Sean “Diddy” Combs stands accused of drugging and sexually assaulting model Crystal McKinney in 2003 in a harrowing new lawsuit filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, per usatoday.com. McKinney, who was 22 at the time, alleges that the assault occurred at Combs’ New York City studio after he had promised to advance her career.
The complaint details a disturbing evening in 2003 when Combs, then 34, invited McKinney to his studio after meeting her at a Men’s Fashion Week event. McKinney alleges that Combs plied her with alcohol and later gave her a marijuana joint that she believes was laced with a narcotic. Once at the studio, Combs allegedly forced her to perform oral sex. McKinney, who describes herself as a “woman of faith,” says she felt a “moral obligation” to come forward after seeing recent media coverage of other allegations against Combs.
McKinney claims the assault had devastating effects on her life and career, leading to depression, anxiety and a severe decline in professional opportunities. She alleges that Combs “blackballed” her in the modelling industry, causing her career to “evaporate entirely.” The lawsuit, filed under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Combs, now 54, has faced a series of similar accusations in recent months, including allegations of rape and sexual assault spanning several decades. In March, his Los Angeles home was raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation in New York.
Representatives for both McKinney and Combs have yet to comment on the latest lawsuit. McKinney, who says she “prayed to God before bringing this lawsuit,” hopes to achieve justice for herself and other alleged victims. She demands a jury trial to address the emotional and reputational damages she has suffered.
