Danity Kane member Dawn Richard has filed a lawsuit against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, saying he groped and threatened her.
Dawn Richard, who worked with Diddy in Making the Band, Danity Kane, and Diddy’s Dirty Money, claims that the hip-hop mogul subjected her to years of verbal and physical abuse.
She reportedly alleges in her lawsuit, filed September 10, that the Diddy subjected her to” years of inhumane working conditions which included groping, assault, and false imprisonment.”
In 2005, Aubrey O’Dayy, Shannon Bex, Aundrea Fimbres, Dawn Richard, and D. Woods fought for their spot in the girl group Danity Kane, which meant impressing Diddy and choreographer Laurieann Gibson.
Although the girl squad appeared destined for global success and a long career, they split up in 2014 after three studio albums and a series of fights and firings.
Danity Kane disbanded again on August 8, 2014, following a fight between members O’Dayy and Richard in the recording studio. O’Dayy and Bex announced this publicly. Despite their disbandment, they released their third studio album, DK3, in October 2014.
Dawn Richard first collaborated with Diddy in 2004 when she competed on MTV’s Making the Band for a spot in his new girl group, Danity Kane, and signed with his record label. In 2009, Richard joined Combs’s trio Diddy—Dirty Money.
In the lawsuit, the “Ride for Yo” singer claims that the 54-year-old rap mogul sexually assaulted her and committed other misconduct.
“Mr. Combs frequently held meetings with Ms. Richard wearing only his underwear despite Ms.Richard’ss protests and repeated requests for him to put on clothing,” the lawsuit read.
The 41-year-old also stated that he witnessed violence against Kim Porter and Cassie Ventura. In or around 2005, Richard reported seeing Porter leave Comb’s recording studio “in tears with visible facial injuries.”
Richard claims she is owed approximately $1.2 million in unpaid wages.
Diddy has not yet responded publicly to the allegations.
