Diddy has answered in court to a lawsuit claiming he took part in gang-raping a then-17-year-old girl in his New York City studio in 2003.
The embattled music mogul made a filing this week in a Manhattan court emphatically denying that he, Bad Boy Records executive Harve Pierre, and an unidentified third man were involved in the alleged brutal sexual assault.
“[Combs] never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever,” reads Combs’ filing.
Also addressed in Diddy’s court filing was the legitimacy of a photo from the night in question reported to show the 54-year-old in his recording studio with the woman listed as “Jane Doe” sitting in his lap.
“The context, genuineness, and/or accuracy of the photographs are disputed,” the filing contends. “Plaintiff’s decision to wait more than two decades to file her complaint has prejudiced [Combs], as he has lost the ability to defend himself fully and fairly in this action.”
“For example, some or all evidence that otherwise would have been available if the action had been promptly commenced may be unavailable, lost, or compromised,” added the filing.
Jane Doe’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, immediately responded to Combs’ filing stating the plaintiff’s case is indeed valid citing the recent number of allegations lobbied at the “Gotta Move On” artist.
“The deeply troubling allegations against the defendants by multiple women speak for themselves,” Wigdor said. “The ridiculous claim that the photos are somehow fake and the law at issue is unconstitutional are nothing more than desperate attempts to conjure a defense where none exists.”
In December, Jane Doe filed a lawsuit claiming that she met Pierre and the unidentified man in a Detroit bar and was persuaded to take a private jet back to New York with the men. Once arriving at Diddy’s recording studio, she was given drugs and liquor before being “viciously gang-raped” by the men in the studio bathroom “one after the other,” according to her lawsuit.
