Lisa Bloom is representing singer Daybreak Richard, a former member of two teams shaped by the rapper, who has filed a civil lawsuit towards him.
Richard is considered one of dozens of individuals suing Combs following his arrest in September. The 55-year-old is at present in jail in New York awaiting trial over prison prices of intercourse trafficking and racketeering, which he has strenuously denied.
Warning – this story contains particulars some could discover upsetting
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Daybreak Richard carried out with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in Diddy – Soiled Cash. Pic: Reuters/Jason Redmond 2011
“I think this is just the tip of the iceberg, what we’re seeing right now,” mentioned Bloom. “I think we’re going to see a lot more accusers come forward.”
The lawyer mentioned she had “no doubt there are hundreds more people” who’ve allegations of “sexual assault, physical violence, threats, sex trafficking” towards Combs, in addition to “people associated with him”.
Nonetheless, she says many alleged victims could really feel scared or unable to talk out, or “think they have no rights” after signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
The prison case towards Combs claims that, with the assistance of some staff, he coerced and abused people for years, and used blackmail and violence to silence alleged victims.
On high of the prison prices, the hip-hop mogul additionally faces a mounting variety of civil fits, with greater than 20 filed thus far.
‘She alleges she was groped and grabbed’
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Richard attended the Grammy Awards earlier in 2024. Pic: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
Richard appeared on the TV present Making The Band, for which Combs was an govt producer, within the early 2000s.
She was a member of Danity Kane, a woman group shaped on the present who signed to his label, and later carried out alongside the rapper within the trio, Diddy – Soiled Cash.
She accuses him of subjecting her to years of inhumane working situations, and threatening her life.
“She alleges that during the show, she and the others were subjected to horrendous conditions,” Bloom mentioned. “They weren’t allowed to eat, they weren’t allowed to sleep, they were locked in places and not allowed to leave.
“They have been subjected to all types of gender feedback… calling them names, insulting them.
“She alleges that she was groped and grabbed by Sean Combs, that she witnessed him physically assaulting other women, that he restrained her, locked her into cars and other places, falsely imprisoned her, and it was just a really terrifying experience for her.”
When Richard tried to talk out on behalf of different girls Combs was allegedly abusing in her presence, she was threatened and felt “very fearful”, Bloom mentioned.
Combs’s legal professionals say Richard’s allegations are “an attempt to rewrite history”. They are saying they’re false claims manufactured by a singer who has an album out and who’s “trying to get a pay day”.
Additionally they say that if she had such “a negative experience” working with the rapper and producer whereas in Danity Kane, she wouldn’t have returned to work with him a second time in Diddy – Soiled Cash.
‘Individuals turned a blind eye’
Richard has spoken with the officers from the US Division of Justice, Bloom mentioned. She believes there shall be “more criminal charges to come” towards Combs, in addition to extra civil lawsuits.
“She’s sat and answered questions,” Bloom mentioned. “I assume other people probably have as well. So [criminal charges] could very well be forthcoming… I think there will be more civil suits as well.
“Sean Combs is the highest of the pyramid, he was the one orchestrating all the things, however those that helped him additionally have to be delivered to justice.
“We want to hold accountable anybody who’s complicit, because to victimise people on this scale where we’re probably talking about hundreds of people, you can’t do that alone, you have to have helpers… people who actually saw incidents of abuse turned a blind eye to it and continued funding these events where things happened. They should be held accountable, and we intend to do that in our case.”
Bloom mentioned she additionally expects different well-known names to be introduced up.
“People used to brag about going to Diddy parties, a lot of people were there, maybe some of them didn’t know what was happening but surely many of them did,” she mentioned. “Being a celebrity does not mean that you’re above the law, as I think some of them think.”
For now, the civil instances towards Combs are working concurrently to the prison case towards him.
The rapper has not requested for a keep, “which would essentially freeze” the civil instances, Bloom mentioned, so she is “aggressively moving ahead” with Richard’s declare.
From behind bars the rapper, by his legal professionals, has mentioned he’s “confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court”.
“I look forward to taking Sean Combs’s deposition in prison,” Bloom mentioned. “For one thing, he can’t say he’s unavailable and out of town.”
