In September 2024, singer Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit against her former label head, Sean “Diddy” Combs, stating that she witnessed him and a group of men engaging in a gang sa*ual assault of his female ex-assistant at a hotel pool in Glasgow, Scotland.
During a recent episode of The Art of Dialogue podcast, released on October 22, 2024, former head of Diddy’s security, Gene Deal, was questioned about Richard’s serious accusations. He expressed that he thought the claims were plausible and suggested that the alleged victim might also pursue legal action against Diddy.
“All I can say is that you know… all of it sounds like using his power to get at people that work for him,”Gene remarked.
Gene further explained that if Diddy was misusing his influence, those who were under his employment could potentially take him to court and be successful if they could provide sufficient evidence.
Insights on Gene Deal’s recent comments regarding Diddy’s alleged misconduct
In his discussion with The Art of Dialogue, Gene Deal addressed the claims made by Dawn Richard pertaining to Diddy and his associates purportedly assaulting a female assistant in Scotland, an incident Richard claims to have observed directly.
Deal mentioned that Richard must have witnessed the alleged event while she was involved in the production of the studio album Last Train to Paris, created between 2008 and 2010 by the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money, which included Sean Combs, Dawn Richard, and Kaleena Harper.
Interestingly, this album depicted Diddy’s character as he journeyed from London to Paris in pursuit of his “dream woman,”only to have multiple encounters with her before ultimately reuniting.
“We didn’t know what the ‘Train of Paris’ meant. But now we know that the ‘Train of Paris’ was a train in Scotland, according to Dawn,” Gene remarked.
He went on to add that the only instances he ever observed Diddy were when “two guys and two girls go into a room,” which he regarded as “normal.” Deal further stated that whatever transpired behind closed doors was their private matter, but he believed the boldness of such actions occurring publicly at a poolside, as Richard alleged, was surprising.
“I just think you gotta go back to the drugs and alcohol man… those things make you do strange things,” he added.
The former security chief also indicated that it wouldn’t surprise him if the alleged victim were to file a separate lawsuit against Diddy and his associates.
“‘Cause you can’t do that to people… that work for you, bro. You can’t,” he emphasized.
Summary of Dawn Richard’s lawsuit against Diddy
In the previous month, Dawn Richard took legal action against Sean Combs, alleging sexual assault, hosting gatherings involving drugs and inappropriate conduct with minors, and subjecting her to “inhumane” treatment, which included throwing objects and denying her food, sleep, and compensation for her work on albums, among other grievances.
This lawsuit coincided with Diddy’s arrest by federal authorities, where he was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion, and transporting individuals for prostitution.
The civil lawsuit, which Page Six obtained, detailed Richard’s experience of verbal abuse from Combs, including derogatory comments towards her and other contestants from the 2004 reality series Making the Band, labeling them as “fat,” “ugly,” “b*tches,” and “h*es,” among others.
Additionally, she accused Combs of forcing her to rehearse for two consecutive nights without rest, resulting in weight loss, dehydration, and skin rashes.
Richard also claimed Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times between 2009 and 2011, including instances of him groping her while she was changing in her dressing room.
“Mr. Combs frequently smacked Ms. Richard’s bare b*ttocks and often commented on her body, noting that although she was ‘too skinny,’ she had an ‘a*s,’” the lawsuit stated.
Furthermore, the court documents alleged that Dawn Richard was a witness to the physical abuse of Diddy’s former partner, Cassie, on more than one occasion.
It was also reported that Diddy made threats against Dawn’s life when she attempted to aid Cassie. Richard claimed to have seen his ex-partner, the late Kim Porter, leaving a studio in tears with visible bruises in 2005.
In response to the lawsuit, Diddy’s attorney Erica Wolff expressed to Page Six that her client was “shocked and disappointed” by the “series of false claims” that Richard purportedly fabricated to achieve a “payday,” conveniently aligning with her album release and promotional activities.
“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,” Wolff stated.
Wolff also labeled it “unfortunate” that Richard chose to jeopardize their 20-year friendship to tarnish Combs’ reputation in pursuit of financial gain, noting that he was “confident in his truth and looks forward to demonstrating that in court.”
Dawn Richard seeks compensatory damages for psychological trauma, emotional distress, and other punitive damages, including coverage for her legal expenses.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that Cassie filed a $30 million lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023, which was settled in less than a day for an undisclosed sum. However, Diddy’s legal team clarified that reaching a settlement did not constitute an admission of guilt.
Leave a Reply