A third lawsuit alleging sexual assault has been filed against rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which expired at midnight on Thursday.
This was the last chance for sexual assault survivors to add to the more than 2,500 lawsuits filed under the act, closing a one-year window that assisted in holding perpetrators of abuse accountable.
The act was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul in May 2022 and gave anyone who was 18 years of age or older at the time of an alleged offense a one-year window—from November 24, 2022, to November 23, 2023—to file a lawsuit against their alleged abusers and the institutions that enabled them. This was regardless of the statute of limitations.
A surge of lawsuits against well-known figures from various industries were filed in the final days before the window closed, including against Combs. Newsweek reached out to a Combs representative for comment via email on Friday.
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Joi Dickerson-Neal’s Accusations
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Combs was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal. The suit alleges that Combs filmed the incident and showed the video to others in an act described as “revenge porn.” The complaint comes days after Combs settled a suit with Cassie Ventura, who accused him of raping, sex trafficking and physically abusing her for nearly a decade.
Californian woman Dickerson-Neal said the assault took place almost 32 years ago when she was a psychology student at Syracuse University and Combs was a talent director at Uptown Records. She had previously featured in a music video for the record producer and in January 1991 she “reluctantly” accepted his invitation to a meal in New York.
Rolling Stone was able to obtain the lawsuit, which states that after taking Dickerson-Neal to dinner, Combs drove her to a recording studio. She has claimed that after being purposefully drugged by the rapper, she was unable to get out of the vehicle, “resulting in her being in a physical state where she could not independently stand or walk.” Combs then allegedly sexually assaulted her once they were back at an apartment.
Combs denied the allegation in a statement to TMZ. “This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head,” a representative said. “[The] 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicated companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”
The suit says Dickerson-Neal and Combs shared mutual friends and acquaintances, some of whom she claims were shown the explicit video footage Combs filmed of her. Dickerson-Neal claims she was left traumatized, which resulted in her dropping out of college and giving up her dreams of having a career in the music industry. She is seeking unspecified damages from Combs and a trial by jury. Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records and Combs Enterprises are also listed as defendants in the suit.
Jane Doe’s Lawsuit
According to a new complaint from an unidentified accuser named Jane Doe in the lawsuit, Combs and singer Aaron Hall are accused of raping the plaintiff and her friend in 1990 or 1991.
Rolling Stone, who viewed the filing, reported that Jane Doe claims she and her friend first met Diddy and Hall during an event held at MCA Records’ New York headquarters. MCA Records is the distributor of Uptown Records, where Combs was a talent director.
Combs and Hall allegedly invited the women back to Hall’s apartment for an afterparty where the filing claims that while there, Jane Doe was coerced into having sex with Combs. “After Combs finished doing his business, Jane Doe laid in bed, shocked and traumatized. As she was in the process of getting dressed, Hall barged into the room, pinned her down and forced Jane Doe to have sex with him,” the filing claims.
Following the alleged rape, the complainant later spoke to her friend and learned the other woman “had been forced to have sex with Combs and Hall in another room.”
According to the documents, a few days after the alleged assaults, Combs allegedly went to the house where Jane Doe and her friend were staying and became violent. The complaint states: “He was angry and began assaulting and choking Jane Doe to the point that she passed out. Combs was searching for Jane Doe’s friend because he was worried that she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them.”
In addition to Hall and Combs, MCA Music Entertainment and Geffen Records are named as defendants in the lawsuit. The filing asserts that Jane Doe sought medical attention “to heal from the trauma visited upon her by Combs and Hall.”
Settled Out of Court
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R&B singer Cassie Ventura, the rapper’s ex-girlfriend, filed a suit in Manhattan Federal Court on November 16 alleging that the 54-year-old had sexually assaulted and physically abused her over their 10-year relationship. Combs refuted the allegations, and on November 17, they reached a settlement out of court.
In the lawsuit, the 37-year-old claimed that Combs had forced her into sexual encounters, threatened her for years, introduced her to drugs and took control of her career and personal life. This reportedly included forcing her into sexual encounters with male sex workers, which he allegedly filmed and photographed.
Cassie also alleged that the music mogul subjected her to regular beatings and raped her when she attempted to end their relationship in 2018. On November 17, Combs’ team announced that the case had settled out of court.
“We have decided to resolve this matter amicably,” Combs said. “I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
Combs’ lawyer, Ben Brafman, said: “Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
In a statement, Cassie 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.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
