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Diddy faces new sexual assault allegation by sixth accuser

Music mogul and personality Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has faced continual accusations of sexual assault over the last six months, including a recent leaked CCTV video. Now, a sixth accuser has come forward.

TW: This article includes references and descriptions of sexual violence and assault. Reader discretion is advised.

Rapper and record producer Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been hit with a wave of sexual assault accusations over the past six months.

It began in November last year, when ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura alleged that Combs raped her in 2018 and subjected her to a years-long abusive relationship. This included physical abuse and ‘complete control’ of her personal and professional life.

The lawsuit was ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount, though Diddy’s lawyer stated it was ‘in no way an admission of wrongdoing’. A video recently published by CNN depicted Combs physically beating Ventura in 2016 at a hotel, solidifying her claims. He publicly apologised.

 

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Later that same month, another woman called Joei Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit claiming that Combs drugged, sexually assaulted, and secretly recorded his actions in 1991 while she was a college student.

A third accusation came in November. An anonymous woman accused Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall of raping her and a friend in either 1990 or 1991 after a meeting at an MCA Records event in New York.

In December, another sexual assault lawsuit was filed against Combs. He was accused of participating in a gang rape of an anonymous woman in 2003, when she was 17.

Producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ James sued Combs in February of this year.

He claimed that Combs subjected him to ‘unwanted advances by associates’ and was forced to engage in relations with sex workers that Combs had hired. Jones also said that regular ‘sex-trafficking parties’ with underage women and illegal drugs were hosted by Combs.

In March, Combs’ homes in LA and Miami were raided for undisclosed reasons by Homeland Security Investigation agents. As of now, Combs hasn’t been charged or accused of crimes by federal prosecutors.

Now, another allegation has been brought forward.

This time, model Crystal McKinney has accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2003. She says she was invited to his New York studio, where she was given alcohol and marijuana until she was intoxicated. She says she was then forced to perform oral sex.

In her lawsuit, McKinney says that the ensuing fallout from the incident led her to become ‘blackballed’ in the modelling industry, causing her to spiral and eventually attempt to commit suicide.

In a statement, she said that she filed the lawsuit to seek ‘justice for herself and for any of Comb’s other victims’.

Combs and his ongoing accusations are very reminiscent of other industries and individuals in recent years. R Kelly, for example, was sentenced to thirty years in prison after a surge of child sexual abuse allegations.

Harvey Weinstein and Jeffery Epstein also faced similar, industry-wide accusations of sexual misconduct, abuse, and trafficking.

The widespread allegations of male malpractice across many different sectors sparked a worldwide #MeToo movement.

Hundreds of thousands of women came forward online in 2017 with their own stories of assault, intimidation, harassment, and much more, stirring conversation around gender roles and societal tendencies to turn a blind eye to abuse.

More open dialogue around sexual assault and manipulation has occurred in the years since, though it is still a significant and pressing problem.

Combs’ allegations show that we continue to hush and play down very real and lived experiences until it is far too late. More must be done to ensure the safety of artists, partners, and anyone within the influence of a power hierarchy across any industry.

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