As a verdict looms in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ felony trial in New York, the embattled rapper has been hit with a brand new lawsuit. Edmond Laurent, a former mannequin and actor who as soon as appeared in Britney Spears and Lil’ Kim music movies, is suing Combs and several other Jane and John Does of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional misery, negligence and sexual battery in addition to civil conspiracy and aiding and abetting. The Dominica native who moonlighted as an unique dancer underneath the title “Islander” is looking for $10 million.
The 32-page grievance, filed Tuesday evening in Los Angeles Superior Courtroom, chronicles a collection of alleged incidents that happened within the late 2000s at a swath of luxurious inns within the Los Angeles space together with The Intercontinental in Century Metropolis, SLS in Beverly Hills and the Mondrian in West Hollywood. In accordance with the lawsuit, Laurent was drugged and raped by Combs and a thriller lady, who purposefully punctured a condom along with her nails and uncovered the plaintiff to a sexually transmitted an infection. The grievance states that he suffered extreme well being points together with abdomen most cancers on account of the alleged abuse.
As described within the grievance, Laurent is heterosexual and was as soon as a “extremely wanted to be in music movies with Tupac, Dr. Dre, Britney Spears, Lil Kim, Tamia, and different distinguished artists” and appeared on an episode of “Baywatch.” Within the late 2000s, he was signed to the modeling and expertise company Latin Connection that booked him on jobs as an additional in movies and music movies in addition to acting at bachelorette events as male leisure.
The alleged abuse perpetrated by Combs started when Laurent’s company booked him for a job at a bachelorette social gathering at a Los Angeles lodge. He arrived to discover a man and lady sporting masks who needed a personal dance. “Seeing nothing flawed with the request, Plaintiff proceeded to carry out. After the efficiency, he was paid and left.” The person was Combs, based on the grievance. Just a few days later, he acquired one other name from the girl, and he returned. After performing his dance for the couple, the girl propositioned Laurent for sexual activity. In accordance with the grievance, Combs famous “how a lot pleasure he derived from watching one other man ‘fuck’ his woman.” Laurent agreed, placed on a condom and proceeded to have intercourse with the girl. He was paid an extra $1,000 for the act.
Following that encounter, the girl continued to contact Laurent, inviting him to return. Upon arriving for an additional assembly on the Mondrian, “the couple unmasked themselves and requested Plaintiff to use an extreme quantity of child oil. They supplied him a drink, which he tasted and rapidly declined, informing them that at the moment he didn’t need to devour alcohol. Jane Doe then supplied him cocaine, ecstasy and GHB, all of which Plaintiff declined, reiterating that he didn’t use medicine,” the grievance says. “Combs … insisted that Plaintiff be on the identical ‘frequency’ as they had been, demanding that he take not less than one shot of alcohol to ‘loosen up.’ Plaintiff, reluctant however underneath strain, obliged.”
Laurent turned extraordinarily woozy and lightheaded. Months glided by earlier than he acquired a name from Jane Doe and was invited to a different lodge. Throughout this encounter, he was supplied medicine and alcohol, which he declined, however “was pressured to make use of an immense quantity of child oil,” which he believes was infused with GHB. Whereas Laurent had intercourse with the girl, Combs requested him to take away his condom. “Plaintiff refused, and Sean Combs and Jane Doe knowledgeable him that that they had lately been examined, had been each clear, and said that Plaintiff was the one different associate Jane Doe had. They even went as far as to supply what they claimed to be legitimate blood work outcomes as proof that Jane Doe was STD and STI free,” the go well with says. “Jane Doe reached down and broke the condom along with her fingernails as Plaintiff was penetrating her. Sean Combs then got here behind Plaintiff, leaning in carefully and whispering in his ear in a low, suggestive tone, ‘Yeah, fuck that pussy,’ ;Pound that pussy.’ His voice was deliberate and insistent, reinforcing the coercive environment. Plaintiff felt more and more trapped and uncomfortable, however as a result of results of the drugged child oil and the state of affairs he discovered himself in, he struggled to totally resist or depart although he tried to and had all intent to, however was hindered by the medicine.” Moreover, Combs additionally instructed the girl learn how to carry out oral intercourse on Laurent. When she didn’t carry out as instructed, he “would snatch Plaintiff’s penis from Jane Doe 1 and mimic the actions he would need to see Jane Doe 1 do,” the grievance says.
On the ultimate encounter, the couple supplied Laurent some orange juice, particularly as a result of he didn’t drink alcohol. “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 mendacity bare on the mattress, slathered in child oil, and felt immense strain and ache in his rectum. … Jane Doe wakened, pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar payments, handed Plaintiff $500, and abruptly shut the lodge room door. Plaintiff was left feeling violated, confused, and bodily unwell.”
Weeks later, anal warts appeared across the rim of Laurent’s rectum, the grievance says, and he was recognized with condyloma. Laurent started vomiting so continuously that he misplaced his means to retain stable meals or liquids. Because of this, he suffered debilitating well being points that led to gastric surgical procedure and finally abdomen most cancers, the go well with says.
Laurent is represented by Rodney Diggs and Tyrone Blackburn, attorneys in one other high-profile case towards Combs. Final yr, Diggs and Blackburn filed a lawsuit on behalf of Diddy accuser Lil Rodney, alleging sexual assault, sexual harassment and failure to pay his underling. One month later, Division of Homeland Safety brokers raided Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami. Right this moment’s submitting is stuffed with footage of a buff Laurent alongside well-known faces, together with Pamela Anderson on the “Baywatch” set and Oprah Winfrey in happier occasions. These footage are juxtaposed by a present image of a frail-looking Laurent who’s lacking tooth resulting from frequent vomiting.
His lawsuit additionally lists the thriller lady as a defendant, referring to her as a Jane Doe “whose identification is unknown” to Laurent. It additionally names an extra 9 Jane and John Does who “participated in, facilitated, aided, abetted, conspired, or in any other case contributed to the wrongful acts.” These Jane and John Does, who loosely match the outline of an entourage, “managed entry, safety, and medical provides (drinks, oils) inside personal suites” and “cleaned proof, ignored loud disturbances, and refused to summon assist.”
Combs is at the moment being detained on the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is awaiting the jury’s verdict in a felony trial on federal costs of intercourse trafficking, racketeering and transportation to interact in prostitution. Earlier Tuesday, the jury reached a partial verdict however was instructed to maintain deliberating on Wednesday. Jurors had been dismissed for the evening. If convicted of essentially the most severe costs, he could possibly be sentenced to life in jail. As well as, the famed rapper Combs is dealing with dozens of civil lawsuits filed by each women and men who say they had been sexually assaulted and raped in incidents that date again to the Nineties. Diggs and Blackburn symbolize a number of Combs accusers along with Lil Rodney and Laurent. Combs has denied these allegations.
“This lawsuit is not only about looking for justice for one man — it’s about holding highly effective people accountable once they use their affect to use, degrade, and destroy lives behind closed doorways,” Diggs tells Selection. “For years, Mr. Laurent suffered in silence — his profession, physique and spirit irreparably broken by the trauma he endured. Right this moment, that silence ends. No quantity of fame, fortune, or intimidation ought to defend anybody from being held chargeable for their actions.”
That assertion echoes parts of the grievance, which notes that “Combs leveraged his place of energy and authority to govern, intimidate, and bodily and emotionally hurt Plaintiff, partaking in repeated acts of abuse, sexual misconduct, and coercion.”
The go well with additionally lays some blame on the inns the place the alleged incidents occurred. “Housekeeping noticed giant portions of child oil and drug paraphernalia, but administration ordered fast clear‐up relatively than investigation,” the grievance notes. “Safety logs present a number of noise complaints and experiences of bodily altercations — however no incident experiences had been filed with regulation enforcement.”
The lawsuit provides that Laurent additionally suffers from PTSD, main depressive dysfunction, panic dysfunction and extreme gastrointestinal points that stem straight from his encounters with the couple.
“As a consequence of Defendants’ actions, Plaintiff has suffered long-term medical situations, together with however not restricted to abdomen most cancers,” the go well with says.