Diddy Ordered to Pay $100 Million in Assault Case
In a significant legal ruling, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been ordered to pay $100 million to Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, an inmate who accused the music mogul of sexual assault.
The judgment was issued in default after Combs failed to respond to the summons.
Cardello-Smith alleges that Combs drugged and assaulted him at a party in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997. The two reportedly crossed paths while Cardello-Smith was working in Detroit’s restaurant and hospitality sector in the 1990s.
During court proceedings, Cardello-Smith testified that Combs offered him $2.3 million to withdraw the lawsuit, an offer he declined.
Currently serving time until at least 2036 for unrelated charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, Cardello-Smith claimed to have evidence linking Combs to prison visitation logs.
Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Anna Marie Anzalone awarded the $100 million to Cardello-Smith after Diddy did not appear for the hearing on September 9.
The judge also mandated a payment schedule of $10 million per month for ten months, starting October 1.
In response, Diddy and his legal team have denied any knowledge of the lawsuit, stating they were not properly served.
They also contend that Diddy never met Cardello-Smith and accused him of committing “fraud on the court.” His legal representatives have vowed to contest the ruling vigorously.
This ruling comes amid increased scrutiny for Diddy, who has faced multiple allegations of sexual misconduct from various women, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
In recent months, Diddy has also been implicated in other legal issues, including a March raid by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on two of his properties.
He sold his entire stake in Revolt, the media company he co-founded in 2013, earlier this year.
