On October 1, 2024, Joseph Sherman, known as Big Joe and a former bodyguard of Diddy, responded to the serious allegations of rape made against him and the rapper by Thalia Graves in an interview with NBC New York.
Thalia accused Diddy, referred to as the Last Night rapper, and Joseph of sexually assaulting her in 2001 at the Bad Boy Entertainment headquarters in Manhattan. She alleged that they drugged her and recorded the assault, with the footage later being sold as pornography.
According to NBC New York, Joseph Sherman presented Instagram direct messages allegedly associated with Thalia Graves from November 2023. These DMs requested Joseph to confirm his identity as “Big Joe”and to call a particular phone number.
“If you will be my witness against Diddy, then my attorneys will leave you out of any proceedings. Because we have statements that you physically showed over eight people videos of me and you to people in the studio.”
Although Joseph declined this proposal in the DMs, he further commented to the publication:
“I am nothing but a scapegoat for this BS because I wouldn’t lie on Puffy—Sean Combs.”
“She wanted to get Diddy”: Ex-bodyguard’s remarks on Thalia Graves’ lawsuit
On September 24, 2024, Thalia Graves and her attorney Gloria Allred unveiled her federal lawsuit during a press conference, detailing her accusations against Diddy and his ex-bodyguard Joseph Sherman.
During the conference, Thalia stated that the emotional impact following her sexual assault has been “incredibly deep and hard to articulate,”emphasizing that the trauma transcends physical damage and strikes at the essence of her being.
Yet, in his interview with News 4 New York, Joseph Sherman firmly denied the allegations, asserting that he was not in New York during the alleged incident. He explained:
“I am not questioning her integrity. I am just questioning her claims against me. You got the wrong man. I wasn’t even in the same room with you; I have never seen you. I wasn’t even in New York that I recall at the time.”
Joseph mentioned that he was not working for Diddy in 2001, having served as security for Bad Boy Entertainment during the 1990s. He further claimed that Thalia’s actions stemmed from a desire for financial gain, stating:
“Her and whoever she’s in cahoots with were orchestrating a money grab. And she wanted me to be part of that money grab. She wanted to get Diddy.”
Diddy was arrested on September 16, 2024, in a New York hotel and faces charges including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and interstate transportation for prostitution.
He is also alleged to have coerced male and female sex workers into drugged sexual performances known as “freak-offs.”However, the rapper has pleaded not guilty to these charges and is currently awaiting trial at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Additionally, during a press conference on October 1, 2024, attorney Tony Buzbee announced that 120 more victims, including men and women, have come forward with allegations of abuse against Diddy. Notably, some of the allegations involve 25 individuals who were minors at the time of the incidents.
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