Sean “Diddy” Combs has moved to dismiss certain claims in a sexual assault lawsuit, arguing that he cannot be held liable under laws that did not exist at the time of the alleged incident.
In November, Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit using the Adult Survivors Act, which extended the statute of limitations for sexual assault victims.
She accused Combs of drugging and raping her in 1991 when she was a college student. She also claimed that Combs filmed the assault and distributed the video in the music industry, damaging her reputation and well-being.
According to TMZ, Diddy’s lawyers, are challenging Dickerson-Neal’s claims based on the timing of relevant laws. They highlight that laws addressing revenge porn and human trafficking were enacted after 1991. Diddy seeks to dismiss these specific claims with prejudice.
However, even if these claims are dismissed, Dickerson-Neal can pursue assault, battery, and emotional distress claims under common law against Diddy.
Dickerson-Neal also named Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, founded in 1993, in her lawsuit, which Diddy’s lawyers also contest.
A spokesperson for Diddy commented when the lawsuit was filed, calling it a “money grab” and denying the allegations.
This lawsuit is one of several recent sexual assault claims against Diddy, including allegations from a woman who accused him and Aaron Hall of assault in the ’90s and a $30 million lawsuit from a male music producer.
Federal authorities raided Diddy’s properties in Los Angeles and Miami last month as part of a sex trafficking investigation, which Diddy has vehemently denied.
