Sean “Puffy” Combs responded to a gang r*pe lawsuit, saying the complaint violates his constitutional rights.
Plaintiff “Jane Doe” alleges Combs, Harve Pierre and a third unidentified man r*ped her at his recording studio in 2003 when she was only 17.
However, Combs said the lawsuit is “fictional” and “unconstitutional.” He denied s*xually assaulting anyone.
Combs also denied that he, ex-Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre (left), and a third man trafficked the teen across state lines.
Combs demanded that Doe identify herself, but she claimed she feared for her life if her identity was made public.
Doe claims she met Pierre and the other man at a Detroit lounge, and they flew her on a private jet with them to meet Combs at his recording studio in Manhattan.
“(Combs) never participated in, witnessed, or was or is presently aware of any misconduct, sexual or otherwise, relating to plaintiff in any circumstance whatsoever,” Combs’ attorney wrote in an 11-page answer filed in the Southern District of New York.
Combs complained about the timing of the lawsuit and he challenged the authenticity of the color photographs included in the complaint.
One photo shows the teenager sitting comfortably on Combs’ lap in his studio.
She kept the photos from that night in a photo album – like most fans would have done.
But Combs suggested the photos were fake.
“The context, genuineness, and/or accuracy of the photographs are disputed,” his answer states. “Plaintiff’s decision to wait more than two decades to file her complaint has prejudiced defendant, as he has lost the ability to defend himself fully and fairly in this action,” he says. “For example, some or all evidence that otherwise would have been available if the action had been promptly commenced may be unavailable, lost, or compromised.”
Combs and his lawyers also argued that the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act (GMVA) under which the lawsuit was brought is “unconstitutional.”
“Allowing this action to proceed violates defendant’s rights under the U.S. Constitution and the New York State Constitution,” his lawyer stated.
Combs recently retained high-profile attorneys Bobbi C. Sternheim, known for defending Jeffrey Epstein’s collaborator Ghislaine Maxwell at trial, and Shawn Holley.
Holley represented former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer in an arbitration that got him reinstated with Major League Baseball after sexual assault allegations.
Pierre (left) filed his own response on Tuesday, saying he “never participated in the s*xual assault of the plaintiff nor did he ever witness anyone else s*xually assaulting the plaintiff.”
Combs’ company, Bad Boy Entertainment, responded with a motion to dismiss.
The plaintiff’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said the allegations speak for themselves.
“The deeply troubling allegations against the defendants by multiple women speak for themselves. The ridiculous claim that the photos are somehow fake and the law at issue is unconstitutional are nothing more than desperate attempts to conjure a defense where none exists,” Wigdor said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
