South China Morning Post

Diddy and son named in sexual assault case

Bartender accuses Christian Combs of making her consume a possibly spiked drink

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A lawsuit that named Sean “Diddy” Combs as a co-defendant alleges his son, Christian “King” Combs, sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court said Sean Combs created the circumstan­ces that led to the assault, and paid to cover it up afterward.

It is the latest in a series of lawsuits accusing the producer and music mogul of sexual misconduct, and it comes amid a federal sex traffickin­g investigat­ion that led Homeland Security agents to raid his homes in Los Angeles and Miami last week.

Grace O’Marcaigh, who worked as a crew member and a bartender on the boat, said in late December of 2022, Christian Combs pressured her to drink tequila that she believed was spiked with other drugs.

He groped her breasts and genitals and attempted to force her to perform oral sex, the suit alleged.

Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as O’Marcaigh has done. She also consented to being named through her lawyers.

Combs’ lawyer Aaron Dyer did not immediatel­y respond to an email seeking comment from Associated Press.

Dyer said after last week’s raids that Sean Combs “is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name,” and that the investigat­ion “is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusation­s made in civil lawsuits.”

Sean Combs, who chartered the yacht throughout the holidays in 2022, “had full control of the staff and premises” and “turned what was sold as a wholesome family excursion into a hedonistic environmen­t,” the suit said.

The court filing alleged he created circumstan­ces where her assault was not only tolerated but encouraged.

O’Marcaigh, who was 25 at the time, said when Christian Combs, then 24, came aboard late one night, he appeared heavily intoxicate­d, and began giving her inappropri­ate attention.

She said that the two were in a music studio on board the ship, where producer Rodney Jones, who filed his own lawsuit in February, was told to be available around the clock for Sean Combs to work on his next album.

O’Marcaigh said in the suit Christian Combs was insistent she take shots of tequila, and she drank out of obligation.

The suit alleged he became aggressive with her, grabbing her arm as she tried to get out of the situation then groping her.

 ?? ?? Sean Combs is accused of paying to cover up the sexual assault.
Sean Combs is accused of paying to cover up the sexual assault.

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