As Sean “Diddy” Combs remains behind bars for alleged charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, he has been accused of rape by another woman.
Thalia Graves filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, September 24, claiming Diddy, 54, and his head of security Joseph Sherman raped her in 2001. According to documents obtained by Us Weekly, Graves said she was 25 years old when she started dating someone who worked for Diddy.
The music mogul allegedly lured her into a meeting with him and Sherman, where she was allegedly given her a drink “likely laced with a drug that eventually caused her briefly to lose consciousness.” Graves recalled waking up to find herself restrained as Diddy and Sherman allegedly sexually abused her.
The alleged incident caused Graves’ mental health to deteriorate. She got extensive psychological treatment due to severe depression, anxiety and panic attacks. In November 2023, Graves learned that Diddy and Sherman allegedly recorded her “horrific rape” and were showing it to other men. Us Weekly has reached out to Diddy’s team for comment.
Diddy has yet to publicly address the lawsuit. He is currently in prison after being indicted on September 17, on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The 14-page unsealed indictment against Diddy claimed he “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”
“Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice,” the indictment continued about the accusations, some of which dated back to 2009.
Diddy pleaded not guilty before being denied bail. He faces life in prison if convicted.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo told Us Weekly in a statement on Monday. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
Agnifilo added: “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
