Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard sues Diddy, alleging sexual assault, inhumane treatment

Danity Kane's Dawn Richard sues Diddy, alleging sexual assault, inhumane treatment

As a seasoned movie buff with an eye for gripping narratives and a knack for spotting parallels between real life and cinema, I must say that the latest chapter in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ saga reads more like a script from a gritty drama than reality. The allegations against him by Dawn Richard, a former protegee, paint a chilling picture of power, manipulation, and abuse – themes as common on our screens as popcorn at the movies.


Sean “Diddy” Combs is once again facing legal action, as a musician associated with his record labels Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money has accused him of physically abusing his former girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, which she allegedly witnessed.

Dawn Richard, known for her success from MTV and Diddy’s 2004 reality show “Making the Band 3,” filed a lawsuit against Combs in a U.S. District Court in New York on Tuesday. Her claim echoes some of the accusations made by Ventura in their November lawsuit, which has added to the mounting legal troubles for the troubled hip-hop entrepreneur.

41-year-old “Damaged” singer claimed that her previous employer sexually assaulted, harassed, and treated her inhumanely. She alleged that Sean Combs touched, groped, and grabbed her without consent, confined her against her will, and kept her at his different residences while denying her and her bandmates essentials like proper food and rest.

Based on the complaint obtained by The Times on Wednesday, Richard claims that Combs abused her position by exploiting her talents as a performer and songwriter, keeping her earnings from her, stealing her copyrighted materials, and forcing her to endure harsh working conditions for extended periods.

According to the statement, Combs allegedly convinced Richard that submitting to his twisted desires was essential for professional growth, a notion that made Richard believe that such mistreatment and exploitation were inevitable steps for women in the music industry to achieve success.

As a passionate moviegoer putting events into my own words, I’d say something like this: “Whenever I, a struggling artist, stood firm against unwanted advances from a powerful producer, he would punish me by taking away my singing opportunities. He eliminated me from songs, forbade me to perform, and even muted my microphone during shows. The more I resisted his advances, the more severe his retaliatory actions became.” This paraphrase attempts to make the narrative more personal and relatable while maintaining the original context.

Richard, who is known as Herve Pierre, a record executive, has been named as one of the defendants in a lawsuit. Along with Remote Productions, Sony Music Publishing, various Bad Boy- and Combs-associated businesses, and others, they are being sued. The plaintiff seeks a trial by jury, monetary compensation for unspecified losses, financial judgment for emotional distress, punitive damages, legal costs, and attorney fees.

On Wednesday, Combs’ representatives didn’t provide a comment right away when we at The Times asked for one.

According to the court documents, Richard claimed that she frequently observed Combs violently assaulting Ventura and stated that Combs threatened her when she tried to step in to stop him.

In their complaint, lawyers Lisa Bloom and Arick Fudali stated that Mr. Combs’ temper, similar to himself, often erupted in acts of physical violence. They claimed he would frequently throw objects like mobile phones, laptops, food, studio equipment, or even people around the room in outbursts of anger. The attorneys further asserted that Combs repeatedly abused Ventura, using methods such as choking, strangling, striking with his hands and objects, slapping, punching, and even throwing hot pans at her, among other items.

Mr. Combs discovered that Ms. Ventura was making an effort to assist her, which infuriated him and led him to threaten the life of Ms. Richard. He made statements such as ‘You’d like to die today,’ ‘Disappearances happen around here,’ and ‘I eliminate people.’ On one occasion, following accusations that he had hurled a pan full of hot eggs at Ventura, Richard is reported to have told her, ‘If you want to succeed, keep quiet… If you speak up, there will be repercussions.’

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but share an account that I once came across, which involved a figure in the world of entertainment whose life seemed to intertwine with drama. I personally observed events unfolding that included his former partner, Kim Porter, departing from his recording studio with tears streaming down her face and visible facial wounds such as a lacerated lip. Later on, I found myself privy to an incident at a hotel pool in Glasgow, where he was present along with several other men, all of whom were reportedly involved with a female assistant in an intimate encounter.

Over the past year, accusations of sexual assault, sex trafficking, and abuse have emerged in multiple lawsuits filed against Combs. Among those filing suits are Ventura, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, and former model Crystal McKinney. Richard’s lawsuit also touched upon disturbing claims of sex trafficking at Combs’ mansions, which seemed to correspond with allegations that possibly prompted simultaneous searches of Combs’ homes on both coasts in March.

In November 2009, following the Soul Train Awards in Atlanta, Richard claimed in a lawsuit that Combs hosted an after-party at his New York home, which he flew her and others to via a private jet. She remembered witnessing large quantities of illicit substances being openly used, and she suspected that Combs had arranged for numerous young women and girls – some of whom seemed underage – to be brought to the party, where they were offered drugs and alcohol.

The allegation stated, “Several individuals seemed drowsy or unconscious as Mr. Combs and his companions enacted intimate behaviors towards them.” Ms. Richard thought that her attendance at the gathering served as an evaluation to determine if Mr. Combs could rely on her trustworthiness.

Danity Kane's Dawn Richard sues Diddy, alleging sexual assault, inhumane treatment

Richard’s statement in the lawsuit claims that during the auditions for “Making the Band,” she was subjected to verbal mistreatment by Combs. He reportedly spoke to the female contestants in a rude, dismissive manner and made derogatory remarks based on gender, such as calling them names like “fat,” “ugly,” “bitches,” and “hoes.” She stated that she felt both threatened and intimidated by his obvious contempt.

She stated that he often stayed awake for extended hours due to drug use, as he required constant interaction with Danity Kane members for recording or rehearsing without any breaks for 36 to 48 hours straight. This situation left the women in a difficult position, having to choose between eating and resting. The petite 5-foot-4 singer admitted she experienced drastic weight loss during these extreme circumstances, dropping as low as 100 pounds at one time.

She also claimed that Combs would often intrude when she was changing clothes and grope her bare body and smack her buttocks.

In December 2010, while Diddy-Dirty Money was getting ready for a “Saturday Night Live” performance, she claimed that Combs verbally abused her and her bandmate Kalenna Harper. She further alleged that he raised his fist as if to strike her, but didn’t actually hit her when Richard intervened. Instead, it was reported that Combs’ bodyguard forcibly took her and her bandmate into a Bad Boy Records Bentley with darkly tinted windows and no interior door handles. She stated that she was held captive inside this vehicle for two hours without any means of escape.

In the end, I managed to get hold of my father through Harper’s phone, and he made the journey from Baltimore to New York City to rescue me. When I crossed paths with Sean Combs, a former singer and drummer for the funky-soul band Chocolate Milk, and confronted him about his actions, he reportedly threatened to jeopardize my daughter’s career if I went to the police.

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2024-09-11 23:31

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