A Michigan inmate, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, has been awarded $100 million in a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, through a default judgment. A default judgment is issued when a defendant fails to respond to a court summons.
Cardello-Smith accused Diddy of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a party in Detroit, Michigan, back in 1997. He claimed to have met the music mogul while working in Detroit’s restaurant and hospitality industry during the 1990s.
In his testimony, Cardello-Smith alleged that the 54-year-old artist offered him $2.3 million to drop the lawsuit, but he refused the offer. Currently serving a prison sentence until at least 2036 for unrelated charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and kidnapping, Cardello-Smith stated that he provided the court with documentation showing Combs’ name in a prison visitation log.
On September 9, Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge Anna Marie Anzalone awarded the $100 million to Cardello-Smith after Diddy failed to attend the lawsuit hearing. The judge also ordered Combs to pay $10 million monthly, starting from October 1, over a period of 10 months.
However, Diddy and his legal team denied any knowledge of the lawsuit, claiming they were not properly notified. They also asserted that Diddy had never met Cardello-Smith and accused him of committing fraud in the court proceedings. Diddy’s legal representatives have vowed to contest the ruling.
This lawsuit comes amid a string of allegations against Diddy since November 2023, when several women, including his ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, accused him of sexual assault. In addition, Rodney Jones, Diddy’s former producer, filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, drugging, and threats over the span of a year.
Earlier this year, the United States Department of Homeland Security conducted raids on two properties linked to Diddy, and in May, a video surfaced showing Combs assaulting Cassie in 2016. Although Diddy initially denied the allegations, he later apologized, acknowledging that his actions were inexcusable.
Recently, Diddy sold his entire stake in Revolt, the media company he co-founded in 2013.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
