounting series of lawsuits. “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” the post says. "I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

February 26, 2024

A music producer files a lawsuit alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The lawsuit gives a long list of potentially illegal activities dealing with drugs and sex that the producer says he witnessed. A lawyer for Combs calls the allegations “pure fiction.”

March 25, 2024

Homeland Security Investigations serves search warrants in early morning raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in what officials tell The Associated Press is a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were handcuffed during the search, Combs' attorneys said.

March 26, 2024

Combs’ lawyer calls the raids “a gross use of military-level force” and says Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name. The attorney, Aaron Dyer, says there is "no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”

April 4, 2024

A lawsuit that names Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. An attorney for the two men calls the allegations “outrageous.”

April 26, 2024

In the first major piece of legal pushback from Combs and his team, they file a motion to dismiss several elements of Dickerson's lawsuit because they were not illegal in 1991 when the alleged incidents occurred. While the legal objections are procedural, the filing also slams the “numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations” in the lawsuit.

May 10, 2024

Combs asks a federal judge to dismiss the Dec. 6 lawsuit that alleged he and two co-defendants raped a 17-year-old girl from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Again, the objections are procedural — alleging the lawsuit was filed too late under the law — but the court document calls its claims “false and hideous.”

May 17, 2024

CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video closely mirrors an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Ventura, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to take away the video at the time.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office says it cannot prosecute Combs for the attack shown in the video due to statute of limitations, noting that no case had been presented to prosecutors. But the beating would be cited by federal prosecutors in Combs' indictment as part of conspiracy allegations, and used as a key example of his tactics.

May 19, 2024

Combs posts a video on Instagram and Facebook apologizing for the assault on Ventura. It's his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the recent stream of allegations began.

“My behavior on that video is inexcusable," Combs says. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”

June 10, 2024

At the request of New York Mayor Eric Adams, Combs returns a key to the city. Adams sent letters to Combs rescinding the honor as part of the fallout of the leak of the video of Combs beating Cassie. Adams says he was “deeply disturbed” by the video. Adams awarded Combs with the key at a ceremony in 2023.

A day earlier, Howard University announced it had rescinded an honorary degree given to Combs and disbanded a scholarship program in his name.

August 26, 2024

As part of a multi-faceted pushback against the lawsuits filed against him, Combs asks a federal judge to throw out the February lawsuit from the music producer. His lawyers say the suit was overrun with “tall tales,” “lurid theatrics,” “legally meaningless allegations” and “blatant falsehoods” whose intent is only to “generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement."

September 5, 2024

Combs travels to New York and checks into a Manhattan hotel in anticipation of an indictment and turning himself in, according to a motion later filed by his attorneys.

September 11, 2024

Diddy is sued by singer Dawn Richard in a case describing years of psychological and physical abuse, including groping, that she says she suffered as he helped launch her career. Richard, a member of the girl group Danity Kane and is well-known for appearing on the MTV reality show “Making the Band,” alleges in the suit that she witnessed Combs abuse Cassie and was afraid of the mogul.

Diddy's representatives accuse Richard of making “an attempt to rewrite history” by manufacturing “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.”

September 16, 2024

Combs is arrested on a Monday night at his Manhattan hotel after a grand jury indictment. Combs' attorney calls it was an unjust prosecution of an “imperfect person” who is “not a criminal." The attorney says Combs planned to make arrangements to turn himself in, but he was arrested first.

September 17, 2024

The indictment against Combs is unsealed. It describes him as the head of a criminal enterprise that engaged or attempted to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.

It says he “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals,” including physical violence, in order “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."

Combs appears in a federal court in New York, where he pleads not guilty. A judge orders that he be held without bail as he awaits trial.

The Associated Press doesn't typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as those named here have.

This story was first published on May 18, 2024 and was updated on Sept. 18, 2024, to correct the spelling of the first name of Casandra Ventura.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Sean Combs’ son Christian accused of sexual assault on yacht Diddy chartered

Share this story

Sean "Diddy" Combs, left, and his son, Christian "King" Combs, pose with the Global Icon award in the press room during the MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 12, 2023. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images/TNS)

LOS ANGELES — Sean “Diddy” Combs has been named in another civil lawsuit, this time by a woman alleging that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted her aboard a superyacht the Bad Boy Entertainment co-founder charted in late 2022.

But the Combs team dismissed it as “just another lewd and meritless claim” by her attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, that is “filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts” that they’ve come to expect from the New York-based lawyer.

ADVERTISING

In the lawsuit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, Grace O’Marcaigh added her name to the list of people accusing the embattled business mogul of alleged wrongdoing while he faces a federal probe into sex trafficking allegations. O’Marcaigh, who worked as a steward on the Victorious ship, alleged that the 26-year-old rapper Christian Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her in late December 2022 aboard the boat charter, which Diddy “sold as a wholesome family excursion” that devolved into a “hedonistic environment.”

O’Marcaigh, who was 25 around the time of the alleged incident, provided dinner and drink service on the yacht from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The bartender also said she witnessed partying and drug use between a “constant rotation of suspected sex workers and other A-List celebrities, according to the filing reviewed Friday by The Times.

O’Marcaigh is accusing Christian Combs, one of Diddy’s children with the late model Kim Porter, of sexual assault, sexual harassment and infliction of emotional distress in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial. Diddy, 54, who is named as a co-defendant, is being sued for premises liability as the person who leased the yacht and “had full control of the staff and premises” and for aiding and abetting his son in the alleged assault. O’Marcaigh accused him of orchestrating a “subsequent coverup” of her alleged assault that ultimately resulted in her termination in May 2023.

She claimed that Diddy allowed for “unwanted exposure to unlawful drug use, sex work, and general chaos,” adding that the mogul “created an extremely hazardous environment” in which staff was often “treated with disrespect, suspected sex workers were sprawled out unconscious about the yacht, and it was difficult to distinguish which bottles of alcohol were laced with drugs and which bottles were not.” She described women aboard the yacht “falling over themselves, panicking, or passing out” after one shot of tequila or one mixed drink that she believed was “likely laced with drugs.”

The complaint was filed by attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn, the lawyer who is also representing Diddy’s former “Love” album producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones in a bombshell sexual harassment and assault case brought against the Grammy Award winner, his son Justin “Dior” Combs, Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and other members of Diddy’s inner circle. (O’Marcaigh, in her complaint, described Jones as “an extended member of the service staff” who spent time with her at the service bar and piano room on the yacht.)

She also made several other allegations about illicit behavior by Diddy and Gooding, whom she said she witnessed “inappropriately touching” Jones, as was alleged in Jones’ lawsuit.

“Like father, like son,” Blackburn said in a statement to NBC News, which first reported on the new lawsuit.

“It gives us no joy or pleasure in filing this suit against Christian Combs who has clearly adopted his father’s pattern and practice of depravity.”

Blackburn and fellow filing attorney Rodney S. Diggs did not respond Friday to The Times’ requests for comment.

“This is just another lewd and meritless claim from Tyrone Blackburn — just like what he filed in the Rodney Jones lawsuit, which he still has not served,” said attorney Aaron Dyer, who represents both Sean and Christian Combs.

“This complaint is filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect from Blackburn. This is exactly why the federal judge in New York slapped him two days ago for a ‘pattern of behavior’ in ‘improperly [filing] cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly,’ and why he was referred to the disciplinary committee in the Southern District of New York. We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim.”

In the past, Diddy has denied wrongdoing and vowed to fight the lawsuits. Four women, including his ex Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, have sued him since last November alleging sexual assault.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• 1 Obituaries for September 20
• 2 Finally, a park for HPP? Meeting set to discuss county project; draft EA expected soon
• 3 FTC study finds ‘vast surveillance’ of social media users
• 4 Popular Dance Collective event continues to nurture local talent
• 5 Searchers find body of missing swimmer

Featured Jobs

• Entertainment

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrest and indictment: A timeline of key events

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs is in custody after being arrested and indicted by federal authorities in New York. He is accused of operating an empire of sexual crimes dating back to at least 2008.

The major move comes 10 months after sustained public allegations of sexual and other abuse against the music mogul. His attorney says he is innocent and he has pleaded not guilty.

Here is a look at the key events that have unfolded since late last year.

November 16, 2023

Cassie says in a lawsuit that Combs subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. The R&B singer whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, signed to Combs’ label in 2005, and the two were on-again-off-again romantic partners for more than a decade starting in 2007. The lawsuit filed in federal court says Combs was “prone to uncontrollable rage” and subjected her to “savage” beatings. It says he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs, through his attorney, “vehemently denies” the accusations.

November 17, 2023

With staggering speed, Ventura’s lawsuit is settled the day after it is filed. The terms of the agreement are kept confidential. “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably,” Combs says in a statement. “I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

November 19, 2023

Combs makes multiple calls that he recorded to another victim of his sexual abuse, according to a later court filing from prosecutors, asking for her support and “friendship” and attempting to convince her that “she had willingly engaged in acts constituting sexual abuse.”

Prosecutors say the calls came at the beginning of months of attempts to coerce and bribe potential witnesses against him as allegations emerged.

November 23, 2023

Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. The lawsuits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, allege acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community. Combs’ attorneys call the allegations false.

November 28, 2023

Combs temporarily steps down as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, because of the wave of sexual abuse allegations. It would be one of several business setbacks for Combs brought on by the lawsuits.

December 6, 2023

A woman alleges in another lawsuit that in 2003 when she was 17, Combs and two other men raped her. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan says she was living in a Detroit suburb and was flown to a New York studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol that made her incapable of consenting to sex, and the men took turns raping her.

The same day, Combs posts a statement on Instagram broadly denying all the allegations in the mounting series of lawsuits. “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” the post says. “I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

February 26, 2024

A music producer files a lawsuit alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The lawsuit gives a long list of potentially illegal activities dealing with drugs and sex that the producer says he witnessed. A lawyer for Combs calls the allegations “pure fiction.”

March 25, 2024

Homeland Security Investigations serves search warrants in early morning raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in what officials tell The Associated Press is a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were handcuffed during the search, Combs’ attorneys said.

March 26, 2024

Combs’ lawyer calls the raids “a gross use of military-level force” and says Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name. The attorney, Aaron Dyer, says there is “no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”

April 4, 2024

A lawsuit that names Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. An attorney for the two men calls the allegations “outrageous.”

April 26, 2024

In the first major piece of legal pushback from Combs and his team, they file a motion to dismiss several elements of Dickerson’s lawsuit because they were not illegal in 1991 when the alleged incidents occurred. While the legal objections are procedural, the filing also slams the “numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations” in the lawsuit.

May 10, 2024

Combs asks a federal judge to dismiss the Dec. 6 lawsuit that alleged he and two co-defendants raped a 17-year-old girl from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Again, the objections are procedural — alleging the lawsuit was filed too late under the law — but the court document calls its claims “false and hideous.”

May 17, 2024

CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video closely mirrors an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Ventura, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to take away the video at the time.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office says it cannot prosecute Combs for the attack shown in the video due to statute of limitations, noting that no case had been presented to prosecutors. But the beating would be cited by federal prosecutors in Combs’ indictment as part of conspiracy allegations, and used as a key example of his tactics.

May 19, 2024

Combs posts a video on Instagram and Facebook apologizing for the assault on Ventura. It’s his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the recent stream of allegations began.

“My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” Combs says. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”

Most Read Entertainment Stories

• How this Seattle family used art to keep their Central District home
• JD Souther, who helped write ‘New Kid in Town,’ ‘Heartache Tonight’ and other Eagles hits, has died
• 12 things to do in the Seattle area this weekend
• ‘Wolfs’ review: Brad Pitt-George Clooney crime comedy is no ‘Ocean’s 11’ WATCH
• ‘Agatha All Along’ review: ‘WandaVision’ sequel lacks the same spark WATCH

June 10, 2024

At the request of New York Mayor Eric Adams, Combs returns a key to the city. Adams sent letters to Combs rescinding the honor as part of the fallout of the leak of the video of Combs beating Cassie. Adams says he was “deeply disturbed” by the video. Adams awarded Combs with the key at a ceremony in 2023.

A day earlier, Howard University announced it had rescinded an honorary degree given to Combs and disbanded a scholarship program in his name.

August 26, 2024

As part of a multi-faceted pushback against the lawsuits filed against him, Combs asks a federal judge to throw out the February lawsuit from the music producer. His lawyers say the suit was overrun with “tall tales,” “lurid theatrics,” “legally meaningless allegations” and “blatant falsehoods” whose intent is only to “generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement.”

September 5, 2024

Combs travels to New York and checks into a Manhattan hotel in anticipation of an indictment and turning himself in, according to a motion later filed by his attorneys.

September 11, 2024

Diddy is sued by singer Dawn Richard in a case describing years of psychological and physical abuse, including groping, that she says she suffered as he helped launch her career. Richard, a member of the girl group Danity Kane and is well-known for appearing on the MTV reality show “Making the Band,” alleges in the suit that she witnessed Combs abuse Cassie and was afraid of the mogul.

Diddy’s representatives accuse Richard of making “an attempt to rewrite history” by manufacturing “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.”

September 16, 2024

Combs is arrested on a Monday night at his Manhattan hotel after a grand jury indictment. Combs’ attorney calls it was an unjust prosecution of an “imperfect person” who is “not a criminal.” The attorney says Combs planned to make arrangements to turn himself in, but he was arrested first.

September 17, 2024

The indictment against Combs is unsealed. It describes him as the head of a criminal enterprise that engaged or attempted to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.

It says he “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals,” including physical violence, in order “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”

Combs appears in a federal court in New York, where he pleads not guilty. A judge orders that he be held without bail as he awaits trial.

The Associated Press doesn’t typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as those named here have.

This story was first published on May 18, 2024 and was updated on Sept. 18, 2024, to correct the spelling of the first name of Casandra Ventura.

Crime and Courts

Sean ‘diddy' combs arrest and abuse allegations: a timeline of key events, here is a look at the key events that have unfolded since late last year, by the associated press • published september 17, 2024 • updated on september 17, 2024 at 8:41 am.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been  arrested by federal authorities in New York  after a grand jury indictment, which prosecutors plan to ask a judge to unseal. The major move comes 10 months after allegations of sexual and other abuse against the music mogul, and an announcement from prosecutors that he was being investigated for sex trafficking.

Here is a look at the key events that have unfolded since late last year.

November 16, 2023

24/7 New York news stream: Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are

Cassie says in a lawsuit that Combs  subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, signed to Combs' label in 2005, and the two were on-again-off-again romantic partners for more than a decade starting in 2007. The lawsuit filed in federal court says Combs was “prone to uncontrollable rage” and subjected her to “savage” beatings. It says he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs, through his attorney, “vehemently denies” the accusations.

November 17, 2023

With staggering speed,  Ventura's lawsuit is settled  the day after it is filed. The terms of the agreement are kept confidential. “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably," Combs says in a statement. "I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.

November 23, 2023

NYPD releases bodycam footage of police shooting at Brooklyn subway platform

New York weather forecast: Dry weekend ahead before much needed rain next week

Two more women accuse Combs  of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the  Adult Survivors Act , a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. The lawsuits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, allege acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false.

November 28, 2023

Combs temporarily steps down  as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, because of the wave of sexual abuse allegations. It would be one of several business setbacks for Combs brought on by the lawsuits.

December 6, 2023

A woman alleges in another lawsuit  that in 2003 when she was 17, Combs and two other men raped her. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan says she was living in a Detroit suburb and was flown to a New York studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol that made her incapable of consenting to sex, and the men took turns raping her.

The same day, Combs posts a statement on Instagram broadly denying all the allegations in the mounting series of lawsuits. “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” the post says. "I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

February 26, 2024

A music producer files a lawsuit  alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The lawsuit gives a long list of potentially illegal activities dealing with drugs and sex that the producer says he witnessed. A lawyer for Combs calls the allegations “pure fiction.”

March 25, 2024

Homeland Security Investigations  serves search warrants  in early morning  raids on Combs’ homes  in Los Angeles and Miami in what officials tell The Associated Press is a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were handcuffed during the search, Combs' attorneys said. Officials did not say whether the raids were prompted by the civil lawsuits, but Combs' attorneys said they believed they were.

March 26, 2024

Combs’ lawyer calls  the raids “a gross use of military-level force” and says Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name. The attorney, Aaron Dyer, says there is "no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”

April 4, 2024

A lawsuit that  names Combs as a co-defendant  alleges that his son Christian “King” Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. An attorney for the two men calls the allegations “outrageous.”

April 26, 2024

In the first major piece of legal pushback from Combs and his team, they  file a motion to dismiss several elements  of Dickerson's lawsuit because they were not illegal in 1991 when the alleged incidents occurred. While the legal objections are procedural, the filing also slams the “numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations” in the lawsuit.

May 10, 2024

Combs asks a federal judge to dismiss the Dec. 6 lawsuit  that alleged he and two co-defendants  raped a 17-year-old girl  from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Again, the objections are procedural — alleging the lawsuit was filed too late under the law — but the court document calls its claims “false and hideous.”

May 17, 2024

CNN airs video  that shows Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.  The video  closely mirrors an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Ventura, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to take away the video at the time. Combs' representatives had no immediate comment.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office says it cannot prosecute Combs for the attack shown in the video due to statute of limitation, noting that no case had been presented to prosecutors.

May 19, 2024

Combs posts a  video on Instagram  and Facebook apologizing for the assault on Ventura. It's his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the recent stream of allegations began.

“My behavior on that video is inexcusable," Combs says. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”

June 10, 2024

At the request of New York Mayor Eric Adams, Combs returns a key to the city. Adams sent letters to Combs rescinding the honor as part of the fallout of the leak of the video of Combs beating Cassie. Adams says he was “deeply disturbed” by the video. Adams awarded Combs with the  key at a ceremony  in 2023.

A day earlier,  Howard University announced it had rescinded an honorary degree  given to Combs and disbanded a scholarship program in his name.

August 26, 2024

As part of a multi-faceted pushback against the lawsuits filed against him, Combs  asks a federal judge to throw out  the February lawsuit from the music producer. His lawyers say the suit was overrun with “tall tales,” “lurid theatrics,” “legally meaningless allegations” and “blatant falsehoods” whose intent is only to “generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement."

September 11, 2024

Diddy is sued by singer Dawn Richard in a case describing years of psychological and physical abuse, including groping, that she says she suffered as he helped launch her career. Richard, a member of the girl group Danity Kane and is well-known for appearing on the MTV reality show “Making the Band,” alleges in the suit that she witnessed Combs abuse Cassie and was afraid of the mogul.

Diddy's representatives accuse Richard of making “an attempt to rewrite history” by manufacturing “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.”

September 16, 2024

Combs is arrested on a Monday night in New York after a grand jury indictment. No details on the charges were made public, but federal officials say they will ask a judge to unseal the indictment a day later. Combs' attorney calls it an unjust prosecution of an “imperfect person” who is “not a criminal."

In May, Combs apologized after a video, obtained by CNN, showed him beating his then girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

In a video apology posted to his Instagram, Combs admitted to the incident and said he took "full responsibility."

"It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that," Combs said. "I was f---ed up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses."

Combs initially denied Ventura's allegations of assault and sex trafficking which she described in a federal lawsuit  filed in November . The two settled for an undisclosed amount the following day.

At the time of Combs' admission of the assault, an attorney for Ventura, Meredith Firetog, said, "When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday."

Firetog added, “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation."

Ventura's representatives declined comment on his latest arrest.

The former music executive has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

Chloe Melas of NBC News contributed to this report.

This article tagged under:

Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrest: Timeline, indictment and what to know

Sean “ Diddy ” Combs was arrested Monday, Sept. 16, and charged with what the Justice Department called a years-long scheme to sexually abuse and exploit women, allegedly using his business empire to commit the crimes.

Combs, 54, was arrested by federal agents at a New York City hotel on an indictment charging him with a racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said.

Combs, famous for his music career, Bad Boy Records label and the MTV reality television program “Making the Band,” could face life in prison if convicted.

Combs pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges on Tuesday, Sept. 17, in federal court in Manhattan.

The indictment comes months after several civil lawsuits that began in November 2023 when Combs’ one-time girlfriend, the singer Cassie, accused him of sexually and physically assaulting her during their relationship.

In March, federal agents executed searches of Combs’ properties .

Here are the lawsuits that were filed against Combs prior to the raid. Combs has denied all of the allegations individually through statements by his representatives. And here’s the full indictment unsealed on Sept. 17:

November 2023: Cassie and two others file suit

The singer Cassie, Combs’ former romantic partner, shocked many in November when she filed a civil suit against Combs alleging that the music mogul sexually and physically abused her during the course of their relationship. She filed her case on Nov. 16 under New York state’s Adult Survivors Act, which gave adult victims of sexual violence a one-year window to file civil claims regardless of the statute of limitations.

In the suit, Cassie alleged that Combs raped her, beat her in fits of “uncontrollable rage” and exerted a “tight hold over her life.” She alleged that he would force her to engage in sex acts he called “Freak Offs” with other men, often sex workers whom he’d pay to travel with them, while he watched.

The abuse ranged from 2007 until Cassie left him in late 2018, the suit said.

Combs vehemently denied the allegations from Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura. They settled the suit a day after it was filed.

Joi Dickerson-Neal said Cassie’s lawsuit inspired her to come forward and file a suit against Combs on Nov. 23, a day before the Adult Survivors Act was set to expire.

Dickerson-Neal said that Combs drugged her, sexually assaulted her and recorded the assault without her knowledge while she was a student in 1991. She agreed to have dinner with Combs on Jan. 3, 1991, in Harlem while on winter break from Syracuse University, according to her suit.

It was there that Combs “intentionally drugged” her and then took her to a place where he was staying, the suit said. Dickerson-Neal said she “lacked the physical ability or mental capacity to fend Combs off” as he sexually assaulted her.

She later learned from a male friend that Combs had filmed the assault and showed it to other people, the suit said. Combs denied her allegations.

On the last day of eligibility under the Adult Survivors Act, Liza Gardner filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of sexually assaulting her when she was 16 years old.

Gardner alleged that in either 1990 or 1991 she and a friend met Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall at an event held by MCA Records in Manhattan. After the party, she was invited back to Hall’s apartment with Combs, the suit said, and the two offered her drinks throughout the night.

Combs then coerced her into having sex, the suit said, leaving Gardner “shocked and traumatized.” Hall barged into the room after Combs was done, pinned her down, and sexually assaulted her, according to the suit.

Hall did not return NBC News’ request for comment on the lawsuit. Combs denied Gardner’s allegations in a statement through his representative.

December 2023: Jane Doe says she was gang-raped at 17

Then in December, a Jane Doe filed a lawsuit alleging that she was gang-raped and sex-trafficked by Combs and Harve Pierre, a former longtime president of Combs’ record label. The unidentified woman said the assault happened in 2003, when she was 17 and Combs was 34.

According to the suit, she met Combs and Pierre at a lounge in Detroit and Combs convinced her to travel with them on a private jet to New York City. Before they left the lounge, the suit said, Pierre smoked crack cocaine and forced Doe to perform oral sex on him.

Doe was taken to a studio in New York City, where Combs, Pierre and a third defendant plied her with “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol,” the suit said. The three men took turns raping her in a bathroom at the studio after she was too inebriated to consent, according to the suit.

The men allegedly left her on the bathroom floor once they were done and she was flown back to Michigan, the suit said. Combs denied the assault allegations and Pierre called the suit “a tale of fiction.”

February 2024: Rodney Jones accuses Combs of ‘RICO enterprise’

In February, a man named Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones alleged in a federal suit that Combs and his associates engaged in “serious illegal activity.”

Jones worked as a producer on Combs’ latest album, but also lived and traveled with him from September 2022 to November 2023, according to his lawsuit. He alleged that during that time he was sexually harassed by Combs, pressured to engage in sexual acts, forced to procure sex workers for Combs and witnessed Combs giving drinks laced with drugs to people at parties.

The suit said that Combs required Jones to “record him constantly,” which resulted in Jones obtaining hours of footage in which Combs and his staff allegedly engaged in criminal conduct. Screenshots of video clips were included in the suit, described as being from parties in which underage girls and sex workers were present.

Jones alleged that Combs was attempting to groom him into having a sexual relationship with him. The lawsuit said that Combs sexually harassed and assaulted Jones while he lived at Combs’ homes in Florida, Los Angeles and New York, as well as on a yacht Combs rented in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Jones alleged that he and another man, Brendan Paul, were asked to travel with drugs and firearms on Combs’ behalf.

In amended filings, Jones additionally accused Combs and his son of being involved in a 2022 shooting at a Los Angeles recording studio , which both men denied.

An attorney for Combs said Jones’ “reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.”

March 2024: Combs’ homes searched by federal agents

On March 25, agents with Homeland Security Investigations raided Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami. Three sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that firearms were found at his residences, but no additional details were provided.

At the time of the raids, Combs was on his way to a scheduled trip to the Bahamas and was stopped at a Miami airport prior to departure. Officials seized his cellphones, sources said.

Dyer, one of Combs’ attorneys, issued a statement following the raids and said that Combs “was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.” He described the raid as an ambush, saying there’s been a rush to judgment based on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”

“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” Dyer said. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

Brendan Paul, 25, was arrested at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport at the same time Combs was stopped at the airport. A law enforcement source familiar with the matter confirmed that Paul is a Combs associate. It is currently unclear whether the arrest was related to the raids.

Paul was named as an employee of Combs’ in Jones’ suit, which described him as someone who acquires and distributes drugs and guns on Combs’ behalf. Combs allegedly required Paul and others he paid to carry black pouches that contained drugs such as ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana and mushrooms.

A Miami-Dade police report showed Paul was charged with possession of suspected cocaine and suspected marijuana candy, and court records show he was bonded out of custody the next day.

According to the police report, local law enforcement was with agents from Homeland Security and customs officers at the time of Paul’s arrest. The contraband items were found in Paul’s travel bags, the report said.

Paul’s attorney, Brian Bieber, told NBC News, “We do not plan on trying this case in the media — all issues will be dealt with in Court.” A woman who answered the phone at a number listed for Paul hung up on an NBC News reporter.

April 2024: Combs' son, Christian Combs, is accused of sexual assault

Grace O’Marcaigh  alleges in a lawsuit that Christian Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her while she was working on a yacht the elder Combs had chartered for a trip at the end of 2022. The suit also names Sean Combs as a defendant. The assault is alleged to have occurred days before Sean Combs hosted a New Year’s Eve yacht party with  celebrity guests . O'Marcaigh included as evidence transcriptions of audio clips — that were recorded by a producer — of her denying his advances as he gropes her. NBC News has heard two clips of audio transcribed in the suit purportedly from the night of Dec. 28, 2022, but has not verified who was recorded.

Representatives for Christian and Sean Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

May 2024: Video surfaces of 2016 assault on Cassie in hotel

Months after Cassie's civil suit was settled, CNN obtained a video that shows Combs attacking Cassie in an assault she described in the suit.

The network reported the incident was captured in a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016, and though there is no audio there are multiple angles of the hallway.

It begins with a woman identified as Cassie walking down to a bank of elevators in a hooded sweatshirt and holding what seems to be her bags in hand. Then a man, identified as Combs, is seen running down the hall wearing a towel around his waist.

Combs then walks up behind Cassie near an elevator, grabs her and throws her to the ground and kicked her twice. He then begins dragging her by her sweatshirt while she is on the ground. 

Moments later, Combs sits down in a chair and appears to pick up an object and throw it in her direction. The video does not include audio. 

Days after the video was made public, Combs issued a statement on his social media apologizing for his behavior.

He also stated that he sought therapy and rehab following the incident, which he described as one of his "darkest" times.

“My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” Combs said. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”

Meredith Firetog, an attorney for Cassie, said in a statement that Combs’ apology video was “more about himself than the many people he has hurt.”

“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday,” Firetog said. “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”

September 2024: Former Danity Kane group member sues Combs

In early September 2024, Dawn Richard, a former member the Danity Kane musical group that Combs assembled on MTV reality competition “Making the Band," sued Combs in federal court in Manhattan .

In the suit, Richard alleged Comb groped, assaulted and imprisoned her, and threatened her life when she tried to intervene in defense of Combs' then-girlfriend Cassie.

Richard stated in the suit that she tried multiple times to intervene, offered Cassie support and encouraged her to leave Combs. The suit alleged that Combs threatened Richard’s life, telling her that he had the ability to make people disappear and could “end people.”

Combs' attorney said that his client was “shocked and disappointed” by Richard’s lawsuit.

Sept. 16, 2024: Combs is arrested

On Monday, Sept. 16, Combs was arrested by federal agents on a sealed indictment, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan said.

"Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time," Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.

Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo said his client was the subject of "what we believe is an unjust prosecution." Agnifilo said that Combs is innocent and will clear his name.

"He is an imperfect person but is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges," Agnifilo said in a written statement.

"Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court," Agnifilo said.

Sept. 17, 2024: U.S. attorney alleges racketeering case against Combs

Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, at a news conference said that at least since 2008, "Combs abused, threatened and coerced victims to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."

Combs is accused in the indictment of a racketeering conspiracy, and using his business to commit crimes "including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and the obstruction of justice," Williams said.

Part of the allegations are that Combs forced victims to engage in what Combs called "Freak Offs" with male sex workers, which could last days at a time and involve drugs given to victims, Williams said. The civil lawsuit filed by Cassie also alleged "Freak Offs."

Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said they will fight the charges, and that he is innocent.

“Mr. Combs is a fighter. He’s going to fight this to the end. He’s innocent," Agnifilo said.

CORRECTION  (Sept. 18, 2024, 2:35 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the name of the record label founded by Combs. It is Bad Boy Records, not Bay Boy Records.

CORRECTION (April 2, 2024, 9:40 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misspelled the first name of one of Combs’ accusers. She is Joi Dickerson-Neal, not Joie.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Diana Dasrath is entertainment producer and senior reporter for NBC News covering all platforms.

Andrew Blankstein is an investigative reporter for NBC News. He covers the Western U.S., specializing in crime, courts and homeland security. 

• ABC7 Bay Area 24/7 live stream Watch Now
• Watch the latest ABC7 newscast here Full Story
• ABC7 proud new home of SF Chinese New Year Parade Full Story
• Track wildfires across CA with this interactive map Full Story

Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrest and abuse allegations: A timeline of key events

NEW YORK -- Sean "Diddy" Combs has been indicted on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The indictment against the music mogul was unsealed Tuesday. He had been arrested late Monday in Manhattan, roughly six months after federal authorities conducting a sex trafficking investigation raided his luxurious homes in Los Angeles and Miami.

Over the past year, Combs has been sued by people who say he subjected them to physical or sexual abuse. He has denied many of those allegations, and his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the courthouse Tuesday morning that Combs would plead not guilty.

Here is a look at the key events that have unfolded since late last year.

November 16, 2023

Cassie says in a lawsuit that Combs subjected her to years of abuse , including beatings and rape. Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, signed to Combs' label in 2005, and the two were on-again-off-again romantic partners for more than a decade starting in 2007. The lawsuit filed in federal court says Combs was "prone to uncontrollable rage" and subjected her to "savage" beatings. It says he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs, through his attorney, "vehemently denies" the accusations.

November 17, 2023

With staggering speed, Ventura's lawsuit is settled the day after it is filed. The terms of the agreement are kept confidential. "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably," Combs says in a statement. "I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love."

November 23, 2023

Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. The lawsuits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, allege acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City's hip-hop community. Combs' attorneys call the allegations false.

November 28, 2023

Combs temporarily steps down as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, because of the wave of sexual abuse allegations. It would be one of several business setbacks for Combs brought on by the lawsuits.

December 6, 2023

A woman alleges in another lawsuit that in 2003 when she was 17, Combs and two other men raped her. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan says she was living in a Detroit suburb and was flown to a New York studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol that made her incapable of consenting to sex, and the men took turns raping her.

The same day, Combs posts a statement on Instagram broadly denying all the allegations in the mounting series of lawsuits. "I did not do any of the awful things being alleged," the post says. "I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth."

February 26, 2024

A music producer files a lawsuit alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The lawsuit gives a long list of potentially illegal activities dealing with drugs and sex that the producer says he witnessed. A lawyer for Combs calls the allegations "pure fiction."

March 25, 2024

Homeland Security Investigations serves search warrants in early morning raids on Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami in what officials tell The Associated Press is a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were handcuffed during the search, Combs' attorneys said. Officials did not say whether the raids were prompted by the civil lawsuits, but Combs' attorneys said they believed they were.

March 26, 2024

Combs' lawyer calls the raids "a gross use of military-level force" and says Combs is "innocent and will continue to fight" to clear his name. The attorney, Aaron Dyer, says there is "no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated."

April 4, 2024

A lawsuit that names Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian "King" Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. An attorney for the two men calls the allegations "outrageous."

April 26, 2024

In the first major piece of legal pushback from Combs and his team, they file a motion to dismiss several elements of Dickerson's lawsuit because they were not illegal in 1991 when the alleged incidents occurred. While the legal objections are procedural, the filing also slams the "numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations" in the lawsuit.

May 10, 2024

Combs asks a federal judge to dismiss the Dec. 6 lawsuit that alleged he and two co-defendants raped a 17-year-old girl from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Again, the objections are procedural - alleging the lawsuit was filed too late under the law - but the court document calls its claims "false and hideous."

May 17, 2024

CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video closely mirrors an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Ventura, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to take away the video at the time. Combs' representatives had no immediate comment.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office says it cannot prosecute Combs for the attack shown in the video due to statute of limitation, noting that no case had been presented to prosecutors.

May 19, 2024

Combs posts a video on Instagram and Facebook apologizing for the assault on Ventura. It's his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the recent stream of allegations began.

"My behavior on that video is inexcusable," Combs says. "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry."

June 10, 2024

At the request of New York Mayor Eric Adams, Combs returns a key to the city . Adams sent letters to Combs rescinding the honor as part of the fallout of the leak of the video of Combs beating Cassie. Adams says he was "deeply disturbed" by the video. Adams awarded Combs with the key at a ceremony in 2023.

A day earlier, Howard University announced it had rescinded an honorary degree given to Combs and disbanded a scholarship program in his name.

August 26, 2024

As part of a multi-faceted pushback against the lawsuits filed against him, Combs asks a federal judge to throw out the February lawsuit from the music producer. His lawyers say the suit was overrun with "tall tales," "lurid theatrics," "legally meaningless allegations" and "blatant falsehoods" whose intent is only to "generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement."

September 11, 2024

Diddy is sued by singer Dawn Richard in a case describing years of psychological and physical abuse, including groping, that she says she suffered as he helped launch her career. Richard, a member of the girl group Danity Kane and is well-known for appearing on the MTV reality show "Making the Band," alleges in the suit that she witnessed Combs abuse Cassie and was afraid of the mogul.

Diddy's representatives accuse Richard of making "an attempt to rewrite history" by manufacturing "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."

September 16, 2024

Combs is arrested on a Monday night in New York after a grand jury indictment. No details on the charges were made public, but federal officials say they will ask a judge to unseal the indictment a day later. Combs' attorney calls it was an unjust prosecution of an "imperfect person" who is "not a criminal."

The Associated Press doesn't typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as those named here have.

Related Topics

• NEW YORK CITY
• CELEBRITY ARREST

Top Stories

Bob Lee murder: Judge blasts defense team for not following rules

• 37 minutes ago

Firefighter arrested for allegedly starting 5 North Bay fires

• 2 hours ago

Michelle Obama spotted at East Bay Costco

Squatters, taggers take over abandoned Hollywood Hills mansion

SF's Mid-Market area showing few signs of life with X now gone

Reporter placed on leave after alleged relationship with RFK Jr.

Kamala Harris seeks to tie deaths of two women to 'Trump abortion ban'

Iran hacked Trump campaign, sent info to Biden camp, FBI says