Diddy’s Ex-Bodyguard Joseph Sherman Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Thalia Graves Over Sexual Assault Allegations

Joseph Sherman, the former bodyguard of Sean “Diddy”Combs, is facing serious allegations of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2001. Amid the turmoil surrounding the music mogul, Sherman has stepped forward to contest the claims made against him. In an interview with The Daily Mail on September 26, he stated:

“This is totally wrong and I’m having my attorneys file a defamation suit against this lady.”

The accusations come from Thalia Graves, a Texas resident who filed a lawsuit against both Joseph Sherman and Diddy on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. In the federal lawsuit filed in New York, Graves alleged that Combs and Sherman provided her with a glass of wine during a car ride, after which she began to feel disoriented and later woke up naked in a Manhattan studio.

Upon regaining consciousness, Graves reportedly discovered that she was bound and restrained. The lawsuit further details:

“Combs mercilessly raped her, anally and vaginally. Sherman forcefully threw the Plaintiff onto a table, slapped her, and repeatedly thrust his penis into her mouth. Both men ignored the Plaintiff’s cries for help during the assault.”

Joseph Sherman has firmly denied all allegations and claims that Graves attempted to contact him through social media messages, asking him to testify against Diddy in her ongoing case. Sherman expressed:

“And I’m also filing a defamation lawsuit against everybody that she mentioned in the Instagram DMs that she sent me…”

Joseph Sherman Distances Himself from Diddy

As highlighted, Sherman’s name has emerged in a recent lawsuit alongside Diddy, yet he has persistently denied the claims made by the complainant, insisting he was not employed by Combs at that time. Sherman remarked on Thalia Graves:

“I know for a fact that this is a money grab. I’ve never seen this lady. I don’t have any tape of her as she claims I do. I’ve never interacted with her. I don’t know any of this. I don’t even know this lady.”

Despite his claims of having no connection with Combs, numerous photos have surfaced showing Sherman alongside the music mogul, as reported by The Daily Mail. Over the years, Sherman has also shared moments with celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Bruce Willis, and the late Aaliyah.

The Daily Mail noted that they reviewed Sherman’s Instagram profile just before it was switched to private. The former bodyguard further stated to the publication:

“I’m being crucified and tortured for something I had nothing to do with, and Mr. Combs and I were not even friends. We had no relationship whatsoever. I have not been around Diddy for 24 years.”

Thalia Graves alleges that Combs assaulted her in his studio after restraining her when she purportedly lost consciousness due to a spiked drink. Graves claims that the incident has inflicted severe emotional and physical trauma.

The lawsuit against Combs adds to a series of legal troubles he has faced, coming on the heels of an indictment.

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