Diddy is facing a barrage of new lawsuits over the weekend, due to the closing after Friday (February 28) of a “lookback window” on New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act. Among them is a suit by a singer on the mogul’s TV show Making the Band, Sara Rivers.
Rivers, who is demanding at least $60 million in damages, is suing a whole host of executives and companies alongside Diddy. The complaint, filed in federal court in New York on Friday (February 28) and viewed by HipHopDX, cites “extreme emotional distress impacting nearly every aspect of Plaintiff’s life and personal relationships” as a result of her time on the show.
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Rivers’ suit alleges that she was subject to “inhumane” treatment during filming, including control of her eating and sleeping schedule; being forced to share a room with four men despite being married; being made to do uncompensated manual labor; and being mocked for her appearance. She also said that Diddy “interfered” with her music career for years following her time on the show, including by sabotaging multiple record deals.
The suit also accuses the mogul of sexual harassment and assault, recounting an alleged incident where “Diddy used his left hand to adjust collar of her jacket and then ran his left hand across her breasts, while repeating the phrase if she needs anything to let him know.”
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Diddy’s legal team issued a statement to HipHopDX about the suit.
“This is yet another example of false claims being filed against Mr. Combs,” they wrote. “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. With the deadline for New York’s Gender-Motivated Violence Act expiring tomorrow, it’s clear that opportunists are rushing to file last-minute, meritless claims. Mr. Combs remains confident he will prevail in court.”
Rivers’ attorney in the case is Ariel Mitchell — one of the people against whom Diddy filed a $50 million defamation suit in January.
The complaint, which also names grand jury witness Courtney Burgess and media conglomerate Nexstar, the parent company of NewsNation, claims that the parties deliberately fabricated accusations against him and broadcast them without due diligence.
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Burgess claimed in various interviews that he was in possession of videos of Diddy committing sexual assault against other celebrities, including minors.
Burgess also stated on air that the Bad Boy boss’ late former partner, Kim Porter, provided him with a copy of her memoir and videos of him sexually assaulting celebrities and children.
