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Miami 'freak-offs' and underage sex -- lawsuits paint picture of Diddy's world

Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald on

Published in Entertainment News

Lawyer Donald Zakarin, who represents the music executives initially named by Jones, called Jones’ allegations against his clients “a complete fabrication.” His clients, Ethiopia Habtemariam, former CEO of Motown Records, and Lucian Charles Grainge, the CEO of Universal Music Group, never had any indication that Combs was trafficking or abusing anyone, Zakarin said Wednesday. (Jones has since filed an amended complaint dropping Habtemariam from the suit).

In her legal action, Ventura identifies a number of people whom she claims helped enable Combs, including staffers, security guards, drug dealers — and an unidentified Miami doctor who prescribed her pills.

New York attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Ventura and another Jane Doe victim, said he and his clients welcomed the federal investigation.

“We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law,” he said in a statement. “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”

Ventura still suffers trauma from her years with Combs.

“During some of the [Freak-Offs] Mr. Combs would become extremely intoxicated and would hit Ms. Ventura in front of the male sex workers,” the lawsuit claimed. She said the “F.O.s” were often so violent that she would vomit. And at other times, he forced her hide away at a hotel until her bruises healed, her suit alleges.

“Ms. Ventura was repulsed by Mr. Combs’ demands, but between the physical beating and recognizing his incredible power and incredible temper, Ms. Ventura became petrified of her partner and boss, and felt she could not say no.”

 

Paid to get hotel security footage, suit claims

In one incident in March 2016, Ventura described how — at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City, California — Combs had been beating her in the hotel room. She said she fled into the hotel hallway where Combs continued to attack her, grabbing a glass vase and throwing it at her.

“When she returned, hotel security staff urged her to get back into a cab and go to her apartment, suggesting that they had seen the security footage showing Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura and throwing glass at her in the hotel hallway,” the lawsuit said.

She noted that Combs then paid the hotel $50,000 for the security footage.

After this incident, Ventura left her home in California and went to stay at a friend’s home in Florida, the lawsuit said.

But James Cruz, president of Bad Boy Management, tracked her down and told her that her music single would not be released if she did not answer Mr. Combs’s phone calls.


©2024 Miami Herald. Visit miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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