A new lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday alleges that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs drugged and sexually assaulted a 22-year-old aspiring model, Crystal McKinney, in 2003. This marks the sixth sexual assault complaint against Combs in the past six months.
According to the lawsuit, Combs met McKinney at a dinner at Cipriani Downtown during Men’s Fashion Week, where an unnamed fashion designer had invited her. The designer reportedly arranged McKinney’s appearance to appeal to Combs and seated her directly across from him. Throughout the dinner, Combs allegedly made overtly sexual advances and continually refilled McKinney’s wine glass.
The complaint states that Combs invited McKinney to his Manhattan recording studio under the pretense of helping her career. Once there, McKinney claims he offered her a joint that she believes was laced with a drug. As she became increasingly intoxicated, Combs allegedly led her to a bathroom where he forcibly kissed her and then compelled her to perform oral sex against her will.
McKinney describes feeling “physically sick” and losing consciousness, only to wake up in a taxi heading back to the designer’s apartment. Representatives for Combs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This lawsuit follows a series of other allegations against Combs, including a high-profile case filed by his former partner Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in November, accusing him of sex trafficking and rape. Additional accusations have been made by Liza Gardner and Joi Dickerson-Neal, who claimed Combs raped them in the early ’90s, and by a fourth woman who alleged a gang rape at age 17. Music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones also filed a complaint in February, accusing Combs of sexual harassment and assault.
In response to the earlier allegations, Combs, 54, issued a broad denial, dismissing Jones’ claims as fictional. Recently, CNN aired surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel, an incident he apologized for in a social media video, acknowledging his actions and seeking professional help.
McKinney’s lawsuit names Combs, along with Bad Boy Records, Bad Boy Entertainment, Sean John Clothing, and Universal Music, as defendants. Her claim is brought under New York City’s Gender Motivated Violence Act, which allows for the revival of claims against individuals involved in gender-based violence. McKinney alleges that the assault led to her being “humiliated and traumatized,” causing severe anxiety and depression, and that she was subsequently blacklisted in the industry.
The filing indicates that McKinney was inspired to come forward after seeing the media coverage of other victims’ lawsuits against Combs. She aims to seek justice for herself and other alleged victims of Combs.
