Hip Hop Mogul, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has denied gang-raping a 17-year-old girl in his Manhattan recording studio while claiming a photograph of her sitting in his lap ‘isn’t accurate’.
The 54-year-old rapper filed an official legal challenge refuting the abuse accusations made by the alleged victim, who is now in her 30s.
She claimed in December that Combs, his longtime friend and rapper Harve Pierre, and a third unidentified man flew her to his New York studio before plying her with ‘copious amounts of drugs and alcohol’ in 2003.
He and two pals then took turns violently raping the teen as she drifted in and out of consciousness, leaving her in so much pain that she could barely stand or remember how she got home, the complaint alleges.
The alleged victim is the fourth woman to make allegations against Combs. He has never been convicted, and recently settled a bombshell rape lawsuit brought by R&B singer Cassie, just one day after it was filed.
His 11-page denial of the fourth woman’s allegations claim he ‘never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever,’ according to Rolling Stone.
The response, filed in the Southern District of New York, challenged the authenticity of color photographs purportedly showing the teen sitting on his lap in Daddy’s House Recording Studio.
‘The context, genuineness, and/or accuracy of the photographs are disputed,’ his answer states.
‘Plaintiff’s decision to wait more than two decades to file her complaint has prejudiced defendant, as he has lost the ability to defend himself fully and fairly in this action.
‘For example, some or all evidence that otherwise would have been available if the action had been promptly commenced may be unavailable, lost, or compromised.’
Combs’ answer also attempts to shoot down the lawsuit from another angle – arguing that it should be barred because the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA) under which is was brought is ‘unconstitutional.’
‘Allowing this action to proceed violates defendant’s rights under the U.S. Constitution and the New York State Constitution,’ it reads.
Combs has recently fortified his legal team with new lawyers, according to Rolling Stone.
They include Bobbi C Sternheim, who defended Ghislaine Maxwell, and Shawn Holley who successfully got Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer reinstated with Major League Baseball amid sexual assault allegations.
Combs’ co-defendant in the fourth case, Pierre also filed a denial on Tuesday saying he ‘never participated in the sexual assault of the plaintiff nor did he ever witness anyone else sexually assaulting the plaintiff’, per Rolling Stone.
The anonymous accuser, now in her late 30s, has backed her bombshell claims with now-contested photographs of herself sitting on the I’ll Be Missing You singer’s lap and goofing around in his Manhattan studio.
Diddy immediately sent out a tweet denying the accusation in December and saying the all allegations made against him are from people ‘looking for a quick payday’.
In harrowing detail, the Jane Doe claimant describes how Combs demanded that she pinch his nipples throughout the attack to help him ‘get off’ – then pulled up a chair to watch her being raped and choked by his associates.
She says she suffered in silence for 20 years until the R&B singer Cassie sued Combs, her former mentor, and ex-boyfriend, for allegedly subjecting her to savage beatings, drug-addled hotel orgies and rape.
