120 More Lawsuits To Be Filed Against Diddy, Including By Alleged Victim Who Was 9

Attorneys announced on Tuesday that they intend to file at least 120 lawsuits on behalf of people who say they were sexually abused by Sean “Diddy” Combs and his associates.

Houston attorney Tony Buzbee spoke next to sexual abuse victims advocates and co-counsel Andrew Van Arsdale, of AVA Law Group, at a press conference and added that many of the alleged victims have already spoken to law enforcement authorities, including the FBI.

The attorneys are now in the process of collecting police reports and medical records from hospitals, according to Buzbee. Some of the alleged victims had drugs found in their system when they sought medical treatment following the sexual abuse, he said.

One drug in particular that kept showing up in the alleged victims’ test results was xylazine, also known as tranq, a non-opioid sedative.

He said most of the alleged victims they represent had been scared to speak out until Combs was arrested and indicted by federal authorities in September. He has pleaded not guilty.

“They fear backlash in their communities, they fear backlash in their own families. They are afraid of retaliation from the perpetrators and their associates. They are rightly afraid for their own personal safety,” Buzbee said. “I expect that through this process, many powerful people will be exposed, many dirty secrets will be revealed.”

The attorneys said more than 3,000 people reached out to them about possible abuse, and they now represent 120 accusers. The alleged victims come from more than 25 states with a majority of them living in California, New York, Georgia and Florida.

“They’re coming forward now because they finally feel a bit safer that he’s behind bars,” Andrew Van Arsdale, managing partner of AVA Law Group, told HuffPost following the press conference. “His influence and control over their livelihood and maybe physical health is waning, and so they’re coming forward in the numbers they are.”

According to Buzbee, Combs’ alleged victims are evenly split between women and men, with about 62% of them identifying as African Americans, 30% identifying as white, and the remainder either Asian or Hispanic, he added.

Although each case is different, a common theme involves the alleged victim being lured into a situation where they were given a laced drink at a party before being sexually abused by Combs or his associates while other people watched.

One individual who was 22 at the time told attorneys that if you refused the drink, you were kicked out of the party, according to Buzbee. He said much of the sexual abuse happened at auditions or parties, including album releases and Combs’ “all white parties,” some at well-known venues in New York City.

Those who reached out to Combs or his associates following the abuse were sometimes threatened with physical violence or financial repercussions. Buzbee added that the associates who witnessed or helped perpetrate the abuse include individuals whose names are publicly known.

“I would imagine, as we speak here, there are a myriad of people who are very nervous,” Buzbee said. “You can’t hide skeletons in the closet forever. I would expect there are many people out there right now who are desperately searching their memories as they delete their texts and data.”

Buzbee said at least 25 were minors at the time of the alleged abuse, with the youngest being 9 years old. The attorney said the child was brought to New York City by Combs’ record label, Bad Boy Records, for an audition, but was sexually abused by Combs and his associates at the studio. The boy was promised that he and his parents would get a record deal, Buzbee said.

The victims’ cases will be filed individually against Combs and may also include corporate entities such as banks, pharmaceutical companies and hotels who Buzbee said profited off the abuse.

An attorney for Diddy did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment. He has previously said Diddy is eager to tell his story and has denied allegations of other sexual abuse lawsuits.

Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Online Hotline or the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s website.