Sean Diddy

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Ordered to Pay $100 Million in Sexual Assault Judgment

Author: Jem Aswad Source: Variety:

September 10, 2024 at 11:10

In the latest legal setback for Sean “Diddy” Combs, a Michigan inmate has won a $100 million default sexual-assault judgment against the embattled producer and entrepreneur, who has been slammed with multiple sexual-misconduct allegations over the past year.

According to Detroit’s Metro Times and court documents, the award was issued Monday by a Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge following a temporary restraining order against Combs granted to Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, 51, who it describes as “Michigan inmate known for his long history of challenging the judicial system with civil lawsuits.” The lawsuit claims that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted Cardello-Smith in 1997 at a party in Detroit; the judge set out a payment schedule of $10 million per month, starting October 1.The default judgment was reached after Combs failed to appear for a virtual hearing on Monday.

The suit states that Cardello-Smith encountered Combs while he was working at a Detroit-area restaurant. The two met a group of women at a party and were having sex with them when Cardello-Smith says he was he felt a male hand touching him, which he claims was Combs. He said Combs later offered him a drink, which was spiked and caused him to pass out. He said he awoke and saw Combs having sex with a woman; Combs allegedly said to him, “I did this to you too.”

According to the Metro Times, Cardello-Smith, who is serving an unrelated sentence, is a self-taught student of civil and criminal statutes.

Cardello-Smith claims that in August Combs offered him $2.3 million dollars to dismiss the lawsuit, but he declined and said he would proceed with the legal action. Combs allegedly responded, “You know how we get down”; Cardello-Smith said he responded, “I disagree with how you get down.”

While Combs has denied most of the multiple sexual-misconduct allegations leveled against him, in June he admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura after video footage leaked of a 2016 incident in a hotel. He apologized and said he was “fucked up.”

A rep for Combs did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.