In a surprising twist, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with a $100 million default judgment after failing to appear in court.
The case involves Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, a Michigan inmate who claims the hip-hop icon drugged and sexually assaulted him nearly three decades ago at a party in Detroit.
The ruling came down on Monday, September 9th, during a virtual hearing at Lenawee County Circuit Court.
Diddy, 54, was nowhere to be found, prompting the court to side with Cardello-Smith, 51, who is currently serving up to 75 years in prison on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, fired back, saying, “This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years. His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.”
The plot thickens with Cardello-Smith’s legal history.
Known for his courtroom antics, he’s taught himself the ins and outs of criminal and civil law while behind bars, filing multiple lawsuits along the way.
According to court records, Cardello-Smith filed his complaint against Diddy in June and managed to secure a temporary restraining order in August to prevent Combs from selling off assets that could be used to pay potential damages.
Cardello-Smith claims that he and Diddy met in 1997 at a Detroit Holiday Inn afterparty.
The complaint, as reported by USA Today, describes an encounter where Combs allegedly touched Cardello-Smith inappropriately while he was with a woman, offering him a drink that left him feeling drowsy and disoriented.
Cardello-Smith alleges he woke up bleeding and in pain, and while he says he filed a police report, the outcome remains unclear.
In an August court hearing, Cardello-Smith claimed that Combs visited him in prison, offering $2.3 million to make the lawsuit disappear—an allegation Combs’ team has denied.
Diddy’s attorney Jonathan Davis was quick to defend the artist’s innocence, stating, “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason and without any proof. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail against these and other baseless claims in court.”
This case is just one of several legal battles currently swirling around Diddy. Earlier this year, federal agents raided his properties as part of an ongoing investigation, prompting him to list one of his homes for sale on September 8th.
With Combs determined to overturn the judgment, this drama is far from over—stay tuned for the next chapter in this unfolding legal saga.
Ryan Murphy had better write “Monster: The Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Story” for Netflix.
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Source: People,
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