A man who accused rapper, music producer and businessman Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault has won a $100 million damages settlement after unsuccessfully contesting the allegations in Michigan civil court.
Derrick Lee Cardello Smith, 51, won a surprisingly large judgment after filing a lawsuit detailing how he met Combs while working in the restaurant and hospitality industry near Detroit.
According to the Detroit Metro Times, Cardello Smith claims that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her at a Detroit party in 1997, but it’s just one allegation among a broader swath of sexual abuse and other misconduct by the three-time Grammy Award winner, formerly known as P. Diddy, Puff Daddy and Love.
While incarcerated, Cardello Smith eventually filed a lawsuit over the alleged attack, providing information that listed Combs’ name on prison visitation records, and at a preliminary hearing held virtually on August 7, Cardello Smith testified that Combs offered him $2.3 million in exchange for dropping the lawsuit, which would allow the music mogul to complete the sale of the property.
The plaintiff testified that Combs, 54, told the plaintiff in court that he would not accept Cardello-Smith’s claims and said, “You know what we’re talking about.” Cardello-Smith said he told Combs, “I don’t agree with what you’re talking about,” and rejected the settlement offer.
Lenawee County Circuit Judge Anna Marie Anzalone then issued an injunction barring Combs from selling any assets that could help cover damages that may be paid to Cardello Smith. Then, as first reported by Metro Times, Judge Anzalone granted a default judgment of $100 million to the plaintiffs after Combs failed to appear for an online hearing in Cardello Smith’s lawsuit.
If the defendant fails to act on a lawsuit filed against the plaintiff, the plaintiff receives a default judgment in his or her favor.
According to court records, Cardello Smith has multiple prior convictions for sexual misconduct and is incarcerated at the Ernest C. Brooks Correctional Facility. The Metro Times reported that while incarcerated, he taught himself criminal and civil law and developed a “long history of challenging the justice system” through legal actions.
Combs is not the only high-profile defendant named in these lawsuits. The other is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, which accuses two priests and a lay employee of sexually abusing Caldello Smith between 1979, when he was 7, and 1993.
It was not immediately clear how easily Cardello Smith would be able to collect the judgment against Combs.
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Combs has previously faced several lawsuits alleging rape, sexual assault and other physical violence, as well as distributing “revenge porn.” He initially denied all the allegations and vowed to “fight” to clear his name.
However, in May, CNN obtained and released hotel security footage that showed him beating his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, in 2016. Ventura had filed a lawsuit against Combs several months earlier, seeking damages for rape and severe physical abuse during their then-ended relationship. Combs paid an undisclosed amount to settle Ventura’s claim out of court within a day of Ventura filing the lawsuit.
The May video apparently contradicted Combs’ denial, and two days after it surfaced, Combs issued a video apology.
Meanwhile, in March, federal authorities investigating sex trafficking searched Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami. Agents did not charge Combs with any crimes, but multiple media outlets reported Monday that Combs had listed the Los Angeles home that was searched for sale with an asking price of $61.5 million.