Lawyer says there may very well be 300 potential lawsuits towards Diddy

An legal professional representing a number of alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs says the potential variety of civil lawsuits towards the musician “might be within the 300s.”

Tony Buzbee informed the BBC his group had acquired round 3,000 calls since he held a press convention calling clients in October.

He has already filed 20 lawsuits filed by women and men looking for damages from the musician; and claims that “realistically” the ultimate whole will likely be “round 100 to 150”. Others will not present up in court docket as a result of the deadline to file a lawsuit has expired in some states.

Mr. Combs has denied all accusations towards him, calling them “sickening” and the results of a “speedy shift.”

His attorneys known as the a number of civil lawsuits, together with claims from 300 potential victims, a “reckless media circus.”

They mentioned Mr. Buzbee’s information convention and the creation of a toll-free information telephone quantity have been “clear makes an attempt to achieve publicity.”

In a press release to the BBC, his lawyer Erica Wolff mentioned: “Mr Combs has full confidence within the information and the integrity of the authorized course of.

“In court docket, the reality will prevail: Mr. Combs by no means sexually assaulted or trafficked anybody – male or feminine, grownup or minor.”

The musician is at the moment being held on the Metropolitan Detention Middle in Manhattan, awaiting trial on separate legal prices of intercourse trafficking and racketeering, which he additionally denies.

Mr. Buzbee, whose agency relies in Houston, is a standout determine in American authorized circles, as soon as described by the New York Occasions as “a giant, unhealthy, formidable, tenacious, fire-breathing Texas trial lawyer.”

A former Marine and tv present host, he made his identify suing power big BP after an explosion at an oil refinery in Texas Metropolis killed 15 individuals; and efficiently defended former Texas Governor Rick Perry towards allegations of abuse of energy.

Most just lately, he helped a big group of girls attain an out-of-court settlement with American soccer participant Deshaun Watson over allegations that he sexually assaulted them throughout personal therapeutic massage periods.

His involvement with Mr. Combs started final yr — after his co-counsel Andrew Van Arsdale, who beforehand represented a whole lot of victims in a intercourse abuse lawsuit towards the Boy Scouts of America, started receiving calls at topic of the star.

“I feel he received a bit overwhelmed and he realized it may be greater than he may deal with. [on his own]mentioned Buzbee.

After agreeing to assist, Buzbee requested potential victims to come back ahead through an Instagram submit. Over the following 10 days, he estimates his group acquired 3,000 calls.

These claims have been reviewed by a group of attorneys and former legislation enforcement officers, who arrived at an inventory of purchasers whose instances “are viable, which have been rigorously reviewed, which can finally be closed,” he mentioned.

“We at all times get [calls] day-after-day,” he added. “I feel the potential [number of] the variety of instances might be within the 300s, however I feel in actuality it can find yourself being between 100 and 150.”

The alleged victims embody roughly equal numbers of women and men; whose accusations span a interval of 20 years.

Amongst them are a girl who claims Mr. Combs raped her in a resort room in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old pupil; and a younger aspiring musician who claims the musician drugged him and compelled him to carry out oral intercourse when he was 10 years outdated.

Mr Combs’ attorneys denied the allegations, saying in a press release to the BBC that he “by no means sexually assaulted anybody – grownup or minor, man or lady”.

The lawsuits have thus far been filed anonymously, with the alleged victims referred to in court docket paperwork as John Doe or Jane Doe.

Nevertheless, Mr. Combs’ attorneys have requested the courts to launch their identities in order that he can adequately put together for any potential trial.

In three instances thus far, together with that of the 19-year-old lady, a decide has dominated that they must reveal their names for his or her claims to maneuver ahead.

“It occurs lots,” Mr Buzbee informed the BBC. “If the plaintiff is pressured to disclose his identification, Mr. Combs hopes he’ll go away quietly and by no means file a criticism once more.

“The excellent news is that is not going to occur. It is one thing I have been researching…so in the event that they’re pressured to disclose their identification, they may reveal their identification, and we’ll transfer ahead .”

Mr. Buzbee added that he took comparable steps within the DeShaun Watson case, the place a number of ladies publicly added their names to the lawsuits following a problem by the athlete’s attorneys.

One lawsuit has attracted specific consideration as a result of it claims different celebrities have been concerned in Mr. Combs’ alleged crimes.

The case, filed in New York in October, issues a 13-year-old woman who claims she turned disoriented and dizzy after accepting a drink at considered one of Mr. Combs’s events.

Shortly after, she claims a person, initially recognized as “Superstar A”, took off her garments and raped her, as Mr. Combs and a girl named “Superstar B” seemed on.

Sunday, the the plaintiff updated the lawsuit to determine the primary movie star as rap legend Jay-Z.

In a prolonged assertion, Jay-Z, whose actual identify is Shawn Carter, known as the claims “idiotic” and accused Mr. Buzbee of attempting to blackmail him by threatening to make his identify public.

“My coronary heart and assist goes out to the actual victims on this planet, who’ve to look at as their life story is costumed for revenue by this low-cost costumed ambulance chaser,” he added.

The musician had already filed an nameless criticism in Los Angeles, accusing Mr. Buzbee of getting tried “shamelessly” to extort him.

Mr. Buzbee countered that the “frivolous” lawsuit was a “final resort try” to forestall Mr. Carter’s identify from being made public.

“I’m a United States Marine,” he wrote in a press release posted to Instagram. “I cannot be silenced or intimidated. Neither will my purchasers.”

Mr. Combs’s authorized group additionally denied the allegations, and mentioned the extortion cost towards Mr. Buzbee “exposes his barrage of lawsuits…for what they’re: brazen publicity stunts, designed to extort funds to celebrities who concern lies will likely be unfold about them, simply as lies have been unfold about Mr. Combs.”

The back-and-forth has solely fueled hypothesis that extra high-profile figures within the music business will likely be ensnared in upcoming trials.

Chatting with the BBC, Buzbee described the likelihood as “very possible”.

“Should you simply take a look at the alleged conduct, it is fairly pervasive. There’s been a tradition that is been created, a celebration tradition, the place something goes,” he says.

“There was only a common feeling that there [Mr Combs] was above the legislation, that he may do what he needed, when he needed, with whomever he needed. »

Social media has seen a wave of hypothesis, linking individuals to Mr. Combs’ alleged crimes – based mostly on little greater than pictures from present enterprise events within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s.

Evidently, there is no such thing as a proof to assist these claims.

There have additionally been broadly discredited forgeries, together with a tell-all biography purportedly written by Mr. Combs’s late companion, Kim Porter; and a viral music, by which Justin Bieber reportedly sang: “I received misplaced at a Diddy celebration.” The latter turned out to be an AI-generated pretend.

Mr. Combs’ attorneys argued that the variety of “false and outrageous” claims made by “authorities brokers, plaintiffs’ attorneys and others with questionable motivations” may very well be “perceived as prejudicial to potential jurors “.

Mr. Buzbee disagrees.

“Clearly individuals who come to court docket as jurors do not are available in a vacuum,” he informed the BBC.

“They learn the press and know what is going on on, however I feel most individuals are prepared to say, ‘Let’s decide this declare on its deserves. What is the proof and what is the protection?'”

In the end, Mr. Buzbee’s purchasers might have to attend a very long time for his or her case to be heard in court docket.

Jennie VonCannon, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in intercourse trafficking and racketeering instances, says the legal trial towards Mr. Combs must conclude earlier than civil prices can proceed.

“That is as a result of the Fifth Modification provides you the appropriate to stay silent,” she informed the BBC.

“So you need to begin with the legal case, as a result of if you happen to make statements in civil instances to defend your self, you would probably incriminate your self.”

The BBC understands that grand jury hearings for Mr Combs’ legal trial have continued since prices have been filed towards him in September.

A number of the alleged victims who’re suing him in civil court docket reportedly testified throughout these hearings. VonCannon says the federal government may simply change its case.

“There’s a faculty of thought that claims no investigation is ever full,” she says.

“It seems that the federal government continues to be actively producing discoveries, so it’s potential that they may supersede them. [replace or amend] the indictment, and even add different defendants.

The legal trial is at the moment scheduled to start in Could 2025.