EXCLUSIVE: Diddy Mounts Vigorous Defense Over Decades-Old Sexual Assault Allegations
Diddy is fighting to have a rape and battery lawsuit dismissed, claiming the accusations are unfounded, baseless and barred by law.
Diddy is pushing back against the lawsuit filed by a woman named April Lampros, who accused him of multiple instances of rape and battery that allegedly occurred from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s.
The lawsuit, filed in the New York County Supreme Court, also names Bad Boy Records, Arista Records and Sony Music Entertainment as defendants.
“April Lampros filed this baseless lawsuit more than twenty years after the end of her romantic relationship with [Diddy] represented by an attorney who regularly sues celebrities and was recently chastised by a federal judge for ‘improperly fil[ing] cases to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly,’” Diddy’s lawyer Erica Wolff said.
Lampros alleges that Diddy offered to mentor her in the music and fashion industries but instead subjected her to a manipulative and abusive relationship.
Lampros detailed several alleged assaults, including an incident in 1995 where Diddy purportedly raped her in a hotel room after coercing her into drinking.
Another claim states that he forced her to perform oral sex in a parking garage.
In 1996, Lampros claims that Diddy compelled her and his then-girlfriend, Kim Porter, to take ecstasy and engage in sexual acts before raping her.
Further, Lampros alleges another assault happened at her apartment between 2000 and 2001. Diddy has denied all allegations, and his attorney has described the claims as “pure fiction.” The embattled mogul is now trying to get the lawsuit out of court.
“Lampros does not allege how or where [Diddy] purportedly touched her, nor does she claim she sustained any physical injuries,” Erica Wolff explained.
Diddy and Bad Boy Records seek to dismiss the lawsuit, citing various legal grounds. Diddy’s legal team argues that the claims are time-barred, meaning they were filed after the expiration of the statute of limitations for such allegations.
Furthermore, the lawsuit invokes New York City’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law (GMVL) and the Adult Survivors Act of 2022 (ASA) to support the claims. Diddy’s defense team contends that the GMVL claim is not applicable retroactively, as some of the alleged incidents predate the law’s enactment.
Additionally, the lawsuit attempts to hold Bad Boy Records accountable for the alleged misconduct by Diddy.
However, Diddy’s lawyers argue that Bad Boy Records cannot be held liable for actions not within the scope of Diddy’s employment at the record label since none of the alleged incidents happened at the business.
Moreover, the legal team points out that the GMVL did not initially apply to corporate entities like Bad Boy Records, and the amendment expanding liability to such entities is not retroactive. Therefore, the claim against Bad Boy Records under the GMVL is deemed invalid.
Based on the arguments presented, Diddy and Bad Boy Records seek to dismiss the lawsuit. The legal battle continues as both sides present their case before the court.