Diddy’s New Defense Amid Assault Lawsuit? Hey, That Wasn’t Illegal In 1991!
[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Diddy pushed back against one woman’s sexual assault lawsuit.
As we previously reported, the rapper is in some massive legal trouble. It all started when his former girlfriend Cassie filed and settled a lawsuit against the rapper in November, accusing him of years of abuse, rape, and trafficking. Since then, more and more people have come forward with sexual harassment, abuse allegations, and more against Diddy. Even the Department of Homeland Security raided his properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex trafficking investigation.
Related: Kesha Sends Diddy A Clear Message By Switching Up TiK ToK Lyrics During Coachella!
Throughout the scandal, the Bad Boy Records founder vehemently denied all of the accusations. Now he wants to dismiss some of the claims in one of the sexual assault cases. Which one? Here’s the deal…
Last year, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal sued Diddy. The victim claimed she met Diddy while attending Syracuse University in 1991. After appearing in one of his music videos, Joi went to dinner with him. Sadly, things quickly turned into a nightmare for her. She alleged Diddy “intentionally drugged” her at the restaurant, then took her home, and sexually assaulted her.
And that’s not all. Joi further accused the music mogul of committing an act of “revenge porn,” a term that didn’t exist during the ‘90s. She claimed he filmed the assault and shared the video with others. Diddy denied the allegations, saying the claims are “made up and not credible” as she filed the suit in the final hours of New York’s Adult Survivors Act:
“This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Mr. Combs never assaulted her.”
Months later, Diddy’s tried out a new form of defense. According to new documents obtained by TMZ on Friday, the record producer argued he can’t be sued for some of the claims. Why? Certain laws didn’t even exist at the time the alleged assault happened, he pointed out in the filing! What the f**k??! Furthermore, Diddy says Joi can’t sue Bad Boy Records or Bad Boy Entertainment as she’s trying to do since they didn’t exist at the time of the alleged attack either.
As for the laws in question? Joi sued Diddy under the New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Law. However, his attorneys noted in the docs that the law wasn’t in effect until 2007 – roughly 16 years after the alleged incident. Diddy further challenged her claims under the New York State Revenge Porn Law, which wasn’t codified until 2019, the New York City Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, passed in 2000, and the 2016 NYC Revenge Porn Law.
The claims under these laws? The Making the Band alum wants them to be dismissed with prejudice! Ugh. However, his lawyers insisted this wasn’t an admission of guilt. They maintain Diddy didn’t commit the alleged acts against Joi, including sexual assault. It’s important to note his legal team isn’t arguing against the first two counts – common law claims for assault and battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress — as the timing of certain statutes being passed doesn’t apply to those claims.
We’ll have to see how this wild new tactic plays out. What are your reactions, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments below!
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence and would like to learn more about resources, consider checking out https://www.rainn.org/resources.
[Image via Chris Connor/WENN, MEGA/WENN]
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