S Poddar
Sean Combs, the powerful music mogul also known as P Diddy and Puff Daddy, now faces a staggering number of new sexual misconduct claims: 120 accusers. One of them is claiming they were nine at the time of the alleged abuse. The claims have surfaced while Combs awaits trial on separate sex trafficking charges.
Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing the claimants said they will file legal actions in the next month. According to him there are 60 male and 60 female accusers. There are 25 who were underage at the time when the alleged offenses happened. These accusations range from 1991 up to this year.
At his recent news conference, Buzbee condemned the nature of the allegations. “This kind of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and exploitation should not be happening in the United States, or anywhere else in the world. It’s tragic that this has gone on for so long, leaving an enormous number of people injured, scared, and scarred.”
While most cases are going to be filed in New York and Los Angeles, Buzbee confirmed that more cases are under review. These accusations have added to Combs’ list of legal battles, as he is already dealing with multiple lawsuits brought against him during the last year.
Following the new accusations, Combs’ lawyer issued a fierce denial. His attorney, Erica Wolff, declared: “He cannot respond to every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. However, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors.”
According to Wolff, Combs is more than eager to prove his innocence. “He welcomes the opportunity to prove his innocence and vindicate himself in court if and when allegations are filed and served. His guilt will be proved on the evidence, not speculation.”
The individuals represented by Buzbee’s firm hail from all parts of the United States and primarily reside in California, New York, Georgia, and Florida. In total, there are victims from more than 25 different states.
What seems to land him in jail presently is his not-guilty plea of September 17 on counts of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Combs is said to have used his “power and prestige,” among other routes, to make women submit to unrestrained sexual functions with male sex workers whose events allegedly were called “Freak Offs.” The recording artist had denied all allegations against him and promised to fight to have his name in court cleared.
Despite Combs’s attempts to squirm out of jail, his lawyers’ offer of a 50-million-dollar bail was declined. The bail application with severe conditions is proposed: house arrest at his Florida mansion, monitoring with a GPS device, and severe restrictions in visiting people. Till then, Combs remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn, New York.
It is not the first incident where the rap musician has been involved in sexual misconduct scandals. Early this year, a video for which nothing could be done was published, wherein Combs was seen physically attacking his former girlfriend, Cassie. After the circulation of the video, Combs publicly apologized and labeled his act as “inexcusable” and stated his abhorrence at his behavior.
His own company, Bad Boy Records, has significantly shaped the music of hip-hop. Three-time Grammy winner Sean Combs founded Bad Boy Records in 1993. For nearly two decades, Combs has defied a position that distinguish most other business leaders from artists: he has been at once a music executive and an artist. However these growing legal entanglements could be the most telling chapter in his career and public persona. As these cases continue to unfold, all eyes are in the courtroom, where the future of one of hip-hop’s biggest stars will be decided.
It’s sent shockwaves throughout the entertainment world, raising questions about power, influence, and systemic issues that may have allowed such behavior to go unchecked for decades. And so, both sides prepare for what will undoubtedly be a high-profile legal battle, with truth hanging in the balance.
