HOUSTON — High-profile Houston attorney Tony Buzbee now says his firm is representing 120 people -- 60 males and 60 females -- who say they were raped, sexually assaulted or sexually exploited by Sean "Diddy" Combs.
According to Buzbee, 25 of his clients were minors when the alleged assaults happened, including one who was only 9 years old.
“When you talk about the ages of the victims when the conduct occurred, it’s shocking," Buzbee said at a news conference on Tuesday. "The youngest victim at the time of the occurrence was 9 years old."
He said the cases will reveal "dirty secrets" and expose powerful people who participated in the assaults with Combs or who witnessed the crimes and did nothing.
“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, that really wasn’t a secret at all has finally been revealed to the world. The wall of silence has now been broken and victims are coming forward," Buzbee said.
The attorney, who also represented women who sued Deshaun Watson alleging sexual assault, claims more than 3,285 have contacted his firm with allegations against Combs. After vetting each case with the help of a former Houston Police Department detective, the firm agreed to represent 120 of them. Some have already been interviewed by the FBI, according to Buzbee.
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Most of the alleged victims were trying to break into the entertainment industry and were invited to Combs' parties in New York City, The Hamptons, Los Angeles and Miami. They were given drinks and told they'd be kicked out of the party if they refused to drink them, Buzbee said.
“Once that drink takes effect, the perpetrators perform all kinds of sexual acts on the victims, many times passing him or her around as other people watch and enjoy the show and then leave the victim ashamed, confused, injured and wondering what happened,” Buzbee alleged.
The victims said they were threatened with violence or financial repercussions if they spoke out.
“This conduct has created a mass of individuals who are injured, scared and scarred," Buzbee said.
According to Buzbee, many of them reported the assaults to law enforcement and some were treated at hospitals. He said several tested positive for Xylazine, also known as tranq, a horse tranquilizer not approved for humans.
Other alleged victims, including at least one Houston woman, have already filed lawsuits against Combs that include allegations of sexual assault.
An attorney for Combs said the performer “cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.”
“That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” attorney Erica Wolff said in a statement. “He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court if and when claims are filed and served, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Combs, 54, remains jailed in New York after pleading not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The feds say he used his “power and prestige” to induce female victims into drugged-up, elaborately produced sexual performances with male sex workers in events dubbed “Freak Offs.”
Combs is a hip-hop mogul who's won three Grammys and worked with artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112. He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, the influential fashion line Sean John, a vodka brand and the Revolt TV network. He sold off his stake in the latter company in June of this year.