Another woman has filed a lawsuit against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, asserting that he and his head of security sexually assaulted her and recorded the incident at his recording studio in New York in 2001. The lawsuit, lodged in federal court in New York, is one of many similar suits against Combs and was filed shortly after his arrest in relation to a federal sex trafficking indictment. Thalia Graves, the plaintiff, claims that when she was 25 and dating an executive who worked for Combs in 2001, Combs and Joseph Sherman drugged her during a meeting at Bad Boy Recording Studios. According to the lawsuit, Graves blacked out and discovered herself restrained inside Combs’ office and lounge at the studio where both men sexually assaulted her, physically abused her, and disregarded her pleas for help.
Graves stated at a press conference in Los Angeles, with attorney Gloria Allred by her side, that she has endured lasting trauma from the incident, experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts over the years. She expressed difficulties in trusting others, forming healthy relationships, and feeling secure in her own skin, adding that the emotional wounds may never completely heal. Combs is currently being held without bail in New York on allegations of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, for purportedly managing a network that facilitated sexual offenses and violent acts to protect himself and his associates.
The lawsuit filed by Graves also claims that Combs had recorded the assault and shared the video as pornography after his ex-girlfriend Cassie filed a lawsuit against him, setting off a wave of accusations. Graves was reportedly threatened by both Combs and Sherman multiple times post-assault, warning of repercussions if she disclosed the incident; she refrained from speaking out due to a divorce and custody battle, fearing the repercussions on her son. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to be determined in court and requests that all copies of the video be located and destroyed. Several companies owned by Combs are also listed as defendants in the lawsuit against the three-time Grammy winner and Bad Boy Records founder, who has been a prominent figure in the hip-hop industry for three decades.
