A man who accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault has been awarded a $100 million judgment after the rapper, music producer, and businessman failed to contest the allegations in a Michigan civil court.
Sean Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has denied that his client knows the plaintiff, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith. Agnifilo claims Cardello-Smith committed “fraud on the court” and stated that Combs “looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs loses $100m default judgment over sexual assault allegation
Hip-hop mogul failed to respond to lawsuit over alleged sexual assault in Detroit in 1997 but denies knowing accuser
Cardello-Smith, 51, secured the substantial judgment after filing a lawsuit detailing an alleged incident from 1997. He claimed that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted him at a Detroit party while Cardello-Smith was working in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The lawsuit was part of a broader pattern of alleged misconduct by Combs, who is also known as P Diddy, Puff Daddy, and Love.
According to the Detroit Metro Times, Cardello-Smith provided evidence linking Combs to a prison visitation log and testified that Combs offered him $2.3 million to drop the lawsuit, which Cardello-Smith rejected. Combs allegedly told him, “You know how we get down,” to which Cardello-Smith responded, “Well, I disagree with how you get down.”
On August 7, Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Anna Marie Anzalone issued an order restraining Combs from selling assets that could cover any damages awarded to Cardello-Smith. When Combs failed to attend a virtual hearing on the lawsuit, Anzalone awarded a default judgment of $100 million to Cardello-Smith.
Default judgments are granted when defendants do not respond to legal action. Court records show Cardello-Smith is incarcerated at the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility, where he has a history of challenging the judicial system with lawsuits. He has also filed a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit for alleged sexual abuse by priests and lay employees.
Combs’ attorney referred to Cardello-Smith as a “convicted felon and sexual predator,” denying any association with the plaintiff. Agnifilo claimed Combs has never been served with the lawsuit and that Cardello-Smith’s claims are fraudulent.
Combs has faced multiple lawsuits alleging rape, sexual assault, physical violence, and revenge porn. Despite initially denying these claims, a video surfaced in May showing Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie Ventura, his former girlfriend. Combs settled Ventura’s claims out of court soon after the video’s release.
Federal authorities also raided Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami in March as part of a sex-trafficking investigation, though no charges have been filed. Combs has since listed his Los Angeles home for $61.5 million.