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More than a hundred new sexual assault allegations have been made against Sean “Diddy” Combs, with a Texas lawyer revealing he’s representing 120 accusers who have shared dozens of new, shocking claims.
Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee held a press conference Tuesday, saying “we will expose the enablers who enabled this conduct behind closed doors. We will pursue this matter no matter who the evidence implicates.”
“Many powerful people … many dirty secrets,” the lawyer said of the allegations, per NBC News. He said his team has “collected pictures, video, texts,” and that the list of names collected “will shock you.”
On Friday, Buzbee’s law firm announced it is representing more than 50 accusers who approached them with “gut-wrenching” stories from what they witnessed at the rapper’s alleged “freak off” parties.
He also wrote that he expects many other people to be implicated as the case and other lawsuits grow and move through the court system.
By Tuesday, the number of people taken on by Buzbee Law Firm and the AVA Law Group had more than doubled, Buzbee said. He also said that more than 3,000 people have contacted his office with accusations against Combs and that they will be filing lawsuits in various states.
“I ask that we treat these brave individuals with the dignity and compassion that they deserve as they go through this trying time,” he said during Tuesday’s press conference. “Further, I’m also asking that if you have been victimized, or are a witness to the alleged behaviour, please come forward. Your identify will remain confidential at this time.”
“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, that really wasn’t a secret at all, has finally been revealed to the world,” Buzbee said. “The wall of silence has now been broken.”
Buzbee said that 62 per cent of this new group of accusers identify as African American, are split equally between men and women and that the youngest was nine years old at the time of occurrence. He added that 25 of the current accusers were minors at the time of the incidents, which date back to as early as 1991.
Following the news conference in Texas, an lawyer for Combs said the performer “cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.”
“That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” attorney Erica Wolff said in a statement to The Associated Press. “He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Tuesday’s announcement is the latest in a growing mountain of lawsuits against the disgraced musician.
Last week it was announced that another woman had sued Combs, alleging the music mogul and his head of security raped her and recorded it on video at his New York recording studio in 2001. The news came one week after he was arrested and a federal sex trafficking indictment against him was unsealed.
According to the indictment, Combs’ “freak offs” often involved narcotic drugs including ketamine, ecstasy and GHB. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said the drugs were used to keep victims “obedient and compliant.”
The alleged “freak offs” were often so physically demanding that Combs apparently stocked IV treatments for those who needed to recover. The music mogul was arrested on Sept. 16 on racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges.
Combs remains jailed in New York after being denied bail twice. He pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. His lawyer said he is innocent and will fight to clear his name.
The first lawsuit was filed by Combs’ former girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, last November. Ventura said she endured years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Combs.
— With files from Global News’ Sarah Do Couto
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— If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse or is involved in an abusive situation, please visit the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for help. They are also reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.