A recent lawsuit filed by former Bad Boy singer Dawn Richard claims Diddy punched Cassie in the stomach at a dinner where Usher, Ne-Yo and Jimmy Iovine were present.
Diddy Allegedly Punched Cassie in Stomach at Label Dinner
On Tuesday (Sept. 10), singer Dawn Richard filed suit against Diddy, accusing him of years of sexual, physical, and verbal abuse during her time signed to Bad Boy Records. In one part of the lawsuit, obtained by XXL, Richard claims she witnessed Diddy be violent with his then-girlfriend Cassie at a dinner hosted by Puff at a California restaurant in “late 2009 or early 2010.” Diddy invited Usher, Ne-Yo and Interscope label founder Jimmy Iovine, among other celebrities. Those three all allegedly witnessed the assault.
“Mr. Combs hissed at [Cassie] in a screaming whisper and forcefully punched her in the stomach causing her to double over in visible pain, crying,” the lawsuit reads. “[Diddy’s assistant] escorted [Cassie] out of the restaurant, and Mr. Combs remained and continued socializing with the dinner guests.”
Richard claimed that even though Jimmy Iovine clearly witnessed Diddy be violent with women, he inked a deal with Diddy and Bad Boy Records after the dinner.
Last November, Cassie sued Diddy for years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse. The lawsuit was settled a day after Cassie filed it, and footage later emerged of Diddy assaulting Cassie in a hotel room. Diddy apologized for the video and his actions on Instagram, though that apology has since been deleted.
In Richard’s lawsuit, she claims she was also subjected to relentless violence and abuse at Puff’s hands during her time in Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money. Richard first met Diddy during her time as a contestant on his MTV reality show Making The Band in 2004, and claimed even during the audition process that Puff was vicious towards female contestants. Richard said she was forced to perform brutal 48-hour rehearsal stretches with no sleep, which caused her to lose a lot of weight and suffer from dehydration. She also claims that Puff came into her dressing room while she was naked and fondled her breasts and butt on multiple occasions.
XXL has reached out to Jimmy Iovine and Ne-Yo’s team for further comment. Diddy’s lawyer Erica Wolff sent along the following statement to XXL when reached for comment.
“Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour,” she wrote. “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. It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”
Richard is seeking an award for compensatory and punitive damages, attorney’s fees and costs, injunctive and declaratory relief and other remedies that the court deems appropriate.
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Diddy’s Legal Woes Continue
Dawn Richard’s allegations come as Diddy’s legal issues continue. On Tuesday (Sept. 10), local news outlet Detroit Metro Times reported that Diddy was ordered to pay $100 million to a Michigan inmate named Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith. The man accuses Puff of drugging and raping him at a 1997 party in Detroit. Puff never showed up for a hearing, so the judgment was handed down in default. Diddy’s team denies Cardello-Smith’s claims and will appeal the ruling.
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