Note: This article contains references to alleged sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is being sued by a woman who claims that he and others gang-raped her, in California, in 2018. The woman, Ashley Parham, filed her lawsuit on Tuesday, October 15, in a California federal court.
In her complaint, obtained by Pitchfork, Parham claims that she first encountered Diddy, in February 2018, through a man named Shane Pearce, who apparently wanted to impress Parham by showing her that he was friends with the music mogul by calling him on FaceTime. Parham recalls that she was unimpressed “because she believed Defendant Diddy had something to do with the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.” Diddy apparently heard Parham’s remark and noted that she “would ‘pay’ for her statement regarding Tupac and overall dismissal of Defendant Diddy.”
Parham says she spent time again with Pearce in March 2018 after he “invited [her] over to his home to assist him with his cancer medications because he stated he was weak and unable to open his medications.” At the apartment, Parham claims, “Diddy entered the home in a grand ‘ready to party’ manner,” marking the first time she met Diddy face to face.
The lawsuit continues:
Following the antagonism, Diddy held a knife to Parham’s face and threatened to cut her “in retaliation for her previous statements on the video call,” the lawsuit claims. Diddy allegedly proceeded to take off Parham’s clothing and squirt her with “an oil/lubricant” before vaginally raping her with a television remote. Diddy, Pearce, and two unidentified men also anally raped Parham, according to the complaint.
After the alleged gang rape, Diddy forced Parham to ingest an “unknown pill.” Later, she claims, she confronted Diddy about the assault, but the musician responded by offering her money to say that the encounter was consensual and that she was a sex worker. When Parham refused to accept Diddy’s offer, he allegedly told her “no one would ever believe she had been raped by him and if she did tell anyone such that they would harm her family.”
Parham says that she went to multiple police departments to report the alleged rape, but no charges have been filed.
An attorney for Parham, Ariel Mitchell, offered no comment when reached by Pitchfork. Representatives for Diddy also offered no comment.
Sean “Diddy” is incarcerated on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty, and he is due to stand trial on May 5, 2025.
Diddy is also facing numerous lawsuits for alleged abuse. He has broadly denied allegations of wrongdoing.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has long been linked to the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur, but he has maintained that he had nothing to do with the murder. A man named Duane “Keffe D” Davis was arrested last year and charged with Shakur’s murder, and he remains incarcerated as he awaits a March 2025 trial. Davis, who has pleaded not guilty, has claimed that Diddy offered $1 million to have Shakur killed. Shakur’s family has also reportedly hired celebrity lawyer Alex Spiro to investigate Diddy’s potential connection to Shakur’s death.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
