Sean 'Diddy' Combs Update: Timeline of Accusations, Charges

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Sean "Diddy" Combs is allegedly refusing to leave his jail cell to accept legal service, a lawyer said Monday in a court filing.

Combs, 55, awaits his May sex trafficking trial behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. The rap mogul is also the subject of over 25 lawsuits containing accusations of sexual misconduct.

In two sexual assault lawsuits against Combs, attorney Tony Buzbee's co-counsel Antigone Curis requested Monday to postpone the January 10 conferences, claiming they've "faced delays caused by defendant Combs refusing to leave his cell to accept service."

Newsweek has contacted Combs' legal team for comment.

November 20, 2023—Cassie Ventura Files Lawsuit

R&B singer Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, describing their previous 11-year relationship as a "cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking."

Ventura and Combs dated for over a decade until calling it quits for good in 2018. In her suit, Ventura alleged Combs physically and emotionally abused her, forced her to have sex with male sex workers while he filmed them, raped her, threatened her and introduced her to "an ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fueled lifestyle."

November 21, 2023—Ventura, Diddy Settle Suit

Combs and Ventura settled the lawsuit a day after it was filed, which representatives for Combs said was not an admission of guilt.

In her statement, Ventura said, "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support."

Combs said, "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love."

November 23, 2023—Two More Sexual Assault Lawsuits Filed Against Diddy

Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, alleging he drugged, sexually assaulted and secretly recorded her in 1991 while she was a college student. The case was filed under New York's temporary law allowing older sexual assault claims beyond the statute of limitations.

In a separate lawsuit from November 2023, an anonymous woman accused Combs and singer Aaron Hall of drugging and raping her and a friend in 1990 or 1991 after an MCA Records event. This lawsuit also falls under the same temporary law, with the plaintiff describing the alleged assaults as highly traumatic.

December 2023—Jane Doe Alleges She Was Gang-Raped at 17

Combs faced another lawsuit in December 2023, in which an unnamed woman accused him of drugging and gang-raping her in 2003 when she was 17 years old.

Combs denies any wrongdoing.

February 2024—Rodney Jones Files Lawsuit, Alleges 'RICO Enterprise'

Music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of sexually assaulting him and coercing him into sexual acts with prostitutes.

The wide-ranging lawsuit alleges that Combs drugged him, and that Jones then woke up naked in bed with Combs and two sex workers. Jones accuses Combs of grooming him for sexual activities and encouraging him to recruit prostitutes. Combs allegedly directed Jones to wear a Bad Boy baseball cap at a Miami establishment as a signal to sex workers that he was soliciting on Combs' behalf, according to court documents.

Jones seeks $30 million in his lawsuit, alleging that multiple parties failed to monitor, warn or supervise Combs' actions. The case names Combs' son Justin, his chief of staff Kristina Khorram, Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, former Motown Records CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam, various record labels and unnamed individuals. Jones accuses these parties of operating as a "RICO enterprise," collectively violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

March 25, 2024—FBI Raids Diddy's Miami, Los Angeles Mansions

Federal agents searched Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March as part of a sex trafficking investigation.

Guns and ammunition, narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant related to alleged violent sex events called "Freak Offs" were found during the raids, an unsealed federal indictment later showed.

May 17, 2024—CNN Video of Ventura, Diddy

CNN published surveillance footage from 2016 at the InterContinental Hotel, showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura. The video allegedly captured her trying to leave a "Freak Off," but Combs' lawyers denied that.

Combs posted an apology video to his Instagram, telling fans in the since-deleted post, "It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f—ed up. I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable."

Ventura also reacted to the release of the footage in an Instagram statement, writing, "Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning."

September 10, 2024—Danity Kane Member Files Lawsuit

Dawn Richard, former member of the Combs-created girl group Danity Kane, filed a lawsuit against the rap mogul, alleging sexual assault, sex trafficking and other abuses during their professional relationship.

Richard alleged that Combs subjected her to years of sexual and verbal abuse, deprived her of food and sleep and withheld approximately $3.5 million in unpaid wages and royalties. She also alleges witnessing Combs physically assault other women, including Ventura.

Combs denied these allegations, describing them as opportunistic and false.

September 16, 2024—Diddy Arrested In New York City

Combs was arrested without incident at New York City's Park Hyatt Hotel on West 57th Street and charged with the following counts:

One count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
One count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
One count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

October 1, 2024—Tony Buzbee Announces 120 Plaintiffs Against Diddy

Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee announced that his firm had vetted thousands of calls from people alleging they were abused by Combs. During an explosive news conference, Buzbee said he was representing 120 plaintiffs against Combs.

"The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that really wasn't a secret at all has finally been revealed to the world. The wall of silence has now been broken, and victims are coming forward," Buzbee said during the announcement.

"It's a long list already, but because of the nature of this case, we are going to make sure, damn sure, we are right," Buzbee said. "These names will shock you."

November 27, 2024—Diddy Denied Bail for Third Time

Judge Arun Subramanian determined there was no way to ensure the safety of the community if Combs were released on bail and denied his third attempt to do so in November.

He highlighted concerns about witness tampering and cited direct evidence of Combs' violence, including a Combs-submitted version of the 2016 video of him assaulting Ventura at the Los Angeles hotel.

December 8, 2024—Jay-Z Named In Lawsuit

A Jane Doe already suing Combs amended her complaint in November to add Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, accusing the two of taking turns in raping her at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000 when she was 13. Combs and Jay-Z have denied these allegations.

December 18, 2024—Jay-Z Lawyer-Buzbee War

On December 18, Buzbee filed a lawsuit accusing lawyers Marcy Croft and the firm Quinn Emanuel, who represent Jay-Z's Roc Nation, of orchestrating a scheme to bribe his current and former clients into suing his law firm.

Buzbee alleged that Roc Nation agents, posing as Texas state officials with fake badges, contacted over two dozen of his clients and offered them money—up to $10,000—to take legal action against him. Buzbee claims that Croft was caught on tape discussing the plan in detail.

Croft and Roc Nation denied the allegations.

December 20, 2024—Radio Prize Winner Files Lawsuit

LaTroya Grayson filed a lawsuit alleging that she was invited to a 2006 promotional party in New York after her sibling won a KJAMZ radio contest sponsored by Combs and others. The prize included round-trip airfare for the winner and a guest, a hotel stay in New York City and two tickets to Combs' "White Party," later changed to a "Black Party."

In the suit, Grayson said she felt sick after accepting two premade drinks from waitresses at the party and headed to the bathroom. While she has no memory of what happened next, Grayson alleged, she woke up in the hospital after being drugged, sexually assaulted and robbed. She does not explicitly mention seeing or speaking with Combs at the party and cannot identify her assailant.

A representative for Combs denied Grayson's allegations.