Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team has filed a motion to dismiss several claims in a sexual assault lawsuit, arguing that the accusations are unfounded and that the relevant laws did not exist at the time of the alleged incident.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team has filed a motion to dismiss a number of claims waged against the music mogul in a sexual assault lawsuit established in November. In the filings, Diddy's lawyers argued "numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations" were brought against Combs and his companies in a lawsuit filed by Joi Dickerson-Neal "under statutes that did not exist at the time the alleged misconduct occurred and against corporate entities that were not formed or in existence."
Dickerson-Neal alleged that the influential rapper drugged, sexually assaulted, and abused her while she was attending Syracuse University in 1991, according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital. Dickerson-Neal claimed Combs intentionally drugged her while on a date, recorded the sexual assault, and "distributed" the tape, making her a victim of "revenge porn."
Diddy's legal team argued that New York State Revenge Porn Law became effective in December 2017, and therefore, couldn't be retroactively applied to a lawsuit stemming from an incident that allegedly happened in 1991. Representatives for Dickerson-Neal did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The third cause of action in Dickerson-Neal's suit alleges a claim under the New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking Law (VHTL). His lawyers argue that the VHTL became effective on November 1, 2007, which was approximately 16 years after the alleged sexual assault.
Dickerson-Neal's claim was filed against Combs, his Bad Boy Entertainment group, Bad Boy Records, and Combs Enterprises, LLC. His lawyers provided evidence from the New York Department of State, Divisions of Corporations, showing that Combs established Bad Boy Entertainment Holdings, Inc., in 1992, one year after the alleged incident happened.
A similar form was provided for Combs Enterprises, LLC., which listed the initial filing date for the entity as November 17, 2004. Diddy's team also invoked a recent ruling in another New York case where Steven Tyler was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in 1975.
Jeanne Bellino initially filed the suit against the Aerosmith singer under the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act, a law extending the statute of limitations by two years for victims of sexual abuse. Bellino's case was dismissed in February after a judge ruled that the alleged incident did not present a "serious risk of physical injury" and could not be legally sufficient to pursue litigation.
Last month, Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) officials in connection with a federal human trafficking investigation. It's unclear if Combs is the target of the federal agency's investigation.
Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, called the raids a "gross overuse of military-level force" in a statement provided to Fox News Digital at the time.
"This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits," Dyer said.
"There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."
In addition to the Dickerson-Neal suit, Diddy is also being sued by Liza Gardner, Jane Doe, and music producer Rodeny "Lil Rod" Jones. Combs has denied each of the claims.
