Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is once again facing legal challenges, with a new lawsuit that could cost him millions.
A man named Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith recently won a $100 million default judgment against the rapper. Cardello-Smith, 51, has accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a party in Detroit back in 1997. Although Combs’ legal team strongly denies these claims, the judgment was issued after the rapper failed to appear at a September 9 court hearing.
Cardello-Smith, who is currently serving a prison sentence, has a history of filing civil suits. Combs’ lawyers argue that Cardello-Smith is attempting to deceive the court and claim they were unaware of the lawsuit because Combs was not properly notified. They plan to contest the ruling and work to have it overturned.
The lawsuit includes allegations that Combs recently offered Cardello-Smith $2.3 million to settle the case, an offer Cardello-Smith says he rejected. He also claims to have proof of knowing Combs, pointing to prison visitation logs with Combs’ name, though Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, disputes this.
This case is one of several legal battles Combs has faced, including a high-profile lawsuit from his former partner, Cassie Ventura. Although Combs denied her allegations, he settled the case privately after security footage from 2016 surfaced, showing him physically attacking Ventura in a hotel.
Earlier this year, Combs’ properties were raided by federal agents as part of an investigation into sex trafficking. Combs’ lawyer described the raid as an “unprecedented ambush” and continues to assert his client’s innocence.
