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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs files to vacate $100-million default settlement to Michigan inmate

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs files to vacate $100-million default settlement to Michigan inmate

As someone who values justice and fairness above all else, I find myself deeply troubled by the recent developments surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs. While I have always admired his success in the music industry, it is difficult to ignore the growing number of allegations against him regarding sexual assault.

It appears that Sean “Diddy” Combs isn’t going to transfer multi-million dollar funds to the Michigan inmate who accused him of sexual assault in a lawsuit, at least not anytime soon.

On Thursday, the disgraced music and media magnate, who has been accused of sexual assault (recently exposed), filed a request to overturn a judge’s decision from Lenawee County, issued on Monday. This decision required him to pay his accuser, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, a sum of $100 million in an out-of-court settlement. The absence of the rapper in court led to this ruling. Starting from October, he is supposed to pay $10 million each month.

In a motion of 83 pages, obtained by The Times, lawyers for Combs argued that he was not properly served with the summons and complaint that Cardello-Smith filed in June. Furthermore, they stated that Combs has no duty, past or present, to answer to this legal complaint.

51-year-old Cardello-Smith is presently incarcerated in the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility due to multiple charges of sexual misconduct, as per a Michigan prison records database. He has filed a lawsuit against Combs, aged 54, claiming that the influential figure used drugs and sexually assaulted him during a social event at a Holiday Inn in Michigan, as stated in the legal document.

According to Cardello-Smith, who was employed as a bartender in a restaurant at the time, he claimed that Combs inappropriately touched him on his left hip and suggested a drugged drink for him. After accepting the drink, Cardello-Smith lost consciousness. He subsequently alleged that upon regaining awareness, he observed Combs engaging in sexual activities with a woman. The lawsuit asserts that Combs then reportedly said, “I did this to you too,” according to Cardello-Smith’s legal documents.

In the court case, Combs’ attorney discarded Cardello-Smith’s claims as “hardly credible,” stating further that the accusations present a “storyline that is difficult to grasp.

A recently submitted document disputes how and when Cardello-Smith delivered legal papers to Combs, claiming that the acclaimed artist learned about the lawsuit following the public announcement of the $100 million verdict this week.

In light of the recent court order, attorney Marc Agnifilo emphasized Cardello-Smith’s criminal background and penchant for lawsuits in a statement issued on Tuesday.

In simpler terms, the lawyer stated that the individual in question is a criminal with a history of sexual assault and kidnapping spanning over two decades, for which he was convicted on 14 counts. However, this person has allegedly deceived the court from prison by falsely claiming to have filed a lawsuit against someone named Mr. Combs, whom he claims to be unfamiliar with and never served. Mr. Combs anticipates that this false claim will be quickly disregarded and dismissed.

Cardello-Smith is an individual who has taught himself about civil and criminal laws, often recognized for his lengthy track record of contesting the judicial system through civil court cases. As reported by Detroit Metro Times, from 2020 to 2024, he has been involved in over 30 lawsuits, with some focusing on prisoner rights, as stated in legal paperwork.

Before taking legal action against Combs, Cardello-Smith had been convicted three times by Minnesota’s criminal court. These convictions followed either a plea agreement or a no contest plea. The crimes he was accused of ranged from third-degree criminal sexual conduct to kidnapping and first-degree criminal sexual conduct during the commission of a felony. His most recent sentence, handed down in May 2019, requires him to serve between 17½ and 35 years in prison.

5 incidents took place in September and October of 1997, which was also the year that the incident involving Combs is said to have occurred. The inmate records show that Cardello-Smith could be released as early as July 2036, but not later than May 2086, an age when he would be 113 years old.

On Friday, a spokesperson for Combs failed to provide a comment in response to The Times’ query. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach Cardello-Smith, the individual who filed a lawsuit against Combs without legal representation.

Combs’ lawyers have submitted a request to terminate the temporary injunction that Cardello-Smith sought in August, against the troubled businessman. The court hearing for this motion has been scheduled for Monday.

In the ongoing Michigan case, rapper Diddy (Combs) has been hit with additional legal trouble this week. Singer Dawn Richard from Danity Kane filed a lawsuit against him, alleging sexual assault, harassment, and cruel treatment. Previously, singer Cassie Ventura, his ex-girlfriend, and producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones have both taken Combs to court within the past year.

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2024-09-13 22:31

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