Sean “Diddy” Combs has taken legal action against Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, a male prisoner who filed a lawsuit accusing the music mogul of a 1997 sexual assault. According to court documents obtained by In Touch, Diddy, 55, and his legal team are asking a federal judge to dismiss the case and impose sanctions on Derrick, citing the claims as baseless and part of a pattern of harassment.
Diddy’s lawyer highlighted Derrick’s criminal background, stating he is “serving a decades-long sentence” and accused him of using the legal system for “harassment and extortion.” The legal team emphasized that Derrick has a history of filing “several, substantially identical lawsuits” against Diddy, all of which they claim are “based on wholesale fabrications.”
In response to these repeated legal attacks, Diddy has requested that the court prohibit Derrick from filing any new lawsuits without prior court approval and that Derrick be ordered to cover Diddy’s legal expenses.
“This is not [Derrick’s] first attempt at a shakedown – and unless this Court intervenes, it will not be his last,” Diddy’s lawyer argued. They also pointed out that Derrick’s lawsuits have been dismissed as meritless in the past, with numerous judges admonishing him for what they called “vexatious litigation.” Despite this, Derrick has continued filing lawsuits, including the current one involving allegations of an incident in 1997.
Lopez potentially drawn into Diddy’s legal drama as witness
Derrick claims he met Diddy while working as a bartender and was invited to a party where he alleges the assault occurred. In his lawsuit, Derrick accused Diddy of drugging him and claimed he woke up to disturbing scenes. He further alleged that Diddy admitted to assaulting him and accused government officials of helping cover up the incident. However, Diddy’s legal team has dismissed these claims outright, with one attorney stating, “Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit.”
Adding another layer to the case, Derrick recently filed documents indicating he plans to call Jennifer Lopez as a witness. Lopez, who dated Diddy from 1999 to 2001, is alleged by Derrick to have potentially relevant information about the case. Meanwhile, Diddy’s team has pointed out significant inconsistencies in Derrick’s claims, including allegations that the supposed assault took place in two different counties on the same day. Additionally, they argue that the lawsuit is far beyond the statute of limitations.
Diddy’s lawyers continue to fight back against what they describe as a “barrage of meritless, fraudulent filings,” aiming to put an end to what they see as a pattern of harassment.