Embattled music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a young model in the early 2000s.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Crystal McKinney alleges that Diddy, then 34, assaulted her at his New York City studio in 2003 when she was 22. McKinney claims Combs forced her to perform oral sex and derailed her modeling career by having her “blackballed” in the industry, despite earlier promises to help her professionally. The ordeal reportedly led to a decline in McKinney’s mental health, causing depression, anxiety, body image issues, feelings of worthlessness, and intimacy problems.
Recently, Combs, now 54, has faced multiple sexual assault lawsuits alleging he raped or sexually assaulted women over the past few decades. In March, Homeland Security Investigations agents raided his Los Angeles home, reportedly in connection with an ongoing sex trafficking investigation in New York.
McKinney, described as a “woman of faith,” said she felt a “moral obligation” to come forward after seeing media coverage of Combs’ legal troubles. The lawsuit states that McKinney “prayed to God before bringing this lawsuit, as she feared further violence and/or retaliation from Defendant Combs, but ultimately decided that she needed to speak her truth.” She seeks justice for herself and other alleged victims of Combs.
Combs’ companies, Bad Boy Records, Sean John Clothing, and Universal Music Group are also named as defendants in the case.
Crystal McKinney Details Alleged Sexual Assault by Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
In the lawsuit, McKinney claims she met Combs at a Men’s Fashion Week event at Cipriani Downtown in New York City, invited by an unnamed fashion designer. During the dinner, Combs allegedly made public advances toward McKinney and kept refilling her glass with wine. He also promised to help advance her career and gave her his phone number.
McKinney, who won MTV’s Model Mission contest in 1998 and had modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, was invited to Combs’ studio later that night. There, she smoked marijuana with the rapper and his associates. McKinney alleges the marijuana was laced with “a narcotic or other intoxicating substance,” making her feel “very powerful” effects.
According to the lawsuit, Combs then led McKinney to the bathroom, where he forced himself on her, kissed her without consent, and forced her to perform oral sex. Afterward, McKinney felt increasingly “woozy” and lost consciousness. She later awoke in a taxi, which took her back to the fashion designer’s apartment.
Crystal McKinney Says Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ‘Blackballed’ Her in Modeling Industry After Alleged Assault
McKinney claims in the lawsuit that after the alleged assault, her modeling opportunities dwindled and eventually disappeared entirely, as she was “blackballed” by Combs. This led to severe anxiety and depression, resulting in a suicide attempt and hospitalization around 2004.
The lawsuit states, “Combs’ assault has altered the trajectory of (McKinney’s) career, denying her a successful and lucrative career in the modeling and film industries.” McKinney has also reportedly struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, as well as intimacy issues, as a result of the alleged assault.
The lawsuit was filed under New York’s Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law, which allows survivors of gender-motivated violence to seek legal action against their abusers regardless of when the abuse occurred.
McKinney is demanding a jury trial and seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for “mental and emotional injury, distress, pain and suffering, and injury to her reputation.”
