Music mogul and former fashion designer Sean Combs is facing six new lawsuits alleging rape, sexual assault and other acts.
The legal action was taken Monday in New York federal court by six anonymous individuals — two Jane Does and four John Does, including one man who claimed that as a minor he was fondled by Combs at one of his White parties in the Hamptons.
Combs, founder of Bad Boy Records, the Sean John apparel label and other businesses, remains detained for previous charges. Last month, he was arrested and charged with multiple crimes including racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The 54-year-old Grammy winner pleaded not guilty and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until the start of his trial on May 5.
Asked for comment about the six new lawsuits that were filed Monday, including one that alleges a sexual assault took place at Macy’s Herald Square store, a spokesperson for Combs issued the following statement from his attorneys.
“The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity. Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone — adult or minor, man or woman.” The spokesperson declined to identify Combs’ attorneys.
Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who is working on behalf of some of Combs’ other accusers, has set up a hotline for alleged victims. A representative for Buzbee acknowledged a media request inquiring about the daily number of callers, but that had not been quantified Tuesday afternoon.
In one of the most recent civil lawsuits, an unidentified former employee at the streetwear brand Ecko alleged that he was assaulted in a stockroom at Macy’s flagship in Herald Square in May of 2008. The accuser also claimed that after the fact the retailer’s former chief executive officer Terry Lundgren allegedly pressured Ecko to fire the employee, after Macy’s signed a deal to carry the Sean John label.
Representatives at Macy’s did not acknowledge media requests Monday or Tuesday.
Lundgren retired from Macy’s as executive chairman in 2018. A spokesperson for Lundgren said Tuesday, “While Mr. Lundgren has not seen the complaint, he denies having any involvement in, or awareness of, the matters described in the complaint on which the New York Post reported, nor did he authorize any of the actions which are alleged.”
A media request to the New York-based company Ecko was not acknowledged.
