Diddy's lawyer, Erica Wolff, expressed his surprise and disappointment over the recent lawsuit filed by Dawn Richard, calling her claims fabricated and timed to align with her album release and press tour.
Wolff stated that if Richard had such negative experiences during her time with "Making the Band" and Danity Kane, she wouldn’t have continued working with Diddy on Dirty Money or agreed to be part of the 2020 "Making the Band" reboot and Diddy's "The Love Album" in 2022. Wolff added that it’s unfortunate Richard has disregarded their 20-year friendship for financial gain, but Diddy is confident in proving his innocence in court.
The lawsuit, filed by Richard, accuses Diddy of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as violently attacking his ex, Cassie. Richard claims she was drawn into Diddy’s circle during the 2004 MTV show "Making The Band," with Diddy allegedly promising to boost her career in exchange for complying with his manipulative behavior.
Did you read this?
According to the court documents, Richard recalls Diddy berating female contestants, calling them "fat," "ugly," and other derogatory names, while showing particular disdain for her.
In 2005, Richard claims she witnessed Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Kim Porter, leave a music studio with visible injuries, realizing Diddy was violent. She also alleges seeing Diddy assault Cassie multiple times, including an incident in 2009 where he threw her against a wall, choked her, and dragged her up a flight of stairs in his Los Angeles home. Richard also recounts Diddy throwing a hot pan of eggs at Cassie, screaming at her, and physically attacking her on several occasions.
Richard says she and others, including her bandmate Kalenna Harper, supported Cassie and encouraged her to leave Diddy, but he found out and issued threats, warning them not to interfere in his relationship. Richard further alleges that Diddy abused her by forcing long, sleepless rehearsals, causing her severe exhaustion, and inappropriately touched her on multiple occasions.
In one instance, Diddy allegedly locked her in a car for two hours as she screamed for help. When her father traveled from Baltimore to confront Diddy, he allegedly threatened her father, warning him to consider his daughter’s career. Richard’s lawsuit highlights a disturbing pattern of abuse, while Diddy’s team continues to deny the allegations.
Attempts to contact Diddy's representatives have so far gone unanswered.
