Dawn Richard, a former member of Danity Kane, has filed a lawsuit against Diddy, alleging se*xual abuse and stating she witnessed him assault his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Court documents obtained by In Touch reveal that the 41-year-old singer is suing Diddy, Bad Boy Records, and several other defendants for accusations of abuse, forced labor, and violations related to human trafficking and se*x trafficking.
Dawn gained prominence through her participation in MTV’s Making The Band 3, which aired from 2005 to 2006, where Diddy conducted auditions to form the girl group Danity Kane.
Dawn accuses Diddy of manipulating her career while subjecting her to harsh working conditions, including groping, assault, and false imprisonment
In addition to her collaboration with Diddy in Danity Kane, she also worked with him in the group Dirty Money. In her lawsuit, Dawn alleges she witnessed Diddy abusing Cassie, 38, who later settled a federal lawsuit against him concerning similar abuse claims that he denied.
The lawsuit states, “On multiple occasions, [Dawn] tried to intervene, offering [Cassie] support to leave Mr. Combs. Each time, Mr. Combs found out about her efforts and became furious, threatening her life with statements like ‘you want to die today,’ ‘I make n—— go missing,’ and ‘I end people.’”
Dawn further claimed, “In addition to Mr. Combs’ violent behavior and threats, he exploited Ms. Richard’s musical talent, withholding her rightful earnings, stealing her copyrighted works, and subjecting her to years of harsh working conditions, including groping, assault, and false imprisonment.”
Her lawsuit contends, “For nearly a decade, [Diddy] manipulated [Dawn] into believing that complying with his depraved demands was essential for her career growth, leading her to think that such abuse was necessary for female artists to thrive. It wasn’t until [Cassie] bravely spoke out that [Dawn] realized her own long-term suffering was tied to the years of normalized abuse from Mr. Combs.”
Dawn recounted first witnessing Diddy’s conduct during auditions for Making The Band. “During auditions, Mr. Combs spoke to female contestants in a hostile and belittling manner, making derogatory comments, calling them ‘fat,’ ‘ugly,’ ‘bitches,’ and ‘hoes.’
Ms. Richard felt threatened and intimidated by his overt disrespect towards the young women, including herself, who were eager for a chance to be on his show,” she noted.
While part of Danity Kane, her lawsuit alleges that “throughout the productions of Making the Band 3 and 4, Mr. Combs deprived Ms. Richard and her bandmates of basic necessities like adequate food and sleep. When they asked for meals or rest, he refused and insulted them with derogatory remarks.”
The lawsuit also claims, “Mr. Combs frequently stayed awake for extended periods due to drug use. During these times, he demanded constant access to Ms. Richard and her bandmates, often forcing them to record and rehearse for up to 48 hours without breaks.”
In one incident, Dawn described visiting Diddy’s home and finding him in his underwear. After she asked him to dress appropriately, he reportedly scolded her.
Despite facing financial difficulties, she continued to work with him, experiencing sleep deprivation during the Dirty Money projects. She recalled Diddy criticizing her for being “too skinny” while insisting she only consumes peanut butter shakes.
Her lawsuit detailed that in the summer of 2010, she faced serious health issues, including abdominal pain and swollen glands, which resulted in hospitalization for joint pain, anemia, and a low white blood cell count.
Despite providing Diddy with her medical records indicating the need for proper nutrition and rest, he ordered her to report to the studio the next day for another lengthy recording session.
Dawn alleged that Diddy often entered her dressing room while she was changing. Even with a female stylist present, he would grope her without consent, claiming it was to assist with wardrobe adjustments. Additionally, she stated that Diddy and Bad Boy have not compensated her for her work, and her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
In response, Diddy’s attorney, Erica Wolff, expressed that he is “shocked and disappointed” by the lawsuit. She accused Dawn of fabricating false claims to obtain financial gain, coinciding conveniently with her album release.
Wolff stated, “If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year.
Unfortunately, Ms. Richard has disregarded their 20-year friendship in pursuit of money, but Mr. Combs stands firm in his truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”
