In late March, agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security searched two properties owned by Sean Combs, better known as P. Diddy or Diddy. Agents searched one of his homes in Los Angeles and another in Miami as part of an investigation into sexual abuse allegations involving sexual trafficking, sexual assault, and solicitation. The star is also facing charges for distribution of narcotics and firearms.
Accusations of sexual abuse came from several women and 1 man – Rodney Jones, a producer who has filed a lawsuit against Combs for sexual abuse. The women who have come forward include Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Diddy’s, who settled a lawsuit with Combs in November of last year.
A month after settling the suit with Ventura, Diddy released a public statement, saying that the allegations against him were “sickening” and the people who were accusing him of sexual and physical abuse were “looking for a quick payday.”
Despite Combs insisting that he “did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” there’s no denying that federal agents had probable cause that allowed them to search his properties. In addition, it’s a well-known fact that the rapper has a long history of legal issues, including charges of harassment, assault, and physical violence. Then, there was the publicized shooting at a NYC nightclub while he was out with former girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez. That incident, which resulted in the shooting of 3 people, is being reinvestigated due to the recent allegations against Combs.
Sadly, Sean Combs is one of many celebrities that have been exposed in the past few years for sexual harassment and assault. The MeToo movement in 2006 was the genesis of countless victims coming forward with harrowing stories of physical and sexual abuse by people in the film, TV, and music industry. In 2023, a slew of lawsuits were filed against some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Danny Masterson, Russell Brand, and Jamie Foxx.
If you are a victim of sexual assault, harassment, trafficking, or any other kind of sexual abuse by Sean Combs, aka Diddy, please take some time to learn about your rights and legal options. A sexual abuse lawsuit lawyer at our office can answer any questions you have and help you decide if filing a lawsuit is in your best interest.
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Abuse Allegations against Sean Combs
Frankly, it’s hard to keep up with the information that is coming out on almost a daily basis regarding Sean Comb’s abusive behavior over the past several decades. Here is an outline of the most shocking incidents that we know of so far, based on court documents and public statements by the victims:
- Diddy’s former partner, Cassandra Elizabeth Ventura, sued him in 2023, saying that he used his position of authority to groom and manipulate her into a “coercive romantic and sexual relationship.” At the time, Ventura was signed to Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Records. During their 13-year relationship (between 2005 and 2018), she says Diddy repeatedly assaulted her physically and sexually, but no one in his “tremendously loyal network” stepped in to help her.
- Within the same week as Ventura’s lawsuit, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Combs of drugging and raping her while she was a college student in 1991. She said he recorded the assault and showed the video to others without her consent.
- Another woman named Liza Gardner is suing Diddy for sexual assault that occurred in the early 1990s when she was under the age of consent. According to Gardner, she and a friend were invited to the apartment of Aaron Hall, an artists signed to Diddy’s record label. She claims that the men got her and her friend drunk, and proceeded to take turns raping them.
- A lawsuit was filed in December 2023 by a woman who claimed that she was “gang raped” and “sex trafficked” by Combs, Harve Pierre (president of Bad Boy Records), and another unnamed male. According to the lawsuit, the men sexually assaulted her after giving her drugs and alcohol. The victim said she was in so much pain from the incident that she could not remember how she made it back home.
- Music producer Rodney Jones Jr. spoke out in February 2024, saying that Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes multiple times. He also alleged that Combs attempted to groom him into having sex with another man and saying that it was “a normal practice” in the industry.
Diddy has also been accused of physical assault by another former girlfriend, Gina Huynh. In an interview with Tasha K on her YouTube channel, Huynh said that she was assaulted by Combs on a regular basis during their relationship. The worst incident occurred when she became pregnant by Combs and refused to accept his offer of $50,000 to have an abortion. According to Huynh, he responded to her refusal by stomping on her stomach so hard that “it took the wind out of my breath.”
We expect to hear similar stories from other victims in the near future. As you can see, most of these individuals have taken legal action with help from a sexual abuse lawsuit attorney. Suing Sean Combs for sexual abuse is ultimately up to you, but knowing about your rights is essential when you are a victim of someone else’s rage and violence. That’s why we invite you to contact our law firm and allow us the opportunity to help if you were sexually abused by Sean Combs, AKA P. Diddy.
Average Value of a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
The value of a lawsuit for sexual abuse can range from $500,000 to over $10,000,000 based on many details that are specific to each case. With that in mind, it’s impossible to say what the average settlement would be for one of these lawsuits. However, there are some generalizations we can make, based on decades of experience in the recovery of sexual abuse settlements and verdicts.
Overall, lawsuits involving rape and other kinds of sexual assault have higher values than cases for solicitation and harassment. Sexual assault lawsuits are usually worth between $2,000,000 and $5,000,000, with some cases nearing or exceeding the $10,000,000 mark. This is particularly true in cases where the victim was a minor at the time and the abuser is someone with considerable power, money, and social influence.
This is not just because of victims who are looking for a “quick payday,” to use Diddy’s own words. Rather, it’s about the fact that celebrities use their position of power to buy off victims or threaten them into silence. As Cassandra Ventura pointed out, these people have a loyal group of employees, friends, admirers, etc., who won’t do a thing to help the victim, even when the assault happens right in front of them.
Please note that estimates of case values are not the same thing as the amount you can receive if you decide to go ahead with a lawsuit. Payments for a P. Diddy sexual abuse lawsuit are based on numerous factors, including but not limited to:
- Your age at the time of the incident
- The acts of abuse / assault that caused you injury
- Bodily harm and/or emotional trauma that resulted from the abuse
- If the abuser exploited their position of power over the victim
- The total sum of monetary losses due to the impact of sexual abuse on the victim’s life
- If the defendant or someone acting on their behalf destroyed or concealed evidence of sexual abuse.
How Long Do Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Take to Settle?
We generally find that these lawsuits take 12 to 24 months to settle, especially when you are talking about high profile cases against celebrities and other famous individuals. Of course, you do have exceptions to the rule, like the sexual abuse lawsuit filed by Cassandra Ventura, which was settled in just one day. But this is very rare when it comes to legal cases for sexual assault and other violent acts.
When we set out to bring justice to a victim, we always shoot for a timeline of 6 months or less, as we understand our client’s urgency to move on with their life. However, it is our duty to ensure that you receive justice, and this cannot be accomplished by settling for an amount that’s far below what you deserve. That’s why the settlement process takes months of back and forth negotiations, which can be anywhere from 1 to 2 years with these lawsuits. In rare instances, a sexual abuse case may need to be tried in court. If so, the process of obtaining compensation for the victim can take over 3 years.
How Long You have to File a Sexual Abuse Lawsuit
The statute of limitations to sue for being sexually abused is 10 years if you were legally an adult at the time of the incident (18 or older under California law). The 10-year window begins on the date of assault / abuse, or whenever you experienced the most recent incident of abuse if there was a prolonged history of sexual exploitation and assault between you and the perpetrator.
Knowing how long you have to file a lawsuit is crucial to the process of holding your abuser accountable and receiving the funds you are entitled to. If you would like to confirm the deadline for a sexual abuse lawsuit against Sean Combs, contact our law firm 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What if I was a Minor When I was Sexually Abused by P. Diddy?
If you were a minor at the time of the abuse, California’s statute of limitations for a lawsuit is 22 years following the date of your 18th birthday. That means you must file a child sexual abuse lawsuit by the time you are 40 years old. However, victims who are older than 40 may qualify for a lawsuit under the terms of the discovery rule.
The discovery rule pertains to the realization of physical or emotional harm (injury) after the actual event. For those who were sexually abused as children, there is a tendency to repress incidents of abuse and act like nothing happened. Even if they know that what happened was wrong, such young individuals lack the intellectual and emotional development to process the trauma associated with sexual abuse.
The truth is, trauma from sexual abuse doesn’t just go away. If anything, it festers into mental health issues that negatively affect the victim’s life. However, a lifetime of suppression is hard to overcome, and this is why so many victims don’t seek help for what they went through until they are much older. That means the discovery of abuse-related injuries can happen when the victim is past the age of 40. With that in mind, there is a window of 5-years from the date of realization if the victim wishes to sue for sexual abuse while they were a minor.
Free Legal Services from a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Lawyer
Though it’s clear that laws exist to help those who are sexually abused, making sense of the legal system is extremely challenging for the average person. However, most people cannot afford to hire a lawyer who is experienced in lawsuits for sexual abuse and assault.
Here at Normandie, we believe that nothing should get in the way between a victim and the opportunity to seek compensation for the harm they’ve suffered. That’s why we have always worked on contingency, meaning we ask the other party to pay for the cost of legal fees on the condition that we win your lawsuit. In other words, you pay $0 to hire one of our attorneys and initiate a claim for sexual abuse against Sean Combs or any of his associates. We also have a Zero Fee Guarantee, so if we don’t win your case, you owe us absolutely nothing.
For a free case evaluation with a member of our legal team, contact us today.
