NEW YORK, USA — Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a fresh lawsuit from former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard, who accuses him of verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and violent behaviour during and after her time as a contestant on MTV reality show Making the Band.
Richard also claims she witnessed Diddy physically abusing his ex-girlfriend, Cassie, during their relationship.
The lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, details a pattern of alleged misconduct by Diddy, dating back to 2004 when Richard participated in Making the Band and later joined the Diddy-formed girl group Danity Kane.
Richard claims Diddy manipulated her with promises of advancing her music career if she complied with his “twisted demands.”
Allegations of Verbal Abuse on Set
Richard alleges that during the filming of Making the Band, Diddy routinely degraded female contestants, calling them “fat,” “ugly,” and referring to them as “bitches” and “hoes.”
According to the lawsuit, Diddy harboured particular disdain for Richard, who was young and eager to work with the music industry icon.
In one 2005 incident, Richard claims she saw Diddy’s former girlfriend, Kim Porter, leave a music studio with visible injuries to her face, sparking fear for her own safety and marking the first moment Richard says she realized Diddy was capable of violence.
Witnessing Alleged Abuse of Cassie
The lawsuit also details Richard’s account of Diddy’s alleged abuse of Cassie, whom she says she saw Diddy meet in 2006.
Richard claims she witnessed Diddy’s increasingly predatory behaviour toward Cassie, culminating in a violent 2009 incident where she alleges Diddy, while high on drugs, threw Cassie against a wall, choked her, and dragged her up a flight of stairs at his Los Angeles home.
Richard further claims that during the same period, she saw Diddy throw a pan of scalding eggs at Cassie while shouting, “I’ve been asking you for my s**t; I can’t stand you, bitch, you never do it right!”
Other alleged assaults on Cassie included Diddy striking her in the face and attempting to strangle her.
Richard’s Allegations of Abuse
In addition to witnessing the abuse of Cassie, Richard says she, too, became a victim of Diddy’s abusive behaviour.
She claims Diddy forced her to rehearse for 48-hour periods without sleep, leading to severe physical and mental exhaustion, weight loss, and health problems, including dehydration and rashes.
Richard also alleges that Diddy’s treatment escalated between 2009 and 2011, recalling an incident where he barged into her dressing room while she was naked and inappropriately touched her.
On another occasion, she says Diddy locked her inside a car with heavily tinted windows for two hours while she screamed for help, eventually calling her father in desperation.
Family Intervention
Richard claims that her father travelled from Baltimore to New York to rescue her and confronted Diddy, threatening to report his behaviour to the authorities.
Diddy allegedly responded by warning her father, “Think about your daughter” and “think about your daughter’s career,” insinuating that any legal action could jeopardize Richard’s future in the music industry.
Legal and Public Fallout
The new lawsuit comes on the heels of other recent legal challenges for Diddy, with former associates and partners bringing forward allegations of misconduct and abuse.
Richard’s accusations follow similar claims from Cassie, who previously settled a lawsuit against Diddy alleging years of abuse and manipulation.
Diddy’s representatives have yet to respond publicly to the new lawsuit, which could add to the growing list of controversies surrounding the Bad Boy Records CEO.
