Danity Kane's Dawn Richard sues Sean 'Diddy' Combs for sexual and physical abuse

(KTLA) -- A new lawsuit has been filed against Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Dawn Richard, a former member of Danity Kane and the musical trio Diddy-Dirty Money, has accused Combs of verbal abuse, sexual assault, battery and the intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to court documents.

Richard claims Combs “manipulated her" and told her that "submission to his depraved demands was necessary for career advancement, instilling in her the belief that such abuse and exploitation were required for female artists to succeed in the music industry.”

The singer met Combs in 2004 when she took part in his competition reality show, "Making the Band," which led to her being a part of his girl group Danity Kane. In the lawsuit, she claimed that throughout the series, Combs allegedly called contestants "fat" and "ugly."

Once a part of Danity Kane, Richard alleges Combs regularly insulted the five members. The lawsuit claims the hip-hop mogul picked apart their appearances and told Richard she was "too skinny" and needed to "do something about this," referring to her face.

After the band broke up in 2009, Richard said she joined Diddy-Dirty Money alongside Combs and Kalenna Harper for financial reasons.

Richard alleges Combs forced her and Harper to work without food and sleep. She said he made her rehearse for 48 hours straight, and as a result, she became dehydrated, fatigued and experienced stomach cramping.

Between 2009 to 2011, Richard said things got progressively worse between her and Combs. The lawsuit stated that Combs stormed his way into her dressing room and groped her "bare buttocks" and “attempted to touch her breasts" even with a female stylist present. Richard claimed he would do this "under the guise of showing the stylist what to do."

Whenever she refused his advances, Combs allegedly denied Richard singing parts, removed her from songs or turned off her microphone during performances, according to the lawsuit.

Richard is the eighth person to accuse Combs of sexual assault in a lawsuit recently. This comes months after Homeland Security officials raided Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami. The searches were tied to a sex trafficking investigation conducted by federal authorities in New York. Combs has not been criminally charged.

In November 2023, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura filed a bombshell lawsuit accusing him of years of rape and abuse. It was settled the next day, though Combs initially denied the allegations from his ex-girlfriend.

Then in May, CNN released surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs physically attacking Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City. After the video surfaced, the "I'll Be Missing You" singer admitted that he beat his ex-girlfriend, saying in a video apology he was “truly sorry” and that his actions were "inexcusable."

Richard claimed in her lawsuit that she also witnessed Combs abuse Ventura. She said when she and her bandmate Harper advised Ventura to leave, Combs allegedly told them not to interfere in his relationship and threatened them and their careers.

Richard is demanding compensation from "lost wages, earnings, royalties, publishing, touring and promotional income," as well as restitution and punitive damages. The amount will be determined at trial.