*The music industry remains divided following the mixed verdict in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ federal trial, where he was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking but convicted on prostitution charges.
Dawn Richard, a former artist under Combs’ Bad Boy Records and a member of Danity Kane, expressed profound dismay at the outcome. In a statement shared through her attorney, Richard labeled the jury’s decision a “disappointment,” according to Us Weekly. She emphasized that her civil lawsuit against Combs, filed in September 2024, addresses distinct allegations from the criminal charges.
“We will continue to aggressively fight our case until we obtain full and complete justice,” Richard declared, signaling her determination to seek accountability.
EURweb reported earlier that Richard filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of harassment and sexual abuse. According to TMZ, she alleges that the abuse began when she was in her 20s during her time on Diddy’s 2004 MTV show “Making The Band.” In the lawsuit, Richard claims Combs made promises to advance her career in exchange for inappropriate favors. She details in the legal docs how he verbally degraded the women who auditioned, calling them derogatory names such as “fat,” “ugly,” “bitches,” and “hoes.”
The 41-year-old singer-songwriter claims the Bad Boy Records founder once made her rehearse for 48 hours nonstop, forcibly groped her after barging into her dressing room, and locked her in a car with tinted windows for two hours as she screamed for help. She was only released when her father traveled from Baltimore to New York to confront him.
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Following Danity Kane’s breakup in 2009, Richard teamed up with Combs and Harper to form the musical trio Dirty Money that same year. In her lawsuit, Richard claims she witnessed Combs abusing his ex-girlfriend/former singer Cassie. She describes one incident in which he choked her and dragged her up a flight of stairs at his Los Angeles home. He also hurled a scalding hot pan of eggs at her in a separate violent attack. When Richard and Harper urged Cassie to leave him, Diddy said, “Y’all b*tches don’t get in my relationship. … Don’t tell my b*tch what she need to be doing … Just make money and shut the f*ck up.”
Combs also threatened to destroy both their lives and careers. “I shelve careers … You could be missing … You bitches want to die today,” he allegedly stated.
The disgraced music producer responded to Richard’s lawsuit via his lawyer, claiming he is “shocked and disappointed” by the allegations.
Meanwhile, The Blast reports that other former Danity Kane members echoed Richard’s distress. Aubrey O’Day, a vocal critic of Combs, shared her reaction on Instagram Stories, writing, “Verdict [is] in. My god,” and adding, “This makes me physically ill.”
O’Day also shared how the trial has deeply impacted her well-being, saying, “You know, there’s nothing that can really murder your sex life that’s bigger than the Diddy trial,” and noted she hasn’t dated or been intimate in years. She expressed her desired outcome, stating, “Justice for me in this setting, I would like to see all of the crimes that I know are true for him to serve time for all of those, personally.”
Meanwhile, in a recent interview, D. Woods, another Danity Kane alum, admitted to avoiding trial updates to protect her peace, saying, “I don’t want to be disappointed,” and “I’m not sure a guilty verdict will heal me.” She added, “I can’t wait until I am on the other side of all this,” citing fears of Combs’ potential retaliation.
In contrast, some celebrities celebrated the acquittal on the more serious charges. Rapper Lil Boosie called it a “GREAT DAY N HIP HOP,” proclaiming, “Diddy NOT GUILTY,” in a widely shared clip. 50 Cent, however, took a mocking tone, labeling Combs a “bad man” for beating the RICO charges and jokingly calling him the “Gay [John] Gotti.”
As Combs awaits sentencing for the prostitution conviction, Richard and others remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice through civil litigation, highlighting the deep scars left by their experiences with the music mogul.
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