A former child actor has accused hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs of sexual assault that allegedly occurred in 2007 at a networking event in the Hollywood Hills.
An anonymous man filed a lawsuit against Combs in California this week, and CNN has seen a copy of the lawsuit.
The lawsuit is the latest in a string of legal troubles facing the imprisoned rapper and producer. Combs is currently appealing a federal court ruling in New York that found him guilty on two counts of transporting persons for the purpose of prostitution, for which he was sentenced to more than four years in prison. He also has another case pending against him, according to a spokesman for the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office.
The new lawsuit alleges that Combs took the then-underage actor to a private room during a networking event, where he offered him an alcoholic beverage before inappropriately touching him and then performing a sexual act on him. A representative for Combs denied the allegations.
"Mr. Combs unequivocally denies these allegations. The lawsuit describes events that allegedly occurred nearly twenty years ago and is based solely on the plaintiff's testimony. We will carefully review the lawsuit and respond through appropriate legal action. We are confident that the facts will demonstrate that these allegations are without merit," Judah Engelmeyer, a spokesman for the rapper, told CNN.
According to the lawsuit, Combs told the child actor that he wanted to talk to him privately about possible business opportunities and that he thought he would be "a good candidate for an upcoming project."
After Combs and the minor were in a separate room, the rapper offered him an alcoholic beverage and began a casual conversation. He then, according to the lawsuit, began touching the minor's arm in a way that the minor found inappropriate. The plaintiff alleges that he told Combs that he was uncomfortable with the way he was touching him, after which Combs allegedly tried to calm him down and get him to relax.
After that, the plaintiff alleges that Combs took off the plaintiff's pants and underwear and inappropriately touched him in the private parts of his body, while simultaneously touching himself.
"Combs then performed a sexual act on the minor plaintiff, after which he pulled up his pants and told him he would see how things would develop regarding a role he had in mind for him," the lawsuit states.
The plaintiff filed the lawsuit under the pseudonym “John YH Roe.” The documents state that he began his career as a child actor around 2004, but no other details about his identity or the roles he has performed have been released.
His age at the time of the alleged incident was not specified, except that he was a minor under 18 years of age in May 2007, when the alleged incident occurred.
The plaintiff also filed a lawsuit against his former talent agency, claiming that it failed to adequately protect him as a minor and that he should have had an adult companion present at a networking event to which he had been invited.
This is not the first time the rapper has faced allegations of sexual assault against minors. He has previously been sued by people who claim to have been teenagers at the time of the alleged assaults, including one accuser who said he was just 10 years old when Combs allegedly abused him.
Many of those who filed lawsuits claim that the alleged assaults occurred during auditions or other business events related to the entertainment industry.
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