Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has issued a denial from jail after 120 alleged victims came forward against him with sexual assault claims.
The Bad Boy Records founder, 54, who is jailed in New York awaiting trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, was hit with a raft of new allegations at a shocking press conference held on Tuesday, October 1.
Lawyers say the alleged victims are set to file multiple lawsuits detailing allegations of sexual assault that span over 25 years – and include women and men that were underage at the time of the reported assaults.
Following the announcement of the accusations in Texas, an attorney for Combs said the rapper cannot “address every meritless allegation” in what they branded “a reckless media circus”.
The attorney added: “That said, Mr Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors.
“He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he expects the fresh wave of lawsuits to be filed within the next month.
Most are expected to be filed in New York and Los Angeles.
Buzbee described the victims as 60 males and 60 females – adding 25 were minors at the time of the alleged misconduct.
One individual alleged he was aged nine when he was abused, and the allegations cover a period from 1991 to this year.
Buzbee said during the press conference: “This type of sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation should never happen in the United States or anywhere else.
“This should have never been allowed to go on for so long.
“This conduct has created a mass of individuals who are injured, scared and scarred.”
Combs has been locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn since pleading not guilty on September 17 to federal charges on sex trafficking and racketeering.