Who is Dawn Richard, who was ‘absolutely terrified’ of Diddy? The former Danity Kane member filed a lawsuit against the rapper in September ‘in support of Cassie’ and starred in Making the Band

Dec 18 , 2024

Dawn Richard worked with Diddy for years. Photos: WireImage, @dawnrichard/Instagram

Dawn Richard’s lawyer Lisa Bloom is speaking out against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs after her client filed a lawsuit alleging verbal abuse, assault, and sexual battery against the music mogul in September

Dawn Richard’s lawyer is speaking out against Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The singer filed a lawsuit against Combs after seeing the viral video of him attacking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a hotel in LA in 2016, per the Daily Mail.

A leaked video showing Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking his former girlfriend in a hotel corridor prompted others to come forward. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

“She’s an accomplished woman and she’s all about the music,” Richard’s lawyer Lisa Bloom said of Richard on the outlet’s The Trial of Diddy podcast. “All she wants to do is make music and be a musician. And yet, she found herself in the position – after Cassie Ventura came forward – of saying, ‘I need to come forward too, in support of Cassie, and in support of others, to tell my own story.’”

Bloom said in a separate interview with BBC’s Newsnight last month that her client alleged that Diddy had “groped and grabbed her body parts, sexually assaulted her, [and] not only failed to pay her money that was promised to her, but actually prevented her from eating and sleeping during those years – just treated her terribly.”

She said Richard had also allegedly seen “some severe acts of violence” perpetrated by Combs against Ventura and other women. “And when she spoke out, she says she was threatened with more physical violence. Bloom added that Sean Combs had a vicious temper and that Richard was “absolutely terrified of him”.

In September, Richard filed a lawsuit against Combs, alleging verbal abuse, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and sexual battery.

Dawn Richard is among more than two dozen people who have filed lawsuits against Sean “Diddy” Combs. Photo: AFP

Bloom has previously represented women who accused the late Jeffrey Epstein and comedian Bill Cosby of sexual assault, though her past clients have also included disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, per Reuters.

Sean “Diddy” Combs on stage with Dawn Richard (centre) and Nicki Minaj (right) at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, in 2010. Photo: WireImage

Combs’ lawyer Erica Wolff provided a statement on his behalf to deny the claims.