Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces a new legal battle as he is being sued by former model Crystal McKinney.
The rapper and mogul has been hit with claims that he drugged and sexually assaulted Crystal at his New York City studio in 2003 according to court documents. Not only is she suing the rapper, but his record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, his label's distributor, Universal Music Group, and his fashion brand, Sean John Clothing.
© Paras GriffinThe court documents state that a then 22-year-old McKinney, a rising fashion model at the time, was introduced to the rapper by an unnamed fashion designer, who allegedly dressed and styled her "to ensure Combs found her attractive" before they met at the restaurant known as Cipriani Downtown.
Combs then allegedly promised to help the model "make it big one day" during dinner, before proceeding to make "flirtatious" remarks to her and inviting her back to his studio later that night to "get to know her better."
The filing then states that Combs and an associate pressured McKinney to smoke and drink until she felt like she was "floating", even though she insisted she'd had enough. The document then describes how the model was sexually assaulted, and that she lost consciousness shortly after, waking up "in shock" in a taxi back to the designer's apartment.
© GettyCrystal claimed in the suit that she was subsequently "blackballed" in the modeling industry after the incident, and she is seeking compensatory and punitive damages in the case, as well as coverage of her attorney's fees and costs. She also demanded a trial by jury.
The model is filing her lawsuit under the NYC Gender Motivated Violence Act, allowing victims of violence committed on the basis of gender in the city to sue their abusers, regardless of when the abuse took place, before the act's expiration in 2025.
© Getty ImagesShe is now one of six accusers who have filed claims of sexual assault against the rapper, all of which he has denied.
This latest case comes hot on the heels of the release of a video showing Combs attacking ex-partner Cassie Ventura in a hotel in 2016.
Cassie first filed a 35-page federal complaint accusing the rapper of sexual assault, battery, and sex trafficking and of requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts on November 2023. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
Combs shared a video on Instagram referring to the 2016 video as a "rock bottom" moment, calling his actions "inexcusable" and apologizing.
The rapper faces lawsuits from Joi Dickerson-Neal, Liza Gardner, former producer Rodney Jones, and Jane Doe - the latter two accused him of sex trafficking. Diddy's homes in New York, Miami and Los Angeles were raided by law enforcement in March 2024.
