A former stylist for Sean "Diddy" Combs filed a civil lawsuit Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing the music mogul of a decade of sexual and physical abuse, including repeated groping, threats and coercion, according to court papers and the plaintiff's public statement.
Deonte Nash alleges in the complaint that the abuse began shortly after he began working for Combs and continued from about 2008 through 2018 while Nash was employed by Combs and by Combs' then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura. The suit names Combs and several of his business entities, including Bad Boy Entertainment and Combs Global, as defendants and seeks damages for sexual battery, assault, human trafficking and emotional distress.
In court papers and a statement provided to Rolling Stone, Nash said Combs used his influence and threats to keep him from speaking out and to control his actions. The complaint says Combs "used his power and threats of harm to compel Mr. Nash to do his bidding and prevent him from leaving defendants' control."
Nash's lawsuit recounts multiple alleged incidents spanning the decade. One claim centers on a 2017 Bad Boy Reunion Tour party where Nash says Combs grabbed his buttocks and made a sexualized remark. Other allegations include repeated groping, pinching of nipples and an incident in which Nash alleges he was forced to place his hand on Combs' genitals.
Nash also testified earlier this year as a witness in Combs' federal criminal trial, as reported by BBC, where he described intervening in a domestic assault on Ventura in 2013. "He threw me off," Nash testified at the trial, according to court records. "He continued to hit Cassie until her head hit the edge of the bed frame. ... When he noticed the blood, he just panicked." Nash said at the time that he remained silent for years out of fear but that being subpoenaed prompted him to speak publicly.
Combs, 55, was convicted in June in federal court on two charges related to prostitution, but jurors acquitted him of racketeering and sex trafficking counts. He remains in federal custody and is scheduled for sentencing Oct. 3, according to court schedules.
As ABC News reported, Combs' legal team has repeatedly denied allegations of sexual misconduct in past statements, saying he "never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor."
Attempts to reach Combs' representatives for comment on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages and alleges that Combs' business entities are liable for enabling and benefiting from the alleged misconduct. Nash's filing contends the allegations reflect a pattern of conduct in which the defendant used degrading language and threats to maintain dominance over employees and associates.
The civil complaint follows a string of other accusations that have become public in recent years involving Combs. Those matters, along with the federal conviction, have increased scrutiny of Combs' business operations and personal conduct, prompting ongoing civil litigation.
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