Texas Attorney Files New Wave of Cases as Jay-Z Joins Legal Battle
A Louisiana woman filed the twentieth lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs on December 20, 2023, alleging sexual assault minutes before a deadly 1991 stampede at City College in New York. The case joins a series of civil complaints filed by attorney Tony Buzbee, who represents 120 potential plaintiffs. The allegations span from 1991 to 2022, detailing incidents of drugging, sexual assault, and threats against both adults and minors. The cases expanded to include rapper Jay-Z as a defendant in December, sparking additional legal battles between the artists’ legal teams.
5 Key Points
- Louisiana plaintiff alleges 1991 assault preceded fatal City College stampede that killed nine people.
- Jay-Z was named as a co-defendant in the December 8 lawsuit involving the alleged assault of a 13-year-old.
- Twenty lawsuits filed between October and December 2023 allege a pattern of drugged assaults.
- The youngest alleged victim was 10 years old during the Los Angeles incident.
- Buzbee claims 25+ accusers were minors during suspected assaults.
December 2023: New Allegations Link Combs to Historic Tragedy
The December 20 lawsuit connects Combs to the deadly 1991 City College stampede in New York that killed nine people. The anonymous Louisiana plaintiff alleges Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her in his dressing room while his bodyguard “was standing watch.” Upon leaving the room, she encountered a “chaotic” scene as the fatal crowd stampede began. The lawsuit marks the first time allegations of sexual assault have been connected to the City College tragedy, adding a new dimension to a historic incident that had previously focused on crowd control failures.
Jay-Z’s Legal Battle Intensifies with Counter-Claims
The December legal proceedings expanded beyond Combs when an Alabama woman amended her October 20 lawsuit to name Jay-Z as a co-defendant. The plaintiff alleges she was 13 years old in 2000 when Combs and Jay-Z repeatedly raped her at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty while a female celebrity watched. Jay-Z responded by calling the allegations “idiotic” and filed a counter-suit against attorney Tony Buzbee on December 18, claiming attempted blackmail. In his statement, Jay-Z said his “heart and support go out to true victims in the world, who have to watch how their life story is dressed in costume for profitability by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.” The legal battle escalated when Buzbee sued Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, alleging the company offered his clients up to $10,000 to file false claims against his firm and sent operatives posing as Texas state officials with fake badges to harass plaintiffs.
November 2023: Multiple Victims Detail Similar Patterns
November 19 brought five new lawsuits against Combs, each describing a pattern of drugging and assault. A Texas model, 17 at the time, alleged Combs sexually assaulted her while unconscious at his 2004 Hamptons Fourth of July party, then threatened her career, saying he “ran New York and would ruin her.” A Maryland woman reported being drugged and forced to perform oral sex on Combs and his security team in a limousine after a 2001 Manhattan Halloween party. Three male plaintiffs came forward with 2022 incidents: a Florida man and a Georgia man described separate house party assaults where they were allegedly drugged and raped by Combs, while a former actor detailed being assaulted by multiple people after drinking a “strange” Diet Coke during a music video casting meeting. The actor’s complaint states he required several medical procedures to recover from the incident.
October Wave Reveals Decades of Alleged Abuse
The initial wave of October lawsuits exposed allegations spanning from 1995 to 2022. A New York woman detailed a 1995 assault at a Biggie Smalls promotional party where Combs allegedly slammed her head into a wall before raping her and threatening, “You better not tell anyone about this, or you will disappear.” An Ohio fashion industry worker claimed Combs and two bodyguards assaulted him in a Macy’s Herald Square stockroom in 2008, allegedly striking him “possibly with a pistol” before forcing him to perform oral sex. The complaint names Macy’s as a co-defendant, claiming the store ignored his report and terminated his employment to protect its relationship with Combs. A Georgia man working in management alleged a 2021 drugged assault by Combs and two others that left him “paralyzed” and “feeling like he was trapped in his own body.” A Brooklyn student, 19 at the time, reported Combs threatened to “have them both killed” before forcing her and a friend to drink and do drugs, then sexually assaulting her in 2004.
Making the Band Allegations Reveal Entertainment Industry Exploitation
The October 28 lawsuits included allegations from a 17-year-old Making the Band contestant who claimed Combs and a bodyguard sexually assaulted him during a three-day audition process in 2008. The plaintiff alleged Combs repeatedly emphasized his power to “make or break” careers and claimed he was eliminated from the competition “due to his reservations about performing oral sex on (the) bodyguard.” A second October 28 filing detailed what may be the youngest alleged victim: a 10-year-old boy who claims Combs drugged and sexually assaulted him during a Los Angeles visit. The complaint states Combs threatened to harm the boy’s parents if he reported the assault, though the victim did tell his parents, who were “terrified of the potential consequences of reporting the abuse.”
Legal Teams Establish Battle Lines as Cases Mount
Combs’ legal team maintains his innocence through consistent denials. “Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process,” his attorneys stated in October. “Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman.” The statement came as attorney Tony Buzbee, who previously represented Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and former Texas Governor Rick Perry, announced he represents 120 potential accusers from 25 states. Buzbee claims more than two dozen accusers were minors at the time of their alleged abuse, with the youngest being nine years old. An unnamed celebrity attempted to counter Buzbee’s strategy on November 18, filing suit against the attorney for allegedly threatening a public lawsuit if they didn’t settle out of court regarding “wildly false” allegations of raping drugged minors at Combs’ parties.
Three Decades of Allegations Emerge as Investigation Continues
The twenty lawsuits filed between October and December 2023 paint a pattern of alleged abuse spanning from 1991 to 2022. The complaints describe similar methods: drugged drinks, threats of career destruction or violence, and the presence of bodyguards or observers during assaults. The allegations cross state lines and social boundaries, with accusers ranging from industry professionals to minors, both male and female. Buzbee states thousands have come forward with claims against Combs, suggesting the current twenty lawsuits represent only the beginning of potential legal challenges facing the music mogul. As investigations continue, the cases have expanded beyond Combs to implicate other industry figures and raise questions about systemic abuse within the entertainment industry.
FAQ
Q: What are my options if I or a loved one has experienced sex trafficking or abuse?
A: If your family has been affected by sex trafficking or abuse, legal options may be available. Contact our legal experts to learn about your rights and start a free, confidential case review.
Q: How many lawsuits has Tony Buzbee filed against Sean Combs?
A: As of December 20, 2023, attorney Tony Buzbee has filed twenty separate lawsuits against Sean Combs. Buzbee states he represents 120 potential plaintiffs from 25 states who may file additional cases.
Q: What is the date range of the alleged assaults?
A: The lawsuits describe incidents from 1991 to 2022. The earliest alleged assault occurred before the City College stampede in 1991, while the most recent claims detail incidents at private parties in 2022.
Q: How has Sean Combs responded to these allegations?
A: Combs’ legal team released a statement in October 2023 saying, “Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman.” His attorneys maintain “full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process.”
Q: What is Jay-Z’s involvement in these cases?
A: Jay-Z faces allegations in an updated December 8 lawsuit where an Alabama woman claims he and Combs assaulted her when she was 13 in 2000. Jay-Z denied the accusations as “idiotic” and countersued Buzbee for alleged extortion. Buzbee sued Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, on December 18, claiming they attempted to pay his clients to file false claims against his firm.
Q: What patterns do the lawsuits describe?
A: The lawsuits detail similar methods across decades: victims allegedly received drugged drinks at parties or events, faced sexual assault while incapacitated, and received threats about their careers or personal safety if they reported the incidents. Many cases mention the presence of bodyguards or observers during the alleged assaults.
Q: How many minors are among the alleged victims?
A: Buzbee states more than two dozen of his clients were minors during their alleged encounters with Combs. The lawsuits filed so far include allegations from victims as young as 10 years old, with Buzbee claiming his youngest client was nine at the time of the alleged assault.
Q: What role does Macy’s play in these lawsuits?
A: Macy’s appears as a co-defendant in one October 2023 lawsuit. An Ohio fashion industry worker claims Combs and two bodyguards assaulted him in a Macy’s Herald Square stockroom in 2008. The plaintiff alleges Macy’s ignored his assault report and fired him to protect their relationship with Combs.
Citations
Roeloffs, M. W. (2023, December 23). Woman Claims Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Assaulted Her Ahead Of 1991 City College Stampede —Here Are All The Tony Buzbee Lawsuits. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2024/12/23/all-tony-buzbee-cases-filed-against-sean-diddy-combs-so-far-tracker-white-party-rape-sexual-abuse/
