Former Danity Kane member sues Sean Combs, alleging he groped and threatened her

Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued in federal courtroom Tuesday by a former member of Danity Kane — the lady group he assembled on the MTV actuality competitors “Making the Band” — who’s alleging he groped, assaulted and imprisoned her, and threatened her life when she tried to intervene in protection of his then-girlfriend.

Daybreak Richard, who was handpicked by Combs to be a member of the city pop band, additionally alleges within the lawsuit that she is owed a number of million {dollars} in unpaid wages from her time with Danity Kane and one other group based by Combs. She is requesting a jury trial. Her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, stated in a press release Wednesday: “We won’t relaxation till we obtain full and full justice for Daybreak on this case.”

The go well with, filed within the U.S. District Courtroom for the Southern District of New York, joins a string of others which have accused Combs of various forms of sexual assault and misconduct. The lawsuits are filed below the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Safety Legislation, which permits folks to file lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse even after the statute of limitations had handed. Combs, who can be the subject of a federal inquiry, has denied the allegations.

In a press release Wednesday, his lawyer stated Combs “is shocked and dissatisfied” by Richard’s lawsuit.

“In an try to rewrite historical past, Daybreak Richard has now manufactured a sequence of false claims all within the hopes of making an attempt to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide together with her album launch and press tour,” Erica Wolff stated, whereas pointing to Richard’s lengthy historical past working with Combs. “It’s unlucky that Ms. Richard has forged their 20-year friendship apart to attempt to get cash from him, however Mr. Combs is confidently standing on fact and appears ahead to proving that in courtroom.”

Richard’s lawsuit says she was “empowered” to come back ahead by the opposite lawsuits, together with the one introduced by Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, who’s finest recognized by her stage title Cassie. Ventura, who was as soon as signed to Combs’ Unhealthy Boy report label, accused him of rape and repeated bodily abuse over the course of their yearslong relationship, in an explosive lawsuit filed in November. She and Combs settled the suit a day later. They didn’t disclose the phrases of the settlement.

“Mr. Combs’ resolution to settle the lawsuit doesn’t in any approach undermine his flat-out denial of the claims,” his lawyer Ben Brafman stated on the time. “He’s joyful they bought to a mutual settlement and needs Ms. Ventura the very best.”

Hours after she filed her go well with, Richard and two other former members of Danity Kane expressed public support for Ventura. However the three girls didn’t share private data concerning the particular accusations in opposition to Combs at the moment. 

Richard’s lawsuit, nonetheless, stated she witnessed Combs brutally beat Ventura on quite a few events. That abuse included hanging Ventura together with his palms and with objects, slapping her, punching her and throwing gadgets at her, the lawsuit alleges. At any time when Ventura tried to face as much as Combs, in response to the go well with, he would strike her or wrap his palms round her throat and choke her. 

On one event, the lawsuit alleges, Richard witnessed Combs throw a scalding pan of eggs at Ventura earlier than dragging her up a flight of stairs whereas he cursed and screamed. Richard stated Combs instructed her after the alleged assault that, “In the event you say something, there might be penalties” and that individuals “find yourself lacking,” which the go well with says left Richard feeling terrified.

On one other event, in or round early 2010, the go well with alleges Richard witnessed Combs punch Ventura within the face within the toilet of a celebration in Los Angeles. A few of the occasions Combs allegedly abused Ventura, different celebrities had been current, the go well with alleges.

Based on the go well with, Richard tried a number of occasions to intervene, provided Ventura assist and inspired her to go away Combs. Every time Combs discovered of her efforts to assist Ventura, the go well with alleges, he grew to become enraged and threatened Richard’s life, telling her that he had the flexibility to make folks disappear and will “finish folks.”

In Might, Combs admitted that he beat Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016 after CNN launched video of the assault, saying in a video apology posted to Instagram that he was “actually sorry” and his actions had been “inexcusable.” The video was later faraway from his web page.

Richard, who lives in California, was employed by Combs from 2005 to 2012, first as a member of Danity Kane after which the group Diddy — Soiled Cash, the lawsuit says. It describes a hostile work surroundings, wherein Diddy would allegedly berate and threaten his workers, attend conferences in his underwear, make undesirable advances and withhold earnings.

In her go well with, which additionally names Harve Pierre, a former longtime president of his report label, and varied report labels as defendants, Richard alleges that she is owed $3.3 million in unpaid wages, salaries and royalties from her time with Danity Kane and $1.55 million in unpaid compensation from Diddy — Soiled Cash. Pierre didn’t reply to a request for remark.

Like different lawsuits, together with Ventura’s, Richard’s go well with depicts Combs as violent and controlling. Richard’s go well with says that in auditions for “Making the Band,” Combs “spoke to the feminine contestants in a hostile, condescending method” and made disparaging remarks, calling them “fats,” “ugly,” “b——” and “hoes.” His hostility and aggression continued after the band was fashioned, the lawsuit says, and Combs usually used derogatory phrases to check with the 5 girls and denigrated their bodily appearances, together with by telling Richard she was too skinny and that she wanted to “do one thing” about her face.

All through the productions of the “Making the Band” sequence, the go well with alleges, she and the members of Danity Kane had been disadvantaged of primary wants comparable to satisfactory meals and sleep.

Based on the go well with, his extreme calls for included rehearsing for 36 to 48 hours with out breaks, near-constant filming and intense exercises, which led Richard to expertise excessive weight reduction.

To additional assert his energy, the go well with says, Combs insisted on holding conferences whereas dressed solely in his underwear, and through a gathering in 2008 in the lounge of his Miami residence, when Richard requested him to place garments on, he refused, stating “That is my f——house.” That assembly lasted an hour, the go well with says, “inflicting Ms. Richard to really feel violated and embarrassed, and amplifying her emotions of powerlessness.”

Whereas Richard was a member of Diddy — Soiled Cash from 2009 to 2011, the go well with alleges, Combs repeatedly pressured her to strip all the way down to her underwear and regularly made demeaning remarks about her physique. On quite a few events, below the guise of serving to a stylist put together Richard for performances, Combs would additionally barge into her altering room unannounced and grope components of her physique with out her consent, the lawsuit additionally alleges.

In or round December 2010, Richard alleges she and her Diddy — Soiled Cash bandmate had been locked in one in every of Combs’ automobiles that didn’t have inside door handles for greater than two hours after Diddy lashed out at them for being late. Although the bandmate was ultimately freed, Richard alleges she had to make use of her bandmate’s telephone to name her father to journey from Baltimore to New York to assist free her. When later confronted by Richard’s father, who stated he meant to name police, Combs warned him to “take into consideration your loved ones” and “take into consideration your daughter’s profession,” in response to the lawsuit. The next night, Combs instructed Richard to not name her father except she was hospitalized, the go well with says.

Frank Richard couldn’t instantly be reached at numbers listed for him.

The go well with additionally alleges Richard attended events at Combs’ homes, the place she witnessed what she believed had been inebriated underage women being sexually violated by Combs and his company. At his “drug-fueled events,” company had been required to give up their telephones, doorways had been locked and guarded by safety, and Combs employed cops to attend, “sending a transparent message to company that his affect prolonged to regulation enforcement officers, and making a local weather of concern and a tacit warning that reporting him to authorities can be each unacceptable and futile,” the go well with says.

Richard’s lawsuit alleges that, for many years, following his rise to fame, “Combs’ star-studded, larger-than life persona overshadowed his vicious mood and pervasive acts of violence directed towards these in his inside circle — particularly, girls.”

Richard is looking for compensatory and punitive damages for misplaced wages and different compensation, in addition to emotional ache and struggling.