Sean Combs has filed his first official response to claims he raped a 17-year-old girl in a recording studio in 2003.
The rapper was sued in December by an unnamed woman, who said the star and two other men plied her with “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol” before taking turns raping her in a bathroom.
In court papers filed on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, Combs denied the accusations and questioned the timing of the lawsuit.
He also questioned the legitimacy of photographs included in the lawsuit.
Combs “never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever,” his lawyers said in a response filed in the Southern District of New York.
They also argued that the two-decade gap between the alleged assault and the court case had “prejudiced” the case against Combs, “as he has lost the ability to defend himself fully and fairly in this action”.
“For example, some or all evidence that otherwise would have been available if the action had been promptly commenced may be unavailable, lost, or compromised,” they said.
In the original lawsuit, a woman identified as Jane Doe said she was approached by Combs’ longtime business partner Pierre Harve in 2003, who told her he was “best friends” with the music mogul.
After speaking to Combs on the phone, she was convinced to board a private jet to New York, where she was taken to his Daddy’s House Recording Studio.
She alleges that Combs, Harve and an unnamed third man encouraged her to become inebriated, after which she was “viciously” raped by all three men, while “coming in and out of consciousness”.
“She could not possibly have consented to having sex with anyone, much less someone twice her age,” her lawyers said, adding that the assault had resulted in “significant emotional distress and feel[ing]s of shame that have plagued her life and personal relationships for 20 years”.
The complaint also included photos of the woman, purportedly taken at the studio that night, including one where she is pictured sitting on Combs’ lap.
Pierre filed his own response to the lawsuit on Tuesday, saying he “never participated in the sexual assault of the plaintiff nor did he ever witness anyone else sexually assaulting the plaintiff”.
In addition, Combs’ lawyers argued that the lawsuit should be thrown out because the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act, under which he is being sued, is “unconstitutional”.
An amendment to the act, passed in 2022, temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on gender-based violence cases – meaning victims of historical sexual abuse had a two-year window to sue their attackers, even if it had been decades since the assault.
“Allowing this action to proceed violates defendant’s rights under the US Constitution and the New York State Constitution,” Combs’ legal team said.
The legal case was the fourth such action against Combs filed last year.
The star’s ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura sued him in November, alleging the record label executive alleged raped her in 2018 and subjected her to years of sexual and physical abuse.
The musicians settled the lawsuit two days later.”I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” said Ventura in a statement.
Two more accusers filed lawsuits against Combs the following week. One alleged Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her and then showed video of the assault to others.
The other woman alleged Combs and another man took turns raping her and her friend in the early 1990s.
Combs later issued a statement denying all the allegations against him.
“Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said.
“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,” he continued.
The musician shot to fame under the name Puff Daddy, writing producing hits for acts like Notorious B.I.G, Faith Evans and Mary J Blige.
He launched a solo career after Notorious B.I.G.’s murder in 1997, scoring a worldwide number one with the tribute song I’ll Be Missing You.
The 54-year-old has kept a low profile since the allegations of sexual assault emerged last year. He stepped down as chairman of his media company, Revolt, and parted ways with drinks company Diageo, with whom he marketed the “premium” vodka brand, Ciroc.
The star was also absent from the Grammy Awards earlier this month, where his latest record – The Love Album: Off The Grid – was nominated for best progressive R&B album.
