P. Diddy: How Sean Combs’ system apparently worked for years

The P. Diddy Files reads like a dark thriller. The public prosecutor accuses the 55-year-old of sexually abusing women and using threats and violence to force them to take part in drug and sex parties. Recently, the authorities in New York also received a complaint from three anonymous men who accused the rapper of rape. Sean Combs, Diddy’s real name, vehemently denies the allegations.

The presumption of innocence also applies to P. Diddy. He is not guilty until a jury finds him guilty. And yet the picture that the musician’s alleged victims paint of him is frightening. Because it shows once again how a criminal system was apparently maintained for years.

This brings back memories: of the stories of young actresses who had similar experiences in Hollywood. Almost like the now imprisoned film producer Harvey Weinstein, P. Diddy is said to have used his power to make people compliant. While Weinstein had the power to decide on film roles, Diddy had the say in the music world for decades. He could make artists successful – or end their careers prematurely.

“As shown in the indictment, Sean Combs used the business empire he controlled for years to sexually abuse and exploit women and commit other acts of violence and obstruction of justice,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in September, referring to the official indictment. “Today he will be charged with organized crime and sex trafficking. If you have been a victim of Combs’ alleged abuse – or if you know anything about his alleged crimes – we urge you to come forward. This investigation is far from over.”

In the Diddy case – unlike Weinstein – there was an additional relationship component. Because it was the musician’s ex-girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, who first went public with allegations of violence. She sued her ex-partner last fall and settled with him out of court a short time later. You can read the allegations.

At the time, many people still believed in Diddy’s innocence. Until they saw for themselves in the spring how Cassie experienced violence at the hands of Diddy. At that time, images from a surveillance camera made the rounds showing Diddy beating up his wife in a hotel hallway in 2016. Fans online were shocked and Diddy publicly apologized in an Instagram video.

The music mogul’s arrest was the beginning of a flood of allegations. In October, attorney Tony Buzbee publicly called on anonymous victims to contact him and his team. He received around 3,000 calls as a result, which have now resulted in more than 20 civil lawsuits. A little later, Buzbee told the BBC that he estimated that he would collect around 300 civil lawsuits against the musician. An immense number.

Buzbee also issued a warning aimed at Diddy’s celebrity friends: “If you’ve been to one of these parties, […] Then I think you have a problem,” the lawyer said. Especially if “you were there beforehand or knew what was going to happen,” Buzbee continued. “That is, you knew that a certain drug was going to be used in drinks , which led to people being exploited.”

Most recently, rapper Jay-Z was also mentioned in a lawsuit filed by Buzbee in which he represents an anonymous woman. Singer Beyoncé’s husband is accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl with Diddy. Jay-Z responded immediately and angrily. He not only denied the allegations, but attacked Buzbee himself. “My heart and support goes out to the real victims in the world who see their life story used for profit by this ambulance chaser in a cheap suit,” Jay-Z said.

It is quite possible that many more details about the Diddy system will only become apparent during the musician’s trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 5th next year. Until then, P. Diddy will remain incarcerated at the infamous Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. If convicted of organized crime, he could face life in prison. If he is found guilty of sex trafficking, he faces an additional minimum sentence of 15 years.