Sean “Diddy” Combs has stepped down from his role as Chairman of REVOLT temporarily, according to TMZ. The decision was made by the mogul last week and announced yesterday in an effort to not have his personal issues be a distraction to the company’s mission and goals.
Combs’ partnership with Capital Preparatory Schools has also come to an end. Steve Perry, founder and head of the school, said an evaluation was conducted and it was decided that the school needed to part ways with Combs. “While this decision was not made lightly, we firmly believe it is in the best interest of our organization's health and futures,” said Perry in a statement posted on the school’s official website.
Combs has found himself mired in legal trouble since being charged with sexual assault by his longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura. While Cassie, formerly an artist on Combs’ Bad Boy Records, has since settled her case for an undisclosed amount, Combs has since been hit with two new sexual assault charges.
The charge following Cassie’s was made by a former Syracuse University student who says she was sexually assaulted by the Bad Boy Worldwide CEO in 1991. The woman says she was drugged by Mr. Combs, who allegedly filmed the sexual act. She also says the video of the sex act was shown to other men; a male friend of hers was one of the men who saw the footage, she claims.
The alleged victim said she and Combs ate dinner at a Harlem restaurant and went to a recording studio post-dinner but was unable to exit the car. The two relocated to where he was staying, according to the woman, who says she was a victim of revenge porn, among other charges.
Combs was charged with a third sexual assault case. According to Rolling Stone, a Jane Doe accused Combs and Guy lead singer Aaron Hall of raping her more than 30 years ago.
All of these cases have been filed under the Adult Survivors Act, which expired on Friday (November 24).
The woman and her friend, Hall, and Combs, all met at an MCA party, the then parent label of Uptown Records. Combs was an A&R at the historical label responsible for starting the careers of Mary J. Blige, Heavy D, and many others. Hall was an artist on the label as part of supergroup Guy. According to the accuser, she and a friend were “offered drinks throughout the night” at the party and went back to Hall’s home, where she was coerced into having sex by Combs. While getting dressed, the woman says Hall “barged into the room, pinned her down and forced Jane Doe to have sex with him.”
The lawsuit also says Combs turned violent days after the assault, found the woman, and choked her “to the point that she passed out.” Combs, allegedly, was also in search of the woman’s friend, as he was fearful that “she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them.”
A spokesperson for Combs released a statement to People in response to these new sexual assault allegations. “These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute,” wrote the spokesperson. “This is nothing but a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for anonymous accusers who lie without conscience or consequence for financial benefit.”
The charges are starting to effect Combs’ businesses. In addition to Revolt and Capitol Prepatory Schools, Macy’s announced that it will cease selling Combs’ fashion line, Sean John, effective immediately, but the department store already had this in motion due to the brand’s slowing sales. Liquor distributor Diageo has stated that Combs’ current legal issues present a reason why he should not be the public face of the spirits brand.
Combs, who sued Diageo in May, has claimed the company did not invest resources into his new tequila and vodka brands, Deleon and Ciroq, respectively, the way they did other brands under the umbrella due to racism.
The NY Adult Survivors Act was implemented in 2022 by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. The law created a one-year window that allowed victims of sexual assault over the age of 18 to file a lawsuit for crimes that go beyond the 20-year statute of limitations. An estimated 2,500 cases have been filed under the act since its inception.
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