.png)
2 days ago
12
Dawn Richard, who recently sued Sean “Diddy” Combs for sexual abuse, and her attorney are celebrating the former Bad Boy Records executive finally getting arrested and charged by the FBI this week.
“Given Sean Combs’ brutal beating of his girlfriend caught on video and the eight people who have now accused him of abuse in court filings, including my brave client Dawn Richard, this arrest seems long overdue,” lawyer Lisa Bloom tells Page Six in a statement Tuesday.
“It’s a big, moving day for victims, but an arrest is only the beginning. May justice be delivered to Mr. Combs. We implore other accusers to come forward in solidarity and join us in this fight.”
Combs, 54, was arrested in a New York City hotel room Monday following a months-long sex-trafficking investigation, which the public first learned about in March when his homes in LA and Miami were raided.
On Tuesday, the “Last Night” rapper was then charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution, per court docs obtained by Page Six.
He is being accused of having “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct” for decades.
Combs allegedly also created a “criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice,” per the filing.
In recent months, several ex-associates and collaborators have come forward to accuse the “I Need a Girl” rapper of criminal misconduct in a slew of lawsuits.
Richard’s case was the latest suit, filed on Sept. 11, and she alleged in the court docs that Combs sexually assaulted her numerous times between 2009 to 2011 by touching near her breasts and butt while she was undressed in a changing room.
“Mr. Combs frequently smacked Ms. Richard’s bare buttocks and often commented on her body, noting that although she was ‘too skinny,’ she had an ‘ass,’” the singer claimed in the complaint.
The former Danity Kane member also alleged that she had been exposed to improper working practices such as being forced to rehearse for 48 hours without sleep, causing her to lose weight and become ill.
Richard also claimed in her suit that she witnessed Combs be abusive to his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, with whom he settled a separate suit in November 2023 after the “Me & U” singer accused him of rape.
The “Damaged” singer, 41, alleged that she tried to urge Ventura, 38, to leave the music mogul but when Combs learned of that conversation, he allegedly threatened them, saying “Y’all bitches don’t get in my relationship. Just make money and shut the f–k up,” and “You bitches want to die today?”
In May, surveillance video of Combs dragging Ventura across a hotel hallway back in 2016 was released.
The “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper issued an apology shortly after, claiming he was “disgusted” by his “f–ked up” actions and that he assumed responsibility.
However, Combs’ attorney, Erica Wolff, recently told Page Six that his client was “shocked” and “disappointed” by Richard’s suit, accusing the singer of trying to promote her new album and press tour.
The lawyer added at the time, “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.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
Bengali (BD) · 
English (US) ·