Note: This article contains descriptions of alleged sexual assault.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sued by former model Crystal McKinney, who says he forced her to perform oral sex at his New York studio in 2003. McKinney’s lawsuit is the sixth major complaint in six months against the artist and mogul, and follows the release last week of video footage showing Diddy attacking then-girlfriend Casandra Elizabeth “Cassie” Ventura in 2016.
In the complaint, obtained by Pitchfork, McKinney describes meeting Diddy at a fashion event when she was 23. She alleges that, after being invited that night to his recording studio, she was pressured into consuming alcohol and marijuana that she later believed to be laced with a narcotic or similar substance. Once she became intoxicated, she recalls that Diddy led her to a bathroom and began kissing her against her will. He then “shoved her head down to his crotch” and told her to “suck it,” according to the lawsuit. She says that, when she refused, Diddy physically forced her.
McKinney says she passed out shortly afterward. When she woke up later in a cab, she claims, she realized she had been sexually assaulted.
Diddy’s legal team did not return a request for comment. The lawsuit—filed under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act—also names Universal Music Entertainment Group, which was not available for comment.
Since Cassie filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy—which was quickly settled—last November, a string of accusers has stepped forward. The same month, two women separately sued the musician, one alleging rape, the other sex trafficking and revenge porn, both in the 1990s. In December, another lawsuit alleged he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old high school student in 2003. And, in February, the music producer Rodney Jones Jr., also known as Lil Rod, accused Diddy of sexual assault and grooming, among other claims. The following month, two of Diddy’s homes were raided as part of a Homeland Security investigation into federal sex trafficking. Diddy’s lawyers have denied most charges against him, including, at first, Cassie’s allegations, though he apologized last week after the incriminating assault video was released.
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
http://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
