Lawyer says there could possibly be 300 potential instances towards Diddy

An legal professional representing a number of alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs says the potential variety of civil lawsuits towards the musician “might be within the 300s.”

Tony Buzbee informed the BBC that his workforce had acquired round 3,000 calls since he held a press convention to name clients in October.

He has already filed 20 lawsuits from women and men looking for damages from the musician; and says that “realistically” the ultimate complete can be “about 100 to 150.” Others will not make it to court docket as a result of the deadline for submitting claims has handed in some states.

Mr. Combs has denied the entire allegations towards him, calling them “disgusting” and the results of folks searching for “a fast payday.”

His legal professionals characterised the a number of civil lawsuits, together with complaints from 300 potential victims, as a part of a “reckless media circus.”

They mentioned Buzbee’s press convention and the creation of a toll-free reporting quantity had been “clear makes an attempt to realize publicity.”

In an announcement to the BBC, his lawyer Erica Wolff mentioned: “Mr. Combs has full confidence within the details and the integrity of the judicial course of.

“The fact will prevail in court docket: Mr. Combs by no means sexually assaulted or trafficked anybody, man or lady, grownup or minor.”

The musician is at present detained within the Metropolitan Detention Center in Manhattan, awaiting trial on separate prison expenses of intercourse trafficking and racketeering, expenses he additionally denies.

Buzbee, whose agency is predicated in Houston, is an outsized determine in US authorized circles, as soon as described by the New York Times as “a giant, imply, formidable, robust, fire-breathing Texas lawyer”.

A former Marine and TV host, he made a reputation for himself by suing vitality big BP after an explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City killed 15 folks; and efficiently defended former Texas governor Rick Perry towards expenses of abuse of energy.

More just lately, he helped a large group of ladies attain out-of-court settlements with American soccer participant Deshaun Watson over allegations he sexually assaulted them throughout personal therapeutic massage periods.

His involvement with Mr. Combs started final 12 months, after his co-counsel Andrew Van Arsdale, who had beforehand represented tons of of victims in a sexual abuse lawsuit towards the Boy Scouts of America, started receiving calls on the star.

“I believe he bought a bit overwhelmed and realized this may be greater than he might deal with (alone),” Buzbee says.

After agreeing to assist, Buzbee requested potential victims to return ahead through an Instagram submit. It is estimated that over the subsequent 10 days his workforce acquired 3,000 calls.

Those claims had been vetted by a workforce of legal professionals and former regulation enforcement officers, who arrived at an inventory of purchasers with instances “which can be legitimate, which have been rigorously vetted, that may finally be dismissed,” he says .

“We nonetheless get (calls) each single day,” he added. “I believe the potential (variety of) instances might be within the 300s, however I believe, realistically, it’ll finally be between 100 and 150.”

The alleged victims embody roughly equal numbers of women and men; whose allegations span a 20-year interval.

Among them are a girl who claims that Mr. Combs raped her in a lodge room in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old faculty pupil; and an aspiring younger musician who claims the musician drugged him and compelled him to carry out oral intercourse when he was 10 years previous.

Mr Combs’ legal professionals denied the allegations, saying in an announcement to the BBC that he “has by no means sexually assaulted anybody – grownup or minor, man or lady”.

The lawsuits have to date been filed anonymously, with the alleged victims referred to in court docket paperwork as John Doe or Jane Doe.

However, Mr. Combs’ legal professionals have requested the courts to disclose their identities in order that he can correctly put together for any potential trial.

In three instances to date, together with that of the 19-year-old lady, a decide has dominated that they should reveal their names for his or her complaints to maneuver ahead.

“It occurs loads,” Buzbee informed the BBC. “If the plaintiff is pressured to disclose his identification, Mr. Combs hopes that he’ll go away quietly and by no means file the grievance once more.

“The excellent news is that that is not going to occur. It’s one thing that I chosen…so in the event that they’re pressured to disclose their identification, they’re going to reveal their identification and we’ll proceed to maneuver ahead.”

Buzbee added that he took comparable steps within the DeShaun Watson case, during which a number of girls publicly added their names to lawsuits following a problem from the athlete’s legal professionals.

One lawsuit has acquired specific consideration as a result of it alleges that different celebrities had been concerned in Mr. Combs’ alleged crimes.

The case, filed in New York in October, includes a 13-year-old who says she grew to become disoriented and dizzy after accepting a drink at certainly one of Mr. Combs’ events.

Shortly thereafter, she claims {that a} man, initially recognized as “Celebrity A,” eliminated her garments and raped her, whereas Mr. Combs and a girl referred to as “Celebrity B” watched.

Sunday, the the plaintiff adjourned the case to determine the primary movie star as rap legend Jay-Z.

In a prolonged assertion, Jay-Z, whose actual title is Shawn Carter, referred to as the claims “idiotic” and accused Buzbee of making an attempt to blackmail him by threatening to make his title public.

“My coronary heart and assist exit to the true victims around the globe, who have to see how their life story is dressed up for revenue by this ambulance chaser in an inexpensive go well with,” he added.

The musician had beforehand filed an nameless lawsuit in Los Angeles, accusing Mr. Buzbee of “shamelessly” making an attempt to extort him.

Buzbee countered that the “frivolous” lawsuit was a “determined try” to stop Mr. Carter’s title from being made public.

“I’m a US Marine,” he wrote in an announcement on Instagram. “I cannot be silenced or intimidated. Neither will my purchasers.”

Combs’ authorized workforce additionally denies the claims and says the extortion cost towards Buzbee “exposes his barrage of lawsuits… for what they’re: shameless publicity stunts, designed to extort funds from celebrities who worry they’ll unfold lies about them, simply as lies have been unfold about Mr. Combs.”

The back-and-forth has solely fueled hypothesis that extra high-profile figures within the music business will stay ensnared within the coming trials.

Speaking to the BBC, Buzbee referred to as this eventuality “very seemingly.”

“If you simply have a look at the conduct that’s reported, it is fairly ubiquitous. A tradition has been created, a celebration tradition, the place something goes,” he says.

“There was only a common feeling that he (Mr. Combs) was above the regulation, that he might do what he wished, when he wished, with who he wished.”

Social media has seen a flurry of hypothesis, linking folks to Combs’ alleged crimes, based mostly on little greater than images from showbiz events within the Nineties and 2000s.

Needless to say, there isn’t any proof to assist these allegations.

There have additionally been extensively discredited forgeries, together with a tell-all biography purportedly written by Mr. Combs’ late companion, Kim Porter; and a viral music, during which Justin Bieber supposedly sang, “I bought misplaced at a Diddy social gathering.” The latter turned out to be a faux generated by synthetic intelligence.

Mr. Combs’ legal professionals argued that the variety of “false and outrageous” claims made by “authorities brokers, plaintiffs’ attorneys and others with questionable motives” could possibly be “perceived as prejudicial to potential jurors.”

Mr. Buzbee disagrees.

“Obviously, individuals who come into court docket as jurors, they do not come from a vacuum,” he tells the BBC.

“They learn the press and know what is going on on, however I believe most individuals are keen to say, ‘Let’s decide this declare on its deserves. What’s the proof and what is the protection?'”

Ultimately, Mr. Buzbee’s purchasers might face a protracted wait earlier than their instances are heard in court docket.

Jennie VonCannon, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in intercourse trafficking and racketeering instances, says the prison case towards Mr. Combs should conclude earlier than the civil instances can proceed.

“That’s as a result of the Fifth Amendment provides you the proper to stay silent,” he informed the BBC.

“So you want to proceed with the prison case first, as a result of when you make statements within the civil case to defend your self, you would incriminate your self.”

The BBC believes that grand jury hearings for Combs’ prison trial have continued for the reason that expenses towards him had been filed in September.

Some of the alleged victims who sued him in civil court docket are believed to have testified at these hearings. VonCannon says the federal government might simply regulate their case accordingly.

“There is a college of thought that no investigation is ever full,” he says.

“It seems that the federal government remains to be actively making discovery, so it’s attainable that they’ll supersede (exchange or amend) the indictment and add extra defendants as properly.”

The prison trial is at present scheduled to start in May 2025.