Sean “Diddy” Combs, the renowned music mogul, has taken legal action in response to a woman’s lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault.
Combs’ legal team filed a motion on Friday to dismiss certain claims that were not recognized by law at the time of the alleged incident.
The motion, submitted in a New York court, contends that Combs cannot be held liable for claims such as revenge porn and human trafficking, as these statutes were not in existence when the allegations were made by Joi Dickerson-Deal in 1991.
Dickerson-Deal’s lawsuit, filed last year, alleges that Combs drugged her intentionally, sexually assaulting her after a date in Harlem when she was a 19-year-old college student.
The suit further claims that Combs recorded the assault without her consent and shared the footage with associates in the music industry.
Combs vehemently denies these allegations, accusing Dickerson-Deal of exploiting a temporary extension of the statute of limitations under New York law.
Combs’ legal team highlighted that certain laws cited in Dickerson-Deal’s claims, such as the New York State Revenge Porn Law enacted in 2019 and the New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Law implemented in 2007, were not in effect at the time of the alleged incident.
It’s notable that Dickerson-Deal’s claim surfaced nearly three decades after the purported misconduct by Combs. The motion to dismiss aims to challenge the applicability of newer laws retroactively to events that occurred before their enactment.
This legal development comes amidst heightened scrutiny on Combs, as federal authorities recently raided his properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex trafficking investigation.
Combs has faced multiple lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, including one from his former partner, R&B singer Cassie, which he settled in November. Another lawsuit filed in February accused Combs of coercion and solicitation of prostitutes.
Combs and his legal representatives have consistently refuted all allegations made against him in the lawsuits.
