Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of 2003 sexual assault in new lawsuit

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs participates in “The Four” panel during the FOX Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour in Pasadena, California, Jan. 4, 2018. A former model accused Combs of sexually assaulting her at his New York City recording studio in 2003 in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, May 21, 2024, the latest in a series of allegations against the embattled hip-hop mogul. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK — A former model accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexually assaulting her at his New York City recording studio in 2003 in a lawsuit filed Tuesday, May 21, the latest in a series of allegations against the embattled hip-hop mogul.

Crystal McKinney said she was a successful 22-year-old model when she met Combs at a restaurant during Men’s Fashion Week in Manhattan. Combs invited her to his recording studio later that night, according to the federal complaint filed in New York City.

The lawsuit alleges that McKinney arrived to find Combs drinking and smoking joints with several other men. She smoked some marijuana, which she “later came to understand” was laced with a narcotic or intoxicating substance, the lawsuit says. She felt as though she was floating. Combs led her to the bathroom, where the sexual assault took place, according to the lawsuit.

Combs led her back to the studio and she lost consciousness, the lawsuit says. She later awakened in a taxi and realized that she had been sexually assaulted, according to the lawsuit.

Combs’ representatives did not immediately reply to an email seeking comment.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as McKinney has done.

The lawsuit was filed days after CNN aired security video that shows Combs attacking singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Combs on Sunday released a video admitting he attacked Cassie in the hotel hallway, saying he was “truly sorry” and his actions were “inexcusable.”

Combs is not in danger of being criminally prosecuted for the beating because of the statute of limitations.

A lawsuit filed by Cassie in November alleging beatings and abuse was settled a day after it was filed. But it spurred intense scrutiny of Combs, with several more lawsuits filed in the following months, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to raid Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.

The claim on Tuesday was filed under a New York City law that allows accusers to file civil litigation during a limited window even if the events allegedly happened long ago.

We would love to hear more from you! Help us improve your reading experience by answering this survey.