A rapper is being fined $100 million in a lawsuit that was successfully lodged against by a convicted felon—who is currently behind bars.
Judge Orders Sean “Diddy” Combs to Pay $100M in Assault Lawsuit, also known as Puff Daddy, must pay $100 million to a criminal who filed an assault lawsuit against him. The convict who will be awarded damages is serving time in a Michigan jail for similar offenses. On Monday September 9, the 54-year-old musician did not show up to a virtual court hearing.
Judge Anna Marie Anzalone of the Lenawee County Circuit Court then ordered that the defendant must pay the plaintiff, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, beginning in October. Combs is expected to pay $10 million every month until the sum of the damages is complete.
The ruling comes only a few months after Cardello-Smith sued Combs back in June, accusing the musician of having drugged and assaulted him during a party back in 1997. More than a month ago, Judge Anzalone approved a temporary restraining order be put in place against Combs. The inmate had made the request following the rapper’s failure to virtually show up to a court date.
Cardello-Smith, however, did appear in every court date virtually. It was noted in the judge’s decision that the convict is “known for” his track record of “challenging the judicial system” via “civil lawsuits.” But the plaintiff’s criminal record is equally staggering. For more than 25 years, Cardello-Smith engaged in both assault and kidnapping schemes that landed him a sentencing on 14 counts.
Three days after the court decision, on Thursday September 12, Combs submitted an emergency motion to try and reverse his punishment. He has requested that the temporary restraining order against him be lifted, a preliminary injunction granted, and the default judgment be vacated.
The rapper has been inundated with similar accusations throughout the summer. Beginning in the fall of 2023, when his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura sued him for abuse, Combs has since been sued at least seven other times for various allegations. Some evidence has prompted a federal investigation to determine if the musician is engaged in trafficking, with investigators reportedly working to have victims testify to a New York federal grand jury.
