Sean “Diddy” Combs’ troubles continued Tuesday as a lawsuit filed in New York federal court accused the hip-hop mogul of drugging and sexually assaulting a model in 2003.
The lawsuit was filed by Crystal McKinney under the name ‘ NYC Gender-Motivated Violence Law, which allows victims of gender-based violence in the city to sue their abusers, regardless of when the abuse occurred. The period for filing lawsuits under that law ends in 2025.
McKinney is also suing Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, his label’s distributor, Universal Music Group, and Combs’ fashion brand, Sean John Clothing.
According to the suit, the then 22-year-old McKinney, who was an emerging fashion model, was introduced to Combs in 2003 by an unnamed fashion designer. The suit alleges that the designer dressed and styled McKinney “to ensure that Combs found her attractive” before taking her to meet Combs at Cipriani Downtown, a restaurant in New York City.
According to the lawsuit, Combs made a number of flirtatious and sexually suggestive comments about McKinney’s performance in front of the other dinner guests, including the designer. Later that evening, Combs allegedly invited McKinney to his recording studio, where he drank alcohol and smoked marijuana with several male companions, the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit says Comb gave McKinney a joint and said, “You’ve never had weed like this before,” which McKinney interpreted to mean the marijuana was laced with another drug.
“Although the plaintiff insisted she had had enough afterward, Combs pressured her to consume more alcohol and marijuana by telling her she was acting too tense,” the lawsuit reads.
After McKinney became “very drunk,” Combs led her into the bathroom and forced her to perform oral sex on him. Afterwards, she claims she lost consciousness and woke up in a taxi.
CBS News has reached out to Combs’ representatives for comment. Universal Music Group declined to comment “pending attorneys’ review of the lawsuit.”
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McKinney claims her modeling opportunities disappeared after the alleged incident because Combs “blackballed” her in the industry and used his considerable influence to hinder her [her] career growth.” According to the lawsuit, in the years after the alleged incident, McKinney became anxious, depressed and addicted to drugs and alcohol, and attempted suicide around 2004.
The lawsuit follows surveillance video aired by CNN on Friday shows Combs attacking singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Combing on Sunday publicly apologized for the incident, saying his behavior was “inexcusable” and that he takes “full responsibility” for his actions.
Earlier this month, Combs asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit alleging he and two co-defendants committed the murder raped a 17-year-old girl in a recording studio in New York in 2003saying it was a “false and abhorrent claim” that was filed too late under the law.
In March, Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officials because of a possible ongoing sex trafficking investigation, U.S. officials said at the time.
Other allegations against the music mogul include that of two women in November last year, a week after he settled a separate lawsuit with singer Cassie which included allegations of rape and physical abuse. The women’s lawsuits were filed on the eve of the expiration of the term the Adult Survivors Acta New York law that gives victims of sexual abuse one year to file civil action, regardless of the statute of limitations.
In February, a male music producer has also filed a federal lawsuit against Combs accusing him of sexual misconduct.
