Music

Cassie began dating Combs around 2007, and the two were on-and-off until calling it quits for good in 2018. The “Me & U” singer filed a lawsuit in November accusing Combs of egregious behavior with years of abuse and one instance of rape.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, attorneys for Cassie alleged she had “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated beatings and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers.”

According to the complaint, after she attempted to separate herself from him in 2018, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.”

Cassie claimed that she suffered “episodes of horrific abuse” during their relationship, including times when he would allegedly fly into an “uncontrollable rage” and “beat Ms. Ventura savagely.”

She also alleged in her suit that that Diddy “blew up” a car belonging to Kid Cudi in 2012 after he learned that the rapper was “romantically” interested in her.

Less than 24 hours after the lawsuit was reported, Combs and Cassie reached a settlement for an undisclosed amount. Terms of the deal are not known.

“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Cassie said in a statement issued by her attorney, Douglas Wigdor. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”

Wigdor also claimed that the musician had offered his client “eight figures” to prevent her from filing the lawsuit, which she rejected.

Combs responded with a statement: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.” 

A day before the New York State Adult Survivors Act expired in the Big Apple, Combs was hit with a pair of sexual assault lawsuits. One was from an anonymous plaintiff, who claimed the music mogul sexually assaulted and beat her, while the other was filed by a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal, who accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her when she was a college student in 1991. Dickerson-Neal claimed that Diddy had footage of the assault, and allegedly distributed it to others around the music industry.

With three lawsuits filed against him, Combs agreed to resign from his role at Revolt — which he helped launch in 2013 — and no longer serve as chairman of the digital media company.

“While Mr. Combs has previously no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps ensure that Revolt remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora,” a statement from the company said. “Our focus has always been one that reflects our commitment to the collective journey of Revolt — one that is not driven by the individual, but by the shared efforts and values of our entire team on behalf of advancing, elevating, and championing our culture and that continues.”

50 Cent has been relentless in trolling Diddy throughout the obstacles in his life, and offered to buy Revolt from the Bad Boy boss after learning he was stepping aside.

“I’ll buy that from you play boy , for the low because you know Cadillac and AT&T gonna pull out,” he wrote above two photos of headlines about Diddy stepping down. “I’ll give you a few dollars for it now! Sell it to me, then we can be friends … Im serious call my phone.”

A fourth lawsuit showed up at the mogul’s doorstep in December, in which a Jane Doe person alleged she was “sex trafficked” and “gang raped” by Combs, former Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre and another individual in 2003 when she was just 17 years old.

Lawyers for Pierre did not respond to Billboard’s request for comment.

Combs released a statement on social media, denying all of the allegations levied against him.

“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” he wrote. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

Eighteen brands severed ties from doing business with Combs’ E-commerce company, Empower Global, in the wake of the mounting sexual misconduct allegations against the music mogul, according to Rolling Stone.

“While this decision was difficult due [to] the reverence we once held for Mr. Combs as a leader in business and entertainment, it was clearly the correct choice,” Lenard Grier, co-founder of No One Clothiers told the magazine of pulling out of the relationship with Combs’ company. “Our brand is founded on the belief that every individual is important and worthy of respect, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, etc. The allegations against Mr. Combs are in direct conflict with these beliefs. In turn, we felt a moral imperative to end our relationship.”

Other companies that ended their relationships with Empower also gave similar statements to the magazine.

A Hulu series following Diddy’s family was scrapped in December. Sources relayed to Billboard that Diddy+7 was only in its early stages and not currently in production. The project was set to be produced for Hulu by James Corden‘s production company, Fulwell 73.

Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. worked on The Love Album: Off the Grid 2023 and filed a lawsuit against Combs in February. Rod accused Combs of sexual misconduct, assault and harassment.

He accused the musician of “groping and touching” his butt and trying to groom him into engaging in sexual acts with Combs and other individuals on his team. Lil Rod also claimed that Diddy “forced” him to “solicit sex workers” — some of whom were allegedly underage — and have them “perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs,” according to the complaint.

Jones Jr. claimed that he woke up in bed “naked, dizzy and confused” one night in February 2023 at the mogul’s Miami home with the Bad Boy entertainer and two sex workers. Rod believes he was drugged.

The lawsuit also brings up an alleged incident at Chalice Recording Studio in Hollywood from September 2022 that resulted in a man being shot following a “heated conversation” between Diddy, his son Justin and another man.

The producer is also suing Combs, UMG, Motown, Love Records and Chalice Recording Studio for providing “inadequate or negligent security” that night.

Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley denied Jones Jr.’s allegations in a statement shared with Billboard, saying that the producer was just “looking for an undeserved payday.” She continued: “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. … We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”

Department of Homeland Security Investigations New York executed search warrants, with federal agents raiding Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes on March 25.

The Homeland Security raids were reportedly done “in connection” with an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation, according to CNN. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York are leading the case.

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

Combs reportedly agreed to a deal to sell his stake in Revolt TV after stepping down from his role as chairman in November amid sexual assault allegations. According to TMZ, the mogul sold his remaining shares of Revolt to an anonymous buyer. The report noted that the company will remain Black-owned. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer spoke out against the “gross overuse of military-level force” in the raids of the musician’s residences, and vowed to end the “witch hunt” against his client.

“There was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer told Billboard in a statement. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.”

Dyer added that Diddy and his family have not been arrested and are allowed to travel how they please, even after the pair of raids.

“This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits,” he continued. “There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

A 25-year-old man accused of being a drug “mule” for Diddy in a recent lawsuit was arrested at Opa-Locka Airport on March 25 at the same time Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami homes were being raided. Per Rolling Stone, Brendan Paul was booked on a pair of drug possession charges for cocaine and marijuana.

With some homework from internet detectives connecting the dots, Paul was identified as a former NCAA athlete who played basketball at Syracuse University from 2018 through 2020.