Lawyers Say They’re Representing More Than 50 People Allegedly Abused By Diddy

Attorneys said they’re representing more than 50 people who plan to take legal action against Sean “Diddy” Combs for alleged sexual abuse — and they expect to work with more.
Tony Buzbee, who previously represented more than 120 clients in a lawsuit against rapper Travis Scott following the deadly Astroworld crowd crush, announced that he and AVA Law Group are taking legal action against Combs on behalf of those who came forward saying that Combs had abused them.
“Each individual story is gut wrenching and heartbreaking,” Buzbee said in an announcement on social media. “The violations against this group of individuals are mindboggling and can only be described as debauchery and depravity, exacted by powerful people against minors and the weak.”
Andrew Van Arsdale, managing partner of AVA Law Group, told HuffPost on Friday that the attorneys expect to represent well over 100 people by early next week.
Van Arsdale said people who had previously feared the music mogul’s power are now coming forward because they feel a sense of protection now that federal authorities have arrested him. The lawyer said Combs’ accusers are looking for accountability and some form of justice.
“I’m just glad that the federal government has finally acted and brought him to task and to call on what has happened here, and we look forward to representing as many people as are willing to come forward and seek that accountability,” Van Arsdale said.
Federal prosecutors in New York have alleged that Combs organized parties he called “freak-offs” where he drugged and coerced victims into performing sex acts. Combs has pleaded not guilty to trafficking and racketeering charges, and he’s also denied allegations in multiple civil lawsuits filed against him.
His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told TMZ that his client plans to take the stand in his own defense in his criminal case. “I don’t know that I can keep him off the stand. He is very eager to tell his story,” Agnifilo said.
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Speaking about the dozens of alleged victims that he and Buzbee are representing, Van Arsdale told HuffPost that each case is unique and will be handled individually as opposed to grouping them into a class action lawsuit.
Van Arsdale alleged that Combs’ abuse spanned decades and said that his accusers fall into separate groups. He alleged that some people were promised career benefits and drawn to Combs’ lavish parties, where they were sexually assaulted, while others were trafficked across state lines to be serially abused by a number of people within Combs’ circle. Some were minors at the time, he said.
The lawyers expect to file cases in different states, but Van Arsdale said that many of Combs’ parties took place in Beverly Hills, California. Some of the accusers are men who described abuse similar to the women who have already publicly spoken out, he said.
“It’s about a half and a half in terms of the people that have come forward to date,” Arsdale said.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.
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