Diddy may have a massive federal indictment to handle, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still address the other lawsuits against him for his alleged misconduct. Moreover, according to TMZ, he and his team filed a motion to dismiss Crystal McKinney’s sexual assault suit against him due to the statute of limitations for these claims expiring. For those unaware, her claims were protected by the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law until their expiration in 2010, seven years after the alleged incident. Bad Boy Entertainment, in addition to Daddy’s House Recording, wrote a letter responding to the suit along with Sean Combs’ lawyers.
On the other hand, Crystal McKinney’s legal team posits that a local government ordinance provided a timeframe of “reviving” this case and her claims against Diddy. However, his attorneys’ counterargument is that New York state law supersedes these local provisions, which is why they argue in favor of dismissal under the state law’s statute of limitations. In addition, the letter also claims that Bad Boy and other companies owned by its mogul can’t be defendants in this lawsuit because they did not facilitate or indirectly cause the alleged crimes in question, so a court can’t hold them accountable for them.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 26: Sean “Diddy” Combs attends Day 1 of 2023 Invest Fest at Georgia World Congress Center on August 26, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
For those unaware of Crystal McKinney’s lawsuit from back in May, she claims that she accepted an invitation to a Men’s Fashion Week shindig at Cipriani Downtown in New York City in 2003. Here, she alleges that she met Diddy for the first time, and that he invited her to his studio afterward. Crystal accused the businessman of possibly lacing a joint, forced her to perform oral sex on him after drinking with his entourage, and then blackballed her from the modeling industry. She also revealed that she attempted suicide the next year.
Meanwhile, the Diddy case will likely continue to develop in ugly, contentious, and mysterious ways. Most of the allegations against him remain just that: allegations. As such, we all have to wait until a court of law examines the charges against the music executive and to see what happens with his other lawsuits. Perhaps these separate cases will end apart from each other, or within the same timeline.
Damon Dash won his latest legal battle after a judge rejected Monique Bunn’s attempt at getting a new trial in her case against the Roc-A-Fella Records co-founder, as caught by AllHipHop. She previously accused him of sexual assault and of stealing over 100,000 photographs she had stored on various hard drives.
Despite a jury ruling against her federal court, they did find Dame guilty of defamation, which resulted in a $30,000 award for Bunn. Her lawyer, Christopher Brown, attempted to argue that the verdict went against the reality of the evidence and that the pictures were worth far more than that. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee has now ruled that the argument is insufficient.
Damon Dash Arrives At “The Prince Of Detroit” Premiere
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – JUNE 23: Entrepreneur/Director Damon Dash arrives at “The Prince Of Detroit” Detroit Premiere at Detroit Music Hall on June 23, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Monica Morgan/Getty Images)
Bunn’s case isn’t the only legal drama Dame has been battling in recent months. In order to settle a judgment he owes to filmmaker Josh Weber over a dispute regarding the movie Dear Frank, Dame is being forced to sell off his shares in Roc-A-Fella Records. It hasn’t proven to be as easy as it sounds, however, as JAY-Z has been attempting to block him from doing so. In a legal notice, last month, he confirmed that the copyright for Reasonable Doubt will officially belong to him in 2031. Dame fired back at the move on Instagram: “They can say what they want, this shit is still for sale. You’re not buying a copyright, you’re buying a piece of a company ROC A FELLA INC. Please only serious inquiries only!”
In other news, Dame has been feuding on social media with 50 Cent. 50 had taken a jab at him and his financial woes during an appearance on the Million Dollarz Worth of Game podcast. Be on the lookout for further updates on Damon Dash on HotNewHipHop.
Harvey Weinstein might be facing a retrial in New York following an overturned 2020 sexual assault conviction, but it’s not all good news for him these days. Moreover, he also faces new criminal charges thanks to a recently issued indictment from prosecutors representing new accusers. Manhattan attorneys divulged in a hearing on Thursday that a grand jury sent more charges up. It seems like the specific nature of these will stay secret until authorities arraign Weinstein after he leaves the hospital. These potential criminal complaints apparently stem from 2005, 2006, and 2013, per TMZ‘s report. According to their alleged sources, prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office asked a grand jury to convene and requested that the disgraced film and media executive testify.
Harvey Weinstein reportedly refused to issue a testimony on his own behalf during this hearing. This decision, from what this report suggests, is because prosecutors did not budge on revealing the identity of his new accusers. Per Manhattan’s D.A.’s office, these women brought their cases forward after his 2020 sexual assault conviction (his first). For those unaware, an appeals court overturned this ruling in April after concluding that they found the court liable for violating Weinstein’s constitutional rights.
Former film producer Harvey Weinstein appears in court at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, California, on 04 October 2022. – Weinstein was extradited from New York to Los Angeles to face sex-related charges. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Furthermore, prosecutors’ next attempt at holding Harvey Weinstein accountable will tentatively take place during November’s retrial. As always, these court dates are subject to change. Ahead of this controversial procedure, his attorneys have reportedly expressed determination and eagerness to supposedly prove his alleged innocence. On the other hand, prosecutors likely want to try that much harder in their attempts to prove Weinstein’s alleged crimes. But this also becomes much more complicated when you take into consideration his health issues.
One of the ways in which Harvey Weinstein’s health has impacted these procedures is actually alleged in this report. For example, he apparently did not go to court as scheduled today due to an emergency heart surgery that officials rushed him to this week at Bellevue Hospital. Reportedly, Weinstein’s attorney Arthur Aidala claimed that he almost passed away from this scare. We’ll see if anything else important comes up for this retrial.
Charlamagne Tha God may have successfully won a dismissal of Jessica Reid’s sexual assault lawsuit; however, Judge Ona T. Wang is giving her a chance to refile with a focus on defamation. Reid previously accused The Breakfast Club host of sexually assaulting her in 2001 when she was just 15 years old. She first took legal action against him in December 2022.
“For over two decades, Plaintiff Reid has tried to live with the horror of what happened to her at the ripe age of 15. This Court has the power to grant Plaintiff Reid some justice under the current terms of the statutes, leaving any unintended consequences for the legislature to sort out,” Reid’s legal team claimed in a court filing caught by AllHipHop.
Charlamagne Tha God Speaks During Variety & Rolling Stone’s 2024 Truth Seekers Summit
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 15: Charlamagne tha God speaks at Variety & Rolling. Stone’s 2024 Truth Seekers Summit on August 15, 2024, in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/Getty Images)
The defamation accusation stems from comments Charlamange made during a 2015 episode of the Brilliant Idiots podcast that resurfaced in a video on YouTube from the channel, “SELFTALK.” It’s titled: “Funk Flex Calls Out Charlamagne Tha God After Tasha K & Jessica Reid Interview.” Charlamagne’s lawyers are arguing that he had no involvement in the publishing of that YouTube video and thus can’t be blamed. “Plaintiff did not and cannot allege that Charlamagne had any involvement in the SELFTALK video,” they said. “Charlamagne did not identify, mention, or reference the Plaintiff during the audio recording.” They also cited the statute of limitations for defamation in New York having already passed when Charlamagne made the comments that were included in the video.
Charlamagne previously addressed the allegations during an episode of The Breakfast Club in July 2018. “The documents showed I did everything in my power to fully cooperate with authorities before this case was ultimately dismissed. But I cannot take responsibility for a crime that I did not commit. I am praying for healing for the victim, and I am committed to using my platform that God has blessed me with to do as much good as I possibly can for the rest of my life,” he said at the time. Be on the lookout for further updates on Charlamagne Tha God on HotNewHipHop.
LA Reid did not get his way in court on August 13. The legendary record producer was slapped with sexual assault charges in 2023. He has attempted to get out of said charges, and even put in a legal request to have the case tossed. Judge Valerie Caproni did not budge, however. The New York judge rejected LA Reid’s request on Tuesday. The charges leveled at the producer will proceed, and accuser Drew Dixon will be allowed to pursue unspecified damages.
LA Reid’s attorney tried to remove 10 sections of New York Penal Law Article 130 cited in the lawsuit. Dixon pushed back against these attempts, deeming them “inappropriate” and a waste of the court’s time. Judge Caproni ultimately saw things Dixon’s way. “It is difficult to understand any prejudice caused by additional citations to other portions of Article 130,” she told the court. “Because Defendant has not met his burden, his Motion to Strike is denied.” Dixon’s lawsuit, while filed in 2023, pertain to incidents with LA Reid dating back to 2001.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 14: L.A. Reid speaks during the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame ceremony honoring Usher at Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame on February 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Derek White/Getty Images)
Dixon, who previously worked under the producer, claimed that she was sexually assaulted on two separate occasions. She went on to accuse LA Reid of making work increasingly difficult for her after later advances were rebuked. Dixon’s lawsuit states that Reid slashed the budget of Dixon’s projects, and effectively forced her to leave her position in 2002. “This litigation is not only about the horrific physical assaults that Ms. Dixon had to endure,” the suit added. “[It’s] about the irreparable damage done to the rare and blossoming career of an extraordinary talent.”
LA Reid has denied these accusations. The producer claimed that Dixon blamed him for her career struggles and is turning to the Adult Survivors Act as a means of exploitation. “Plaintiff is using those laws to springboard claims of career frustration and disappointment,” Reid’s filing stated. “For which there are no timely or cognisable causes of action.” LA Reid posited that Dixon took advantage of the Adult Survivors Act, which gives her an “inappropriate advantage.” Further details on the LA Reid and Dixon case to come.
Music mogul and cofounder of Murder Inc. Records, Irv Gotti, faces serious allegations of sexual assault and abuse. According to People, an unnamed woman has come forward with claims against the 54-year-old producer, detailing a harrowing two-year ordeal. The accusations, outlined in a lawsuit filed on July 11 in Miami, span from 2020 to 2022. The plaintiff, who met Gotti through a mutual friend at a poker game, alleges multiple incidents of coercion and assault. Here is a detailed breakdown of the allegations and their implications.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 20: Music producer Irv Gotti attends the BET Networks 2016 Upfront at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/BET/Getty Images for BET Networks)
The plaintiff states she first encountered Irv Gotti in 2020 at a poker game facilitated by a mutual acquaintance. Shortly after this meeting, Gotti allegedly invited her on a trip to St. Martin. During this vacation, she claims he pressured her into a sexual relationship, threatening to send her home if she did not comply with his demands. This marked the beginning of what she describes as a prolonged period of abuse.
The Relationship & Ongoing Abuse
Irv Gotti of Inc. during Ja Rule’s Birthday Party at LQ Nightclub in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Upon returning from St. Martin, the woman asserts that she entered into a relationship with Gotti that lasted until 2022. Throughout this period, she alleges she was subjected to continuous abuse. The plaintiff describes instances of forced sexual acts, including a particularly traumatic incident in January 2022, where she claims Gotti coerced her into performing oral sex in a hotel elevator in Miami.
Irv Gotti of Inc. during Ja Rule’s Birthday Party at LQ Nightclub in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
The abuse allegedly continued with another forced sexual encounter in the back of an Uber in Atlanta later in 2022. According to the lawsuit, these repeated assaults caused the plaintiff severe emotional and psychological distress, ultimately leading to her hospitalization in a psychiatric facility. Her legal team emphasizes the profound impact of these events on her mental health.
The lawsuit demands a jury trial and seeks compensatory damages for the alleged abuse. The plaintiff’s attorney, Adriana AlcaldeIn, highlights the courage required to come forward with such allegations, noting the supportive environment fostered by the #MeToo movement. Efforts to contact Gotti’s representatives for comment were unsuccessful.
50 Cent, however, didn’t spare Irv Gotti after the news broke. “The legal fee’s are gonna break his ass in half, he ain’t got no money. Welp that all folks,” he wrote on Instagram. Considering the magnitude of the allegations, we don’t expect Gotti to respond anytime soon.
50 Cent says it might be over for Irv Gotti after a woman accused the music industry executive of sexually assaulting her multiple times. 50 reacted to the news in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, remarking that the lawsuit might ruin him financially.
“Oh no. In a lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade on July 11, a women accuses 54-year-old Gotti (born Irving Domingo Lorenzo) of sexually assaulting and abusing her on several occasions from 2020 to 2022 in Saint Martin, Miami, and Atlanta. The suit seeks a trial by jury. (The legal fee’s are gonna break his ass in half, he ain’t got no money). Welp that all folks,” 50 wrote.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: Irv Gotti attends the 2022 B.E.T. Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
Users in the comments section had mixed responses to the post. One user remarked: “You know i kinda believe it how he was talking about an underage Ashanti.” Another added: “All of 50s foes see to be taking advantage of women Diddy, Ross, and now Irv!!!”
According to a report from the Miami New Times, the anonymous Jane Doe filed her lawsuit for sexual assault and battery and the intentional infliction of emotional distress in a Miami-Dade County, Florida, court on July 11. She wants a jury trial to cover alleged “damages, including those for mental anguish” for their two-year relationship, which she claimed was “abusive.” She says she “has suffered severe emotional and psychological harm for which she had to be committed to a psychiatric ward.” Additionally, she accused Gotti of “slandering her to his vast social network in and around Los Angeles.” Be on the lookout for further updates on 50 Cent and Irv Gotti on HotNewHipHop.
News reports have confirmed that Chicago drill rapper Lil Reese was arrested on rape charges for allegedly forcing himself on an unidentified woman in a Los Angeles hotel.
Boosie Badazz first reported the arrest on social media, claiming that he witnessed the police put Reese in handcuffs. Reports from TMZ say that Reese went on a date with a woman on Sunday and the couple went to a hotel after their outing. According to the reports, Reese “insisted” that the two have sex, but the woman declined. She alleged that Reese forced himself on her shortly after refusing his advances.
The woman allegedly ran to the front desk immediately after and called the authorities.
He was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and rape, but has since been released on $100K bond.
There are few details currently available about the case, but TheSource.com will update the story as more details develops.
R.A.P. Ferreira, rapper formerly known as Milo or Scallops Hotel, has been accused of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault by his former partner. Moreover, Chloe “Mekah” Stingley posted a fundraising campaign on BetterWorld on Thursday (July 4) asking for financial assistance in her court and custody battle against him. The Wisconsin rapper, real name Rory Ferreira, allegedly “committed multiple acts of violence against [Stingley] and all of [her] children,” as the campaign claims. As of writing this article, he has not responded publicly to these allegations, which also include stalking and harassment over the past year or so.
“[R.A.P. Ferreira] physically assaulted my 7 year old at his record store, Soulfolks Records, used a deadly weapon against him and also sexually assaulted me,” Stingley claimed in the fundraiser. “We lived in Nashville for a few months and fled in November of 2023 because of fear of bodily harm and death.” In addition, she accused him of stalking her and trying to legally remove their 16-month old daughter from her care. Stingley seeks $22,000 in total to pay for a specialized domestic violence attorney and travel expenses from a trip to Nashville on July 12 for an emergency hearing.
Furthermore, in North Carolina, she hired an attorney to file “an order of protection against [R.A.P. Ferreira] due to his behavior that inflicts substantial emotional distress by way of stalking, neglect of our daughter, aggravated child abuse of my son, Auri Stingley, and Rory’s history of unlawfully imprisoning me, along with verbal, financial and sexual abuse.” Stingley also claimed to possess “a sworn affidavit with 42 items of material evidence ready to go for [her] protection order hearing against Mr. Ferreira on July 23rd, 2024.” “These funds will allow me to protect my rights, have Miel [their daughter] returned to my care and show cause for change of jurisdiction to North Carolina so Rory can travel here to see her,” she added.
“I desire for Miel to keep a relationship with her father but not to the detriment of the health, safety and well being of myself or my children,” Stingley wrote. “Rory Ferreira is using the court system to harass me with litigation abuse fueled by false allegations as a form of retaliation for me escaping from him and the domestic violence that was perpetrated in Nashville during 2023.” At press time, she has raised a bit over $5,000, marking around 23% of her $22,000 goal. R.A.P. Ferreira released his last project, a collaborative album with Japanese producer Fumitake Tamura titled the First Fist to Make Contact When We Dap, in January of this year.
Kanye West found himself in the news for negative reasons after singer-songwriter Niykee Heaton accused him and Diddy of sexually assaulting her and her former manager, Lauren Pisciotta. Niykee’s allegations came days after Lauren, Kanye’s former assistant, filed a lawsuit against him. In Lauren’s lawsuit, she accused Kanye of sexual harassment, contract breach, and wrongful termination. Lauren claimed Kanye sent her lewd texts and masturbated while speaking to her on the phone. She also accused the rapper of pleasuring himself in front of her after trapping her in a private room on his plane.
However, Kanye countersued Lauren. In his suit, the rapper denied her allegations against him, tagging them as “baseless” and backed by ulterior motives. Kanye’s legal representative accused Lauren of “blackmail and extortion” after he allegedly turned down her sexual advances. Days after the countersuit, Lauren’s former associate and singer, Niykee, went on Instagram Live to make startling allegations against Kanye and Diddy. During the live session, she also corroborated Lauren’s claims. Find out more about Niykee’s allegations below.
Niykee is a singer-songwriter who found fame after being discovered via her YouTube channel, where she posted acoustic guitar covers of notable hip-hop songs. She released her debut single, “Bad Intentions,” in 2014. The song made it to the Billboard charts and was certified gold by the RIAA. She also has an EPtitled Bad Intentions and a mixtape, The Bedroom Tour Playlist, which she released in 2016, a year after going on The Bedroom Tour. In 2018, she released another EP titled Starting Over.
During her Instagram Live, Niykee claimed Lauren Pisciotta was her manager. She said they fell out because they were in two different places. Niykee explained that she almost lost her love for music after her negative experiences. However, Lauren was more into the business side of music and kept going until she realized some things for herself.
Why Did Niykee Come Forward With Her Allegations Now?
Niykee revealed she didn’t want to tell her story before because she felt no one would believe her. However, recent happenings in the industry pushed her to speak out. Niykee also said that after Lauren’s lawsuit against Kanye West, many people said she was lying. Those comments angered Niykee, spurring her to come forward with her story.
Niykee explained that people asked her why she left the music industry and if it was as evil as they say. She expressed, “It is more evil than you can possibly imagine.” The singer added, “I’m one of the lucky ones. I got out when I could.” Niykee further said she was lucky enough to only be allegedly assaulted twice. She explained that she experienced more assaults, but only two of those incidents impacted her. One of the incidents allegedly involved her and Lauren. She claimed that after becoming popular at 18, many rappers reached out to her. One of those rappers was said to be Kanye.
One late night, Niykee, then 19 years old, and Lauren allegedly got a call saying Kanye wanted them to come to the studio to work on music. When they got to the studio, they purportedly met Kanye, Diddy, and three other men: Kanye’s cousin, an executive who worked with the rapper, and his sound engineer. She said there were also nine other women there, who she described as “studio hoes.” Niykee said she felt uneasy because she wasn’t expecting to see those women. She also claimed Diddy and Kanye were “drunk and out of their minds.” Afterward, Diddy allegedly handed her a drink while Kanye did the same to Lauren. Although Niykee didn’t like alcohol, she accepted the drink to avoid being rude.
Niykee’s Allegations Against Kanye & Diddy
Niykee claimed Diddy kept staring at her while Kanye stared at Lauren. According to her, the rappers exchanged glances and were keen on them drinking. Hence, she felt uneasy, believed something was in the drink, and pretended to sip it. She tried to text Lauren about her suspicions, but Kanye took the phone away from her and placed it on a speaker. Afterward, Niykee saw Lauren sip from the drink twice. Not long after, Lauren started speaking loudly, making jokes, and acting unlike herself, which made Niykee suspect the drinks were allegedly laced. Suddenly, Lauren dismissed the other girls in the studio, leaving her, Niykee, with Diddy, Kanye, and the three other men.
Later, Lauren apparently left the studio to go to the bathroom despite Niykee’s efforts to stop her. Niykee remained calm, but Diddy and Kanye allegedly approached her and asked her to remove her clothes since the studio was hot, but she playfully declined. She claimed, “They were like, ‘C’mon, it’s just us. We are all just friends. Like let us just like see like how you look.” She still refused their advances. However, Kanye and Diddy allegedly ripped her shirt off. At this point, she looked to her left, where Kanye’s executive stood three meters away and mouthed, “Help.” However, he looked away. Next, she looked at Kanye’s engineer, who was married and had just welcomed a baby girl. Yet, she accused him of looking at his phone and started texting. She also said she looked at Kanye’s cousin, but he spun his chair around. Hence, she knew no one was coming to save her and became very afraid.
Niykee claimed Kanye and Diddy were now trying to get her pants off. She said she closed her eyes briefly and prayed to God for help. Then, she alleged a voice came to her head and asked her to go towards the rappers, which she did. This threw them off balance, allowing her to reach behind her back and pull the exit door. She said she managed to slip out and grabbed her clothes as she did.
Niykee said she ran out and hid in an empty studio for about 25 minutes, crying and wondering what to do. She texted Lauren but didn’t get any response. She claimed she saw Kanye assaulting Lauren, which is why she was named in the latter’s lawsuit. Eventually, she further alleged she managed to get herself and Lauren, who couldn’t remember anything, an Uber that took them home. Niykee concluded by advising people to stay away from the industry, claiming that more people would come forward with their experiences.
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