Hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs met with several lawsuits throughout 2024. One was Michigan inmate Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith’s litigation that gained much traction in September 2024. Cardello-Smith filed the lawsuit against Combs in June 2024 alleging that the hip-hop mogul had s*xually assaulted him at a party in 1997 and demanded $400 million in damages.
However, neither Combs nor his legal team responded to the lawsuit, which led to the judge ruling a default judgment on September 9, 2024, in favor of Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith. This judgment ordered Combs to pay $100 million to the plaintiff.
Cardello-Smith’s s*xual assault lawsuit was eventually dismissed by Judge Anna Marie Anzalone as the accuser could not prove he served the lawsuit as per the Michigan law. Reports suggest that Combs’ lawyer David Fink fought for it.
The hip-hop mogul’s legal team denied the allegations stating that the case should be dismissed. They also accused Cardello-Smith of altering the court documents to get the judge to pass the order in the first place. Fink mentioned in the court documents,
“This barrage of fabricated claims must come to an end. Plaintiff’s frequent filings clearly indicate he has no intention of stopping his meritless attacks.”
According to AllHipHop, Diddy’s legal team called Cardello-Smith’s lawsuit a ‘fantastical fabrication’ and seeks further sanctions to stop such filings without judicial approval. The team demanded that Cardello-Smith cover the legal expenditure incurred by the hip-hop mogul. The inmate had pursued over 170 lawsuits previously but most of them were dismissed on several grounds.
Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith reportedly alleged that Diddy met him in prison
According to the media outlet, Cardello-Smith claimed that Diddy had met him in prison to agree upon a settlement, despite prison records showing no indication of such a meeting. Not only that but the inmate also alleged to have handed legal documents to Combs much before filing the lawsuit.
After the judge ruled a default judgment, Diddy’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo criticised the allegations claiming the hip-hop mogul had never met Cardello-Smith. As per a TMZ exclusive, Agnifilo said,
“This man [Cardello-Smith] is a convicted felon and s*xual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of s*xual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years. His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.”
Diddy's lawyers have reportedly requested stricter measures for Cardello-Smith. The legal team argued in court filings that the plaintiff's repeated, baseless claims have led to substantial legal costs and represent a misuse of legal resources. The federal court has not taken any decision.
Trending
As per TMZ, Cardello-Smith’s lawsuit alleges that while drinking and smoking at the party, he and Diddy were n*ked with several women. He claimed the hip-hop mogul touched him inappropriately and later gave him a spiked drink, causing him to pass out. Cardello-Smith alleged he woke up hours later to see Diddy engaging in a physical act with a woman as the rapper claimed to have done the same to him.
Reply
