Despite embattled record executive Sean “Diddy” Combs’ being found not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking, the two most serious charges in his RICO trial, he’s not out of trouble just yet.
The New York rapper has been hit with a new lawsuit by a former model and dancer who claims he was drugged and raped by Combs and a female accomplice and was given a sexually transmitted disease.
According to the 32-page complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, viewed by Variety, Edmond Laurent, who appeared in Britney Spears and Lil’ Kim music videos, “is suing Combs and several Jane and John Does of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and sexual battery as well as civil conspiracy and aiding and abetting. The Dominica native who moonlighted as an exotic dancer under the name ‘Islander’ is seeking $10 million.”
The complaint alleges that the incidents, which all took place in the late 2000s, happened at various swanky hotels in the Los Angeles area. On one occasion, Laurent claims that he was drugged and raped by Combs and a woman he didn’t know. He alleges that the woman used her fingernail to put a hole in the condom, thus exposing him to a sexually transmitted disease. The complaint also claims that as a result of the incident he’s struggled with his health including stomach cancer, Variety reports.
The complaint explains that Laurent is heterosexual and had done some small parts in music videos including “Tupac, Dr. Dre, Britney Spears, Lil’ Kim, Tamia, and other prominent artists” he even appeared in a Baywatch episode. He was signed to a talent agency that booked him for jobs and performances as an exotic dancer.
The complaint alleges that Combs booked Laurent through his agency for what he believed was a bachelorette party. When Laurent arrived at the Los Angeles hotel there was only a man and a woman, both wearing masks, that wanted a private dance.
“Seeing nothing wrong with the request, Plaintiff proceeded to perform. After the performance, he was paid and left.”
The complaint alleges that the mask wearing man was Diddy. Laurent would be booked again and this time, after his dance, he was asked to have sex with the woman while the man watched. Laurent agreed, had sex with the woman, was paid an additional $1,000 and left.
During another meetup with the couple, this time at the Mondrian, the couple unmasked and tried to get Laurent to drink alcohol. He declined. The couple allegedly offered him cocaine, ecstasy and GHB, all of which Laurent refused.
“Combs … insisted that Plaintiff be on the same ‘frequency’ as they were, demanding that he take at least one shot of alcohol to ‘lighten up.’ Plaintiff, reluctant but under pressure, obliged,” the complaint alleges, Variety reports.
For months there was no contact, then Laurent received a call for another meetup at a different hotel. Again, he was offered alcohol and drugs, which he declined. Laurent claims that Combs asked him not to wear a condom.
“Plaintiff refused, and Sean Combs and Jane Doe informed him that they had recently been tested, were both clean, and stated that Plaintiff was the only other partner Jane Doe had. They even went so far as to produce what they claimed to be valid blood work results as evidence that Jane Doe was STD and STI free,” the suit says, Variety reports.
“Jane Doe reached down and broke the condom with her fingernails as Plaintiff was penetrating her. Sean Combs then came behind Plaintiff, leaning in closely and whispering in his ear in a low, suggestive tone, ‘Yeah, f*ck that p*ssy. Pound that p*ssy.’ His voice was deliberate and insistent, reinforcing the coercive atmosphere. Plaintiff felt increasingly trapped and uncomfortable, but due to the effects of the drugged baby oil and the situation he found himself in, he struggled to fully resist or leave though he attempted to and had all intent to, but was hindered by the drugs.”
The complaint adds that Combs told the woman how to perform oral sex on Laurent and when she didn’t do as instructed, Combs “would snatch Plaintiff’s penis from Jane Doe 1 and mimic the movements he would want to see Jane Doe 1 do.”
Laurent claims on the final encounter, he was given spiked orange juice.
“Unbeknownst to him, Jane Doe and Sean Combs had spiked the drink with Rohypnol and ketamine,” the lawsuit says. “When Plaintiff regained consciousness, he was lying naked on the bed, slathered in baby oil, and felt immense pressure and pain in his rectum. … Jane Doe woke up, pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills, handed Plaintiff $500, and abruptly shut the hotel room door. Plaintiff was left feeling violated, confused, and physically unwell.”
Laurent claims that weeks later “anal warts appeared around the rim of Laurent’s rectum, the complaint says, and he was diagnosed with condyloma,” Variety reports. Laurent claims that he began struggling to keep food down and eventually had to have gastric surgery and eventually suffered from stomach cancer.
“This lawsuit is not just about seeking justice for one man — it is about holding powerful individuals accountable when they use their influence to exploit, degrade, and destroy lives behind closed doors,” Rodney Diggs, one of the attorneys representing Laurent told Variety. “For years, Mr. Laurent suffered in silence — his career, body and spirit irreparably damaged by the trauma he endured. Today, that silence ends. No amount of fame, fortune, or intimidation should shield anyone from being held responsible for their actions.”
Today’s filing is filled with pictures of a buff Laurent alongside famous faces, including Pamela Anderson on the Baywatch set and Oprah Winfrey in happier times. Those pictures are juxtaposed with a current picture of a frail-looking Laurent who is missing teeth due to frequent vomiting.
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