Mini Italian Pronunciation Guide

-Vatican Gendarmerie

The Gendarmerie. The unknown Vatican security corps

Some 150 members make up this corps, less “showy” than the Swiss Guard, which is responsible for the Pope’s public order functions, the security of the confines of the Vatican City State, the care of the property of the Vatican Museums, in addition to its role as judicial police.

Tourists rarely take pictures with them, they do not wear armor or halberds, nor helmets or plumes, unlike the famous Vatican Swiss Guard. They are members of the Vatican Gendarmerie, a militarized police force, dressed in navy blue, like many police forces around the world, and in short-sleeved white shirts during the summer, and go almost unnoticed amidst the magnificent Vatican grounds.

“We work for the security of the Pope and the Vatican, the Swiss Guard often takes the honors, but it’s fine that way,” confided a gendarme with great humility, questioned about the difference between the two corps.

It is a special surveillance division of about 150 members, which is responsible for the Pope’s public order functions, the security of the confines of the Vatican City State, the care of the assets of the Vatican Museums, as well as the role of judicial police.

There is also the Gendarmerie Corps Band, which was re-established in 2007 with about 100 musicians, volunteers and from military bands, as well as from the Vatican City State Band, formerly the Palatine Guard of Honor.

When you enter the Vatican through the Porta Sant’Anna, through the Paul VI Hall or through the Arch of Bells, the Swiss Guards ask for the reason for which you want to enter, then you pass to a second post in charge of the Gendarmerie that controls the documents and gives a pass to the visitor. Instead the “Porta del Perugino” is directly managed by them, like the little traffic inside this 44-hectare estate surrounded by high walls and towers.

They also control the surveillance cameras and the extraterritorial buildings, among them the other three papal basilicas, St. Callixtus and other buildings of the Holy See, such as Castel Gandolfo. Without forgetting that before the apostolic trips a delegation travels to control the security that will have of the Holy Father, bearing in mind that many countries even live situations of civil war.

St. Peter’s Square, always open to the public, is instead under surveillance by the Italian ‘Polizia di Stato’, which works in close collaboration with the Italian Gendarmerie. The VaticanIn particular when the Pope makes visits in Rome, in Italy, or up to the airport before flying to another country. On the other hand, when going to St. Peter’s Basilica, after the metal detectors, the Gendarmerie has jurisdiction. It is a permanent guard 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

History of the Vatican Gendarmerie

The history of this military corps goes back a long way, like almost everything in the Vatican. Over the centuries it changed names and roles, but not its main function. The first papal guard dates back to Constantine, after the Edict of Milan. Meanwhile the official constitution of the Gendarmerie dates back to 1816 with Pope Pius VII and the restoration of the Papal States, in the central part of Italy (Lazio, Umbria, Marche and Emilia Romagna after the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Congress of Vienna).

First it was called “Reggimento dei Veliti Pontifici”, then “Corpo della Gendarmeria Pontificia” and in 1849 with the end of the Roman Republic and the return from exile in Gaeta, Pope Pius IX called it “Corpo dei Carabinieri Pontifici”, because they were characterized by their carbines.

The Corps gave proof of abnegation and courage in the face of the attack of the Piedmontese troops in 1870, when they entered Rome through the “Porta Pia breach”, forcing Pius IX to withdraw to the Vatican City with a small nucleus of Gendarmes as a security and defense corps, until 1929 when the Lateran Pacts were signed.

In 1970 Pope Paul VI announced the dissolution of the various armed corps of the Vatican, except for the Swiss Guard. A new pontifical armed corps was thus founded, with the name “Corpo di vigilanza dello Stato della Città del Vaticano”, until 2002 when, after the assassination attempt on St. John Paul II, the corps was reformed, the security protocols were changed and the current name was adopted: “Corpo della Gendarmerie dello Stato dell Città del Vaticano”. The number one, the Inspector General since 2019 is General Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti.

Joining the Gendarmerie

Each year, applications are opened for young people between 21 and 24 years of age who want to join the Gendarmerie, Catholics, not less than 1.80 meters tall, giving preference to people who come from law enforcement, with the proper moral profile and who pass severe physical fitness tests, including running a kilometer in a time of less than 3.30 minutes.

Those who pass the tests will become probationary Gendarmes, starting a period of practice. If they pass the two-year period, they become Gendarmes, with a salary of about 1500 euros per month (in Italy equivalent to that of a school teacher). The roles are officers, NCOs and troops, their chaplain is always very close to them, with his presence and giving continuous spiritual formation. They all know that if anything should happen to them during their service, the corps will guarantee the future of their wives and children.

Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State

History

By a motu proprio of July 14^th, 1816, pope Pie VII establishes the papal Gendarmerie under the naming of “Carabineers”. In 1851, pope Pie IX gives the name of “Gendarmerie”. The gendarmes take an active part in the fights connected to the Papal States conquest. After the storming of Rome in 1870, a small group of the body member continues to serve in the papal residence and the gardens. In 1929, the gendarmes’ sphere of action is widened in order to face the obligations of the Corps in the recently created Vatican City and in the buildings and other zones on which the Holy See has extraterritorial rights. A few days away before the hundredth anniversary of the storming of Rome by the Italian troops, pope Paul VI suppressed the Vatican military units, the noble guard and the Palatine guard of honour, with the notable exception of the papal Swiss Guard. The law LXVII of December 15^th, 1970, dissolves the papal Gendarmerie by replacing it by the Surveillance Central Head office (Ufficio centrale di vigilanza). This Corps is renamed Vatican City State Surveillance Corps by the law CLXVIII of March 25^th, 1991, before becoming again the Vatican City State Gendarmerie Corps (Corpo della gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano) by the Law CCCLXXIV of January 2^nd, 2002. This latter is integrated into the new civilian protection and security services Direction of the Vatican City State by the Law CCCLXXXIV of July 16^th, 2002. In June 2008, the gendarmes of Vatican adopt a new uniform that is inspired by some former uniforms of the papal Gendarmerie. But for certain services of honour, they keep the former papal Gendarmerie official reception uniform, close to that of the First Empire imperial guard Grenadiers. On October 7^th, 2008, the Vatican City State becomes member of Interpol. The same year are created, within the Gendarmerie, the Rapid Response Team (RST) and the Mine clearance unit.

Organization

The Vatican Gendarmerie Corps depends on the Civilian Protection and Security Services Direction set up in 2002.

Central Organization

The Gendarmerie Commander is named “prefect”. He is appointed by the pope for 5 years and receives the Vatican citizenship for a period of his functions. He is member of the papal family and lives in the Vatican City. The prefect is assisted by a General Director (appointed by the pope for 5 years, citizen and Vatican resident) and two assistant directors. Since the Year 2000 Jubilee, the Vatican Gendarmerie has a Control and Command Operational Centre grouping both alarm systems and video surveillance.

Territorial organization

• A barracks in the Vatican City.

Specialized Training

• A brass band recreated in 2007. It consists at present of about 100 musicians, all volunteers, graduated from the Music Academy.

• The Rapid Response Team (RRT) (Gruppo Intervento Rapido) created in 2008. It is a unit specialized in antiterrorism.

• The mine clearance unit (Unità Antisabotaggio) created in 2008.

Missions

The law CCCLXXXIV of July 16^th, 2002 defines the missions of the papal Gendarmerie:

• Its first mission is the protection of the pope, as well as in Vatican or during his travels in Italy and abroad. This task is performed in association with the papal Swiss Guard;

• It is in charge of the security and the law and order in the Vatican City (Criminal Investigation Department, maintenance of law and order) and for the benefit of buildings enjoying the extraterritoriality. Besides the various control points in entrances and in the Vatican gardens, the gendarmes are also on duty in the various apostolic palace courtyards.

• In the absence of the pope – according to the Latran agreements article 3 provisions – the Saint-Peter square security is ensured by the Italian State Police, which has a law and order inspectorship near Vatican and 150 agents, whose general staff is located 12, via del Mascherino, a few steps away from the Saint-Peter Square colonnade;

• It ensures law enforcement;

• It assumes missions of the border police.

Staff

The theoretical force panel – approved on July 10^th, 2009 by the governorate president Cardinal – plans:

• 99 officers: 3 department heads, 8 main police chiefs, 16 police commissioners, 32 inspectors, 40 vices-inspectors;

• 94 gendarmes.

Two chaplains, appointed by the pope, are assigned to the Vatican Gendarmerie. The Gendarmerie receives the assistance of the Saint-Peter and Paul Association volunteers (heiress of the Palatine Guard of honour traditions) in order to ensure the Saint-Peter basilica daily surveillance and also for the liturgical celebrations security chaired by the pope.

Training institutions

The gendarmes are recruited among the men, singles, measuring more than 1,78 m, of more than 21 years old and less than 25 years, graduated of the secondary education, knowing at least a foreign language in addition to their mother tongue and satisfying the psychic and physical medical examination. During their two-year trial period, the gendarmes live in the gendarmerie barrack within the Vatican City. Their mission is performed by 48 hours service rotation. It is the Gendarmerie prefect with the chaplain who are co-responsible of the candidates preselection process. The trainee-gendarmes are appointed on a permanent basis after a two-year training course, at the end of a capacity special examination that includes written, oral, technical and sports tests. They can then take the oath. The gendarmes’ training is made in association with the Italian police and the other police forces as FBI, which opened a training course for the mine clearance unit benefit.

Main equipment

• Armament: semiautomatic pistols Glock (of various versions), submachine guns Beretta M12S and Heckler & Koch MP5. The RRT is equipped with Bushmaster Carbon 15 (9 mm) and of pump-action shotguns Fabarm ultra short 14 (calibre 12). The gendarmes are also equipped with pepper gas spray/atomizers.

• Vehicles: two motorcycles Ducati Multistrada 1200, two Harley-Davidson motorcycles of the Road King Police model, one Kangoo Maxi Z.E electrical, two electric Smart, one Fiat Bravo equipped with the mineralogical plates automatic reading system, two escort Passat Volkswagen, one Mercedes-Benz Class G for the RRT, one Fiat Ducato for the mobile PC, one Iveco Daily for the mine clearance unit.

The Gendarmerie Corps

of Vatican City State

TRAINING:

Upon arrival, they are given additional training on policies and procedures and must become familiar with the Vatican City.

Continual training in the martial arts, the Italian language, fire arms, protective services, and their religious faith, Catholicism.

The Force provides the necessary training facilities for individual and collective preparation, ranging from basic military training to more specialized career training. The Training Schools are required to prepare participants to carry out their military and police duties to their best ability, thereby maintaining the high standards of the Institution

• Successful candidates must complete a one-year training course (Law n.121/1981).

RECRUITMENT:

Source:

http://www.interpol.int/Member-countries/Europe/Vatican-City-State

http://www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/servizi.html

SALARY/BENEFITS:

A new recruit is paid approximately

$1,000 a month, and the Vatican provides for room and board. Pay rises are commensurate with duties and rank. There is no officially designated retirement age, but Swiss Guards are granted a pension after 18 years of service and may only serve a total of twenty-five years in his Holiness’ service.

After eighteen years’ service each member of the corps is entitled to a pension for life amounting to one-half of his pay, after twenty years to a pension amounting to two-thirds of his pay, after twenty-five years to five-sixths of his pay, and after thirty years to his full pay.

Other privileges are; Health Care, Retirement, Deferred Compensation.

Conditions for entry:

• Male – women are not permitted to apply;

• At least 1.74 meters (5′ 8″) tall

• Between the age of19 to 30 unmarried – although if he is over the age of 25, has completed at least three years’ service, he may be permitted to marry;

• A Swiss national citizen

• A practicing Roman Catholic

• Articulate and self-directed; as an indicator of that an applicant must be in possession of a certificate of completion of three years’ higher education or two years of professional training (such as an apprenticeship);

• In good health, physically and psychologically, and have passed the very thorough entrance examinations which are also both physical and psychological testing;

Staff data

The present time the Corps of Gendarmes is composed of 130 members:

 Judiciary Police Officers

1 Inspector General,

1 Vicar Vice-Inspector,

1 Vice-Inspector,

3 Major Superintendents,

7 Superintendents,

12 Vice-Superintendents,

25 Assistants); and

 Judiciary Police Agents

30 Vice Assistants,

50 Gendarmes

Structure:

Rapid Response Group – two operational units under the direct supervision of the Gendarmerie Commander:

1. Gruppo Intervento Rapido(GIR) – special weapons and tactics team;

2. Hazardous Devices Operation Unit.

Their mandate is to:

• Counter threats to national security;

• Gather and analyse crime intelligence;

• Gather counter terrorism intelligence with a view to preventive action;

• Provide technical and logistical support for investigations;

• Manage high-risk situations and to ensure safety.

SELECTION:

 Important criteria are an ability to adapt, physical and mental strength, and a flexible approach to leisure time.

 psychological screening for aptitude for firearms

 Successful applicants must hold a professional diploma or high school degree, they must have attended the military school, and they must demonstrate that they have a good moral ethical background by obtaining a certificate of good conduct from an ecclesiastical and a civil authority. In terms of marriage, they may not enter the service married and in order to marry they must have reached the age of twenty-five, have completed three years of service, and serve in the grade of Corporal. Above all, however, they must also affirm that they are faithful and practicing Roman Catholics (Bachmann, 2002).

APPRAISAL:

The corps is responsible for security:

• Accident prevention;
• Crime investigation;
• Financial and commercial regulations enforcement;
• Public order;
• State security;
• Traffic control;
• Judicial services;
• Protection of the Pope.

While the protection of the Pope’s person is primarily the Swiss Guard’s responsibility, the gendarmes ensure public order at the audiences, meetings and ceremonies at which he is present, this is done in liaison with the local police authorities.

The Gendarmerie Corps of Vatican City State

(Italian: Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the gendarmerie, or police and security force, of Vatican City and the extraterritorial properties of the Holy See. Often called “the world’s smallest police force

VATICAN

Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world in terms of inhabitants and size.

CAPITAL: Vatican City

RELIGION: Catholicism

LANGUAGE: Italian

GOVERNMENT: Ecclesiastical and absolute monarchy

CURRENCY: Euro

DEPLOYMENT:

The Vatican deploys the gendarmerie outside the Vatican

Here’s how the Vatican lays down the law

A walled enclave in the Italian capital of Rome, the Vatican occupies just 44.5 hectares – a geographical size that makes it the smallest state in the world. Although it is the geographical centre of the Roman Catholic Church with more than 1.25 billion members worldwide, the Vatican is physically small. Last year, its population was estimated to be 842. Yet Vatican City is an independent sovereign state, with its own police force.

The Gendarmerie Corps of the Vatican City handle criminal investigations. These uniformed officers essentially act as the Vatican’s police force, with their roots in an organisation created by Pope Pius VII after the dissolution of the Napoleonic empire in 1816. These days, they work closely with their Italian counterparts under the 85-year-old Lateran Treaty. There are currently about 130 members of the corps: According to the Vatican’s website, candidates for the job have to be unmarried Catholic men between the age of 21 and 25 with a high school diploma and a height of at least 177cm.

The Vatican’s Gendarmerie Corps do not guard the pope. That duty falls upon the Pontifical Swiss Guard, who act as the pope’s personal bodyguards and the security service for the Holy See, the political entity of the Catholic Church that is technically distinct from the Vatican City. Otherwise, they are responsible for most of the security, law enforcement and firefighting coordination within the city state – a more taxing duty than you might expect. Despite the Vatican’s small size, it has a remarkably high rate of crimes per capita.

Most of the crimes within the Vatican are petty crimes like pick-pocketing, which target tourists and are committed by outsiders. There’s only been one murder case in Vatican history – a 1999 case in which a Swiss guardsman shot and killed his commander and his commander’s wife before killing himself. When Turkish assassin Ali Agca attempted to murder Pope John Paul II in 1981, he was arrested by Italian police as they are allowed to patrol St. Peter’s Square due to its proximity to an adjoining Roman neighbourhood. (Agca was subsequently tried by an Italian court and sent to an Italian prison.)

Under the leadership of Domenico Giani, a former member of the Italian secret service, the Gendarmerie Corps has significantly expanded its capabilities in recent years, joining Interpol in 2008 and investing heavily in technology. Notably, one of the authors at the centre of the scandal over leaks from the Vatican, Gianluigi Nuzzi, devoted an entire section of his 2012 book “His Holiness: The Secret Papers of Benedict XVI” to the increasing prominence and alleged overreach of the gendarmerie.

After the Vatican’s gendarmerie investigate and arrest, if a case is not handed over to the Italians, it is generally handled by the Vatican’s judicial system. This system is, again, necessarily small. It consists of a single judge who has limited jurisdiction over things like parking tickets, a three-judge tribunal that deals with more serious crimes, a four-member court of appeals and a supreme court which contains three cardinals. Traditionally, most of the law in the country has been based upon Italian law, though in recent years, the Vatican has increasingly diverged from new laws set in Rome. There are no jury trials due to the country’s small population.

The Vatican’s small size presents problems when it comes to imprisoning criminals. When the city state became independent in 1929, it opened a small prison containing just three cells. According to one report from 1965, it was remarkably comfortable, with a “spectacular view overlooking the pontiff’s private gardens.” However, it was rarely used, and in 1955 it was converted into a food warehouse. Since then, prisoners have been held in cells within the gendarmerie headquarters. The reviews for this space are not as positive.

In 2012, Paolo Gabriele, a former butler to Pope Benedict, was arrested for his role in leaking documents to journalists. At his trial, Gabriele complained about mistreatment during the first 15 to 20 days of his detention at the gendarmerie headquarters. “I couldn’t even stretch my arms out,” he said of his cell, adding that “the light was kept on 24/7”. The gendarme denied this but an investigation was opened. Gabriele was subsequently sentenced to 18 months back in the gendarmerie headquarters for the “aggravated theft” of confidential documents, but he was pardoned by Pope Benedict after two months. A computer expert also convicted in the case had been given a suspended sentence of two months.

-Sex Trafficking and Sex Crimes In Hollywood, Wallstreet and the Political World

A Guide to the Many Lawsuits Against Diddy

Self-proclaimed “bad boy for life” Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing serious legal issues following numerous allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking throughout his career. On March 25, simultaneous bicoastal raids of his Los Angeles and Miami homes played out live on CNN while the hip-hop mogul was on his private jet amid what could turn out to be a very public reckoning. On September 16, the indictment against Diddy was revealed, and he was charged on three counts, including sex trafficking by force. He pleaded not guilty before he was denied bail. He is currently being held in jail awaiting a trial. In addition to an investigation from Homeland Security and the federal government, he is also facing four federal lawsuits. A fifth, brought in late 2023 by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, which included allegations of rape and physical abuse, was settled and dismissed days after it had been filed. Below, the biggest lawsuits involving Combs, including the latest lawsuit.

Case no. 1

RODNEY JONES V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Rodney “Lil Rod’ Jones Jr., a record producer from Chicago, filed a 105-page federal complaint against Combs accusing him and the people who work with him of being part of an illegal racketeering enterprise. Jones alleges in his complaint that he has “irrefutable evidence of: (a) the acquisition, use, and distribution of ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, marijuana, and mushrooms; (b) the displaying and distribution of unregistered illegal firearms; and (c) the solicitation of minors and sex workers.”

According to Jones, as he alleges in the complaint, Combs reached out to Jones in 2022 to help him produce songs, but Jones claims the work Combs required of him went far beyond producing music. He claims in the lawsuit that he was tasked with procuring drugs and soliciting sex workers to “perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs.” Jones alleges that Combs also required him to tape these sex acts and that Combs would “often threaten to inflict bodily harm” on him if he did not comply with his demands. Jones alleged in his complaint that Combs kept “specific bottles of alcohol designated for females” on hand and, “according to Mr. Jones, Mr. Combs forced all the women to drink laced DeLeon liquor. Upon information and belief, Mr. Combs laced the liquor with ecstasy,” the lawsuit claims. He also accuses Combs of sexual harassment and assault for allegedly grabbing him without his consent and forcing him to work while Combs paraded around naked. Jones also alleges that Combs once left him alone in a makeshift studio on a yacht with Cuba Gooding Jr., who he said then began “touching, groping, and fondling” his upper thighs near his groin. He said Gooding did not stop until he forcibly pushed him away.

When was it filed?

February 2, 2024, in Manhattan’s federal court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing. Jones’s lawyer has accused Combs of “harassing behavior,” including “manufacturing stories about Plaintiff on TMZ and dispatching his agents to harass Plaintiff’s 8-year-old daughter, the mother of his child, and ex-spouses, all of whom have expressed fear of potential harm by Defendant Combs.” Jones’s attorney told Judge J. Paul Oetken, who is overseeing the case, that an additional police report had been filed on March 3. Jones is asking the court for a jury trial.

What was Combs’s response?

When reached out to for comment, Combs’s attorney Shawn Holley provided a near-identical statement he provided to The New York Times on February 26, 2024. “Mr. Jones is nothing more than a con man, shamelessly looking for an easy and wholly undeserved payday,” it said. “We have indisputable, incontrovertible proof that his claims are complete fabrications. Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn has refused to return our calls. We look forward to addressing these ridiculous claims in court and intend to take all appropriate action against all who are attempting to peddle them.”

Case no. 2

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Doe alleges that she was gang-raped and sex trafficked by Combs and former president of Bad Boys Records Harve Pierre when she was only 17 and in the 11th grade. She alleges she met Pierre in a lounge in Detroit and he told her he was “best friends” with Combs. Doe claims Combs convinced her to accompany Pierre and a third assailant on a private jet to come to his studio in New York City. She claims she agreed and boarded a jet that flew to Teterboro, New Jersey, and was taken to Combs’s studio. She alleges that, once there, Combs and his associates, including Pierre, plied her with drugs and alcohol and alleges she was subsequently “gang-raped” at the studio by Combs, Pierre, and a third assailant. Her complaint states that “while Mr. Combs was raping Ms. Doe, he complained that he could not ‘get off” unless she pinched his nipples as hard as she could” and that Combs then allegedly watched as the third assailant raped her while she told him to stop. “After Third Assailant was finished, Mr. Pierre took his turn at raping Ms. Doe and then violently forced her to give him oral sex, during which Ms. Doe was choking and struggling to breathe,” according to the complaint.

When was it filed?

December 2, 2023, in federal court in Manhattan.

What’s the status?

Ongoing. Combs and Pierre have denied the allegations against them in this case. Combs’s attorneys have asked the judge to dismiss the entire case and says Combs was a victim of the “cancel culture” frenzy in the courts. The victim has been attempting to remain anonymous. Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke, overseeing the case, has so far denied the woman’s request to continue to remain anonymous but has stayed that ruling until she makes a decision on Combs’s motion to dismiss. The judge has given the woman until March 29 to file a response to Combs’s dismissal motion.

What was Combs’s response?

Combs posted a statement on December 6, 2023, addressing the lawsuit. “Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth.” Pierre also released a statement vehemently denying the accusations: “This is a tale of fiction,” he said. “I have never participated in, witnessed, nor heard of anything like this, ever. These disgusting allegations are false and a desperate attempt for financial gain. I will vigorously protect my reputation and defend my name. Those who know me recognize that these claims are not true.”

Case no. 3

CASSANDRA ‘CASSIE’ VENTURA V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Cassie’s 35-page federal complaint accused Combs of sexual assault, battery, and sex trafficking and of requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts. According to her complaint, Combs signed Cassie to his label when she was 19 and he was 37. She claimed he was physically abusive throughout their relationship. “Mr. Combs asserted complete control over Ms. Ventura’s personal and professional life, thereby ensuring her inability to escape his hold.” She also claimed he demanded she carry a firearm for him in her purse, and forced her to engage in sex acts with male sex workers, according to her complaint. She claimed that Combs’s staff and Bad Boy Entertainment employees were aware of the abuse. Ultimately she left her “long-time abuser” in 2018 after the alleged rape. She continues to struggle with intense emotional distress, she said in her court papers.

When was it filed?

November 16, 2023, in Manhattan’s federal court.

What’s the status?

Cassie and Combs mutually agreed to settle the case on November 17, 2023. Four days after filing her lawsuit, Cassie asked the court to dismiss her entire case “with prejudice,” which meant that her claims could not be filed again.

Case no. 4

LIZA GARDNER V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Gardner filed a 22-page lawsuit accusing Combs and Aaron Hall of forcing her to have sex with them against her will when she was only 16. Garner claims she met Combs and Hall in New York at an event for the album release for Jodeci. After a dinner for the event, Combs allegedly invited Gardner and her friend to Hall’s apartment for an after-party. She alleged it was there that Combs “coerced” her into having sex with him, and while she was getting dressed after that Hall barged into the room, pinned her down, and allegedly forced her to have sex with him. Gardner claims that she had immense pain vaginally afterward. She said she fled the apartment and later learned that her friend also allegedly had sex with both Combs and Hall. The day after the assault, Gardner alleged that Combs came to her home and began “assaulting and choking” her to the point that she passed out. Gardner’s complaint states that since “being violently and statutorily raped by Combs and Aaron Hall, Ms. Gardner’s life has been overwhelmed by depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and strained relationship with men” and has asked the court for a jury trial.

When was it filed?

November 23, 2023, in New York Supreme Court one day before the deadline ended to file cases under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The act gave victims one year to bring civil complaints for sexual offenses that had previously been barred by the statute of limitations.

What’s the status?

Ongoing. Both Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall, who was also named in the suit, were served with copies of the complaint against them on March 23, 2024.

What was Combs’s response?

Combs’s representative issued a statement after the lawsuit was originally filed calling the claims “fabricated” and “bogus” and the case a “money grab.” Vulture reached out to Hall for comment but did not hear back.

Case no. 5

JOI DICKERSON-NEAL V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

In her 22-page complaint, Dickerson alleges that she met Combs after she had appeared in a music video with him while she was a student at Syracuse University. She claims she later agreed to go out to dinner with him on January 3, 1991, while on school break. During their date, Dickerson alleged that Combs intentionally drugged her. She accused Combs of sexually assaulting her and video recording the sexual assault, according to her complaint. Days later, a male friend allegedly revealed to her that he along with other men had viewed the “sex tape.” She asked her friend who had seen the tape and her friend allegedly told her “everyone.” Dickerson claims from that point her life went into a “tailspin,” and after returning to college she had to be admitted to the hospital for severe depression and suicidal ideation.

Dickerson claims she has “suffered a lifetime of injuries from being drugged, sexually assaulted and abused, and being the victim of “‘revenge porn’ that Sean Combs, or ‘P. Diddy,’ created and distributed.” She is suing him for assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, human trafficking, and revenge porn.

When was it filed?

November 23, 2023, in New York Supreme Court, which was one day before the cut off for civil cases for past sexual offenses under New York’s Adult Survivors Act.

What’s the status?

Ongoing. On March 1, 2024, Dickerson’s attorneys filed papers giving Combs until April 12, 2024, to respond in court to her complaint.

What was Combs’s response?

Through a spokesperson, Combs “denied and rejected the claims of misconduct.” “He recognizes this as a money grab,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for accusers who will falsify the truth, without conscience or consequence, for financial benefit. The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited for improper purposes. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these unsubstantiated allegations.”

Case No.6

GRACE O’MARCAIGH V. CHRISTIAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Sean Combs’s 26-year-old son Christian “King” Combs is being sued for sexual assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other allegations.

The 31-page lawsuit brought by Grace O’Marcaigh claims that she was sexually assaulted while working as a yacht deckhand for the family during Christmas break in 2022 in the Caribbean. She is also asking that Sean “Diddy” Combs be held liable for his son’s actions for charting the yacht assuming responsibility for his guests throughout the Caribbean trip.

O’Marcaigh alleges that there was “a constant rotation of suspected sex workers and other A-List celebrities such as French Montana and actor Cuba Gooding Jr.” on the yacht. O’Marcaigh alleges “sex workers were sprawled out unconscious about that yacht and it was difficult to distinguish which bottles of alcohol were laced with drugs and which bottles were not.” In the early morning of December 28, 2022, a “heavily intoxicated” Christian Combs physically assaulted her, according to her complaint. She alleges that Christian blocked her from leaving, took off all his clothes, and tried to force her to “perform oral copulation” on him. O’Marcaigh is suing Diddy, blaming him for fostering an “environment of debauchery” filled with suspected sex workers, violence, alcohol allegedly laced with drugs, and “disrespect” for crew.

When was it filed?

April 4, 2024, in Los Angeles Superior Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What was Combs’s response?

Aaron Dyer, an attorney for the father-son duo, called the lawsuit’s claims “lewd and meritless.” “This complaint is filled with the same kind of manufactured lies and irrelevant facts we’ve come to expect from Blackburn,” he said, referring to the lawyer also representing Rodney Jones. “This is exactly why the federal judge in New York slapped him two days ago for a ‘pattern of behavior’ in ‘improperly [filing] cases in federal court to garner media attention, embarrass defendants with salacious allegations, and pressure defendants to settle quickly,’ and why he was referred to the disciplinary committee in the Southern District of New York. We will be filing a motion to dismiss this outrageous claim.”

Case no. 7

CRYSTAL MCKINNEY V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

McKinney says she met Combs when she was a 22-year-old model and a designer flew her into New York City to attend a Fashion Week event at Cipriani. The unnamed designer handpicked her clothes — a black leather coat, a translucent chiffon beige V-cut shirt — which McKinney says she has kept unwashed in plastic wrap after the “traumatic events.” McKinney alleges Combs told her that he had power in the industry and was going to help her advance her career. Later that same night, McKinney alleges she met Combs at a studio where he gave her a laced joint, plied her with alcohol, followed her to the bathroom, and forced her to perform oral sex on him. After the alleged assault, McKinney believes Combs “blackballed” her in the modeling industry. She’s since suffered depression and even attempted suicide.

When was it filed?

May 21, 2024, in federal court in Manhattan.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What was Combs’s response?

Representatives for Combs have not yet responded to requests for comment.

case no. 8

APRIL LAMPROS V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

April Lampros filed a 22-page lawsuit against Sean Combs accusing him of battery, sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and committing a crime of violence motivated by gender. Lampros’s complaint, filed in New York State court, alleges that Lampros  met Combs in early 1994 when she was a college student at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Initially, Lampros says, Combs promised to mentor her and “showered her gifts and flowers.” Lampros says she endured “four terrifying sexual encounters” up until the 2000s. The first occurred in 1995 when she felt uneasy after he pressured her to drink. Lampros alleges that Combs took her to a hotel, ignored her pleas, and raped her, according to the lawsuit.

Lampros says months after Combs continued to sent her gifts and flowers, believing the first rape was a “mulligan,” she decided to give him a second chance. The second accusation occurred in a parking lot in view of a parking-garage attendant. She says Combs “forced his erect penis into her mouth and demanded” she perform oral sex.

During the third encounter, in 1996, he allegedly forced her and an ex of his, the singer Kim Porter, to take ecstasy and have sex with each other. Combs allegedly masturbated and then raped Lampros, according to the complaint. Lampros says the fourth incident occurred at the end of 2000, when Combs was dating Jennifer Lopez. She claims he came over to her apartment with his security and tried to get her to have sex with him, but she was able to refuse his advances by opening the door and demanding that he leave. Years later, at an event in 2023, Lampros says a man informed the person she was with that he had seen a tape of Lampros having sex with Combs filmed without her consent.

When was it filed?

May 23, 2024, in New York County Supreme Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What was Combs’s response?

Combs’s rep has not yet responded to Vulture’s request for comment.

case no. 9

DERRICK LEE CARDELLO-SMITH V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith filed a personal-injury complaint against Combs alleging that the singer sexually assaulted him, according to news reports.

Cardello-Smith, who is currently incarcerated in a Michigan correctional facility until 2026, told Michigan judge Anna Marie Anzalone, who held a virtual hearing with Cardello-Smith from jail in July, that he recently had a meeting with Combs in which Combs told him that he would make him an offer to settle the case “because of other things that he stated he had going on in his life that required his money right now and he wants to see everything off.” Cardello-Smith claimed Combs offered him $2.3 million to “allow what happened to me to go away.”

When the settlement money never materialized, Cardello-Smith asked the judge for a preliminary temporary restraining order injunction that prevented Combs from selling his Los Angeles mansion for $70 million for 90 days. Judge Anzalone granted Cardello-Smith’s request and then at a hearing September 9 granted his additional request for a $100 million default judgment against Combs for failing to appear at the hearing, according to court records.

This is not Cardello-Smith’s first jailhouse lawsuit. He’s filed three others while incarcerated. According to the Detroit Metro Times, he is known for his “long history of challenging the judicial system with civil lawsuits.”

When was it filed?

June 10, 2024 in Michigan’s Lenawee County Circuit Court.

What’s the status?

A judge has set aside the $100 million judgment because the notice of the case was not properly sent. There will be another hearing on November 4.

What was Combs’s response?

After the judgment was issued, Combs’s attorney Marc Agnifilo released this statement on behalf of his client to the multiple media outlets:

“This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years,” the statement reads. “His résumé 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.”

case no. 10

DAWN RICHARD V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Dawn Richard, who was a member in two of Combs’s musical groups — Danity Kane and then Diddy-Dirty Money — filed a 55-page lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan’s federal court saying she personally witnessed Combs assault his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Richard’s suit claims that his abuse included “chocking and strangling Ms. Ventura, striking her with his hands and with objects, slapping her, punching her and throwing items at her including a scalding hot pan.” Richard also describes trying to help Ventura and Combs threatening her life in return.

Richard’s lawsuit alleges that Combs “regularly hurled objects in fits of rage,” including mobile phones, laptops, food, and studio equipment, at people. Richard says she also saw Kim Porter, the mother of three of Combs’s children, leave the recording studio 2005 in tears and with visible facial injuries. Richard claims she was present when Combs had a party and that dozens of girls, some of whom appeared to be underage, were given drugs and alcohol and that even though “many of them appeared lethargic or passed out,” Mr. Combs and his guests performed sexual acts on them, according to her complaint. “Mr. Combs repeatedly said things like, ‘This is a buffet, enjoy yourselves; this is what we do, this is how we party,’” Richard’s lawsuit states.

Richard says was concerned for her safety, was subjected to gender-motivated violence, and was sexually harassed and assaulted by Combs. She is suing Combs for sex trafficking, sexual assault, sexual battery, and false imprisonment among other claims and is demanding a jury trial.

When was it filed?

September 10, 2024, in Manhattan’s federal court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What’s Combs’s response?

Combs’s attorney Erica Wolff shared the following statement: “Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour. If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”

case no. 11

THALIA GRAVES V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Thalia Graves filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of “viciously raping her” in 2001 after having her tied up naked with her hands behind her back when she was unconscious. Graves, 53, alleges that she was just 25 when Combs summoned her to his studio to talk about the performance of her then boyfriend, who was an executive at Bad Boy Records at the time.

Combs and his bodyguard Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman picked Graves up at her mother’s house in Queens and drove her to the studio. During the car ride, Combs gave her a glass of wine, which later caused her to briefly lose consciousness, according to her lawsuit.

When she awoke, Graves said she was naked with her hands tied behind her back. Sherman, she said, slammed her face on a pool table then Combs walked into the room naked, put lubricant on his penis and violently anally and vaginally raped her. She also alleged that afterward Sherman forcibly inserted his penis into her mouth and hit her until she lost consciousness again.

After Combs and Sherman left her, Graves said she dressed and she left “crying uncontrollably.” A driver took her to a hospital and tried to convince her to report the rape, but Graves said she was going through a divorce at the time and was scared she would lose custody of her young child.

“The violation that I have experienced during the assault has had lasting effects on my body, causing ongoing health problems and complications,” Graves said on September 24 during a press conference with her attorney Gloria Allred at her side. “I want to continue on this journey toward recovery and healing. I am glad that he is locked up, but that’s a temporary feeling of relief.”

When was it filed?

The 26-page lawsuit was filed in Manhattan’s federal court.

What’s the status?

Graves has filed a request to issue a summons to inform Combs of the lawsuit and that he is being sued. Her attorney has asked that the summons be sent to Combs at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Graves has also filed a request for a summons and a copy of the lawsuit to be sent to Sherman.

What was Combs’s response?

Combs’s legal team has not yet responded to Graves’s allegations in the lawsuit she filed against him.

case no. 12

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

In a new 18-page lawsuit, a woman, who is choosing to remain anonymous, has shared allegations of abuse against Diddy. She alleges that Diddy drugged her and that she was sexually assaulted on various trips that she felt forced to go on with him.

The woman says she met Combs in 2020 overseas when she was invited on a trip that he paid for. That the next year, she says, Combs’s employees would arrange for her to travel to Combs’s homes in Los Angeles, New York, and Miami at a monthly basis. The woman alleges that Combs would send drivers to pick her up before she had even agreed to attend a trip. Among her allegations, she says she was forced to ingest ketamine, Combs forced her to have sex without her consent, and, in one instance, she woke up with bruises and bite marks on her body. At one point after being allegedly drugged, she says she took a pregnancy test and learned it was positive. She alleges that Combs’s employee and ex-girlfriend, rapper Yung Miami, harassed her to have an abortion and she later suffered a miscarriage. She also says, mirroring Graves’s allegations, that Combs would record his sexual encounters with her without her permission. Doe alleges that the abuse spanned four years, up until Homeland Security raided his home in July 2024.

When was it filed?

The lawsuit was filed on September 27 in New York Supreme Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What was Combs’s response?

Combs had not yet responded to a request for comment.

case no. 13

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, who lives in Georgia and has filed his case anonymously, is suing Combs for rape, assault and battery, and aggravated sexual abuse. According to his complaint, he alleged that he was invited to one of Combs’s parties in October 2021 through his industry connections working for a management company at the time. He alleged he was immediately offered ecstasy, which he refused. He said instead he limited himself to just one drink but afterward felt disoriented. He said he tried to leave the party but a male voice told him to “hold on.” The next thing he remembered is being in a bedroom essentially “paralyzed” and unable to move or speak as multiple men then sexually assaulted him and sodomized him. He also recalled seeing Combs above him, naked, at one point during the assault, according to his complaint. He claimed in his lawsuit that Combs “fancied the use of the popular date-rape drug Rohypnol” and would often secretly mix the drug into an alcoholic beverage, typically Champagne or “lemon drops,” and that partygoers were forced to consume them.

When was it filed?

October 14, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

Plaintiff, the alleged victim, is fighting to keep his name anonymous. His attorney has asked the judge to maintain his client’s anonymity over fear of violence in retribution for coming forward with his allegations.

case no. 14

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, who currently lives in Ohio, is suing Combs over an aggravated sexual assault that he alleged took place in a Macy’s department store. In May 2008, Doe said he was working as an adviser for Ecko clothing in Macy’s flagship when Combs, who had his Sean John brand in stores at the same time, and three of his bodyguards entered. Doe claims suddenly someone hit him with a pistol and the blow forced him to his knees. He alleged that Combs said, “Suck my dick, Ecko” and orally raped him until ejaculating and said, “You like that, white boy?,” according to his complaint. He said he immediately reported the assault to Macy’s security. He said he was then subsequently fired, which he alleged was related to Macy’s signing a multimillion-dollar deal with Combs’s clothing line.

When was it filed?

October 14, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

Plaintiff, the alleged victim, is fighting to keep his name anonymous. His attorney has asked the judge to maintain his client’s anonymity over fear of violence in retribution for coming forward with his allegations.

case no. 15

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, who lives in New Jersey, said in 2006 he accepted a last-minute job at Combs’s East Hampton house to provide security for an event for executives. During the party, he alleged that Combs gave him a drink, leaving him feeling ill. Combs pushed him into a truck and sodomized him, according to the complaint. Doe claimed he told his supervisor at the time of the assault.

When was it filed?

October 14, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

Doe’s attorney has asked the judge to let his client remain anonymous, as he still fears retribution over the traumatic incident.

case no. 16

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

New York resident Jane Doe said she met Combs in June 1995 at a promotional party for a Biggie Smalls video. She alleged that Combs approached her at the event and asked to speak to her privately, and she followed him to the bathroom, where Combs started kissing her. When she pulled away, he violently struck her and then raped her, according to her complaint. She claimed Combs also threatened her that she would “disappear” if she ever told anyone about the assault.

When was it filed?

October 14, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

She filed court documents asking to keep her name anonymous. District Judge Lewis Liman granted her request on October 16, stating that the nature of her sexual assault allegations was highly personal and that revealing her identity may lead to “significant, potentially harmful attention from media and the public.

case no. 17

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, who now lives in North Carolina, said in 1998, when he was just 16 years old, he was recruited to attend one of Combs’s White Parties in the Hamptons. After receiving an invitation through a mutual connection, he thought it would be an opportunity for him to make connections to “break into the music industry.” At the party, he spoke to Combs about his ambitions and, per the lawsuit, Combs told him he needed to inspect his penis because it was a rite of passage for anyone trying to break into the industry. Combs then cupped Doe’s genitals for an extended period of time and told him people would be in touch with him, according to the complaint.

When was it filed?

October 14, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

He filed court documents asking to keep his name anonymous. On October 17, District Judge Jennifer Rochon granted his request.

case no. 18

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Jane Doe, who lives in Tennessee, said she was invited to a Combs photo shoot in 2004, which was taking place across the street from her college campus in Brooklyn. The then-19-year-old was later invited to a “more exclusive party” back at Combs’s hotel, and she brought along a friend. Once in the hotel suite, one man, whom she believed to be Combs’s bodyguard, told them, “You know what you are here for.” She claimed the guard then locked them in a room with Combs and then forced her friend to give him oral sex, threatening to kill her, according to the complaint. Combs then “turned his sights” on her, she claimed, ordering her to undress before raping her, the lawsuit states.

When was it filed?

October 16, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

She is asking the court to proceed with her lawsuit anonymously over fear of violence in retribution for coming forward with her allegations.

What was Combs’s response to these six lawsuits, case no. 13 to case no. 18?

After attorney Tony Buzbee held a press conference on October 1 announcing that he was filing 120 lawsuits in total, Combs’s attorney, Erica Wolff, told Newsweek in a statement: “As Mr. Combs’s legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.”

case no. 19

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, who lives in California and owns a business renting luxury cars and jewelry, said he was sexually assaulted at a Cîroc party in Los Angeles in 2022. He alleged that Combs pulled him aside at the party, exposed himself, and then grabbed his genitals. He said the assault stopped when a professional athlete, whom he doesn’t name, entered the room, according to his complaint.

When was it filed?

October 20, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

The judge in this case is asking the alleged victim to file a request to receive permission to proceed anonymously by October 28, or else he will dismiss the complaint.

case no. 20

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, a personal trainer who lives in California, alleged that he was drugged and repeatedly sexually assaulted by Combs and a yet-unnamed celebrity at a 2022 awards-show after-party at Combs’s house in the Hollywood Hills. He said when he entered the house, he was asked to sign an NDA and handed a drink. The lawsuit states he was brought into a room where he saw several “well-known figures who were engaging in group-sex activities.” He said he then began to feel disoriented and weak and later realized someone had drugged him. Combs allegedly approached him, began performing “non-consensual oral sex on him,” and then directed him to perform oral sex on the celebrity, according to his lawsuit. The plaintiff claimed as he slipped in and out of consciousness that he was passed around like a “party favor” for the other guests for the party’s enjoyment, according to his complaint.

When was it filed?

October 20, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

The judge in this case is asking the alleged victim to file a request to receive permission to proceed anonymously by October 25, or the case could result in a dismissal.

case no. 21

JANE DOEV. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

Jane Doe, who lives in Alabama, said on September 7, 2000, when she was 13, a friend dropped her off at Radio City Music Hall, where she tried to get into the Video Music Awards by approaching drivers. Combs’s driver told her she “fit what Diddy was looking for” and later took her to Combs’s after-party. When she arrived, she was given an NDA to sign and then given a “reddish yellow” drink that tasted bitter, per the complaint. She felt woozy and lightheaded and found an empty bedroom in which to lie down. Combs, she alleged, then entered with both a female and male celebrity. She alleged that the male celebrity raped her while Combs and the female celebrity watched. Afterward, Combs allegedly tried to force her to perform oral sex, but she fought him off, according to her lawsuit. Later, she was able to escape and called her father to pick her up.

When was it filed?

October 20, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

case no. 22

JANE DOEV. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

On Memorial Day weekend in 2014, Jane Doe flew with two friends to Las Vegas for a stay at Hotel Rio. At the hotel, she was invited to a poolside party and later to an after-party at Combs’s suite at Planet Hollywood. She said Combs directed her to the bar area at the party and told her to help herself from any of the open bottles of Cîroc-branded vodka. After a few sips, she claimed 40 minutes later she started to feel dizzy and lost control of her motor functions. She said that she was directed to rest in a bedroom, where she passed out. When she woke up the next morning, she recalled being sore, with a shirtless Combs yelling at someone over the phone. “Plaintiff eventually got up and realized she was naked and her general soreness was
more aggravated in her genital area” and “was horrified to realize that she was raped by Combs,” according to her complaint.
She located her belongings, including her dead cell phone, and made her way back to Hotel Rio,
where her friends were staying.

When was it filed?

October 20, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What was Combs’s response to these four lawsuits, case No. 19 to case No. 22?

Combs’s family issued this statement on October 22: “The past month has devastated our family. Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media. We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family. WE MISS YOU & LOVE YOU DAD.”

Quincy, Justin, Christian, Chance, Jessie & D’Lila

case no. 23

JANE DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

The alleged victim, an independent music artist who currently lives in North Carolina, says she was 29 when she was invited to a New York party hosted by Combs in December 2022. While she claims she saw “widespread use of drugs” at the party, she only drank one glass of wine. Combs approached her, expressed interest in her music career, and then suggested they continue their discussion in his office, she states. Once in the office, she recalls feeling disoriented and slipping in and out of consciousness, and she alleges that it became clear to her that she had been drugged. “Due to the effects of her drugged drink, Combs raped and sexually assaulted [her],” the lawsuit states. “[She] could not stop him from doing it, as she was trapped inside her body not participating but not able to resist.” She woke up the next morning with blood on her legs and bruising on her lips and found deep imprints on her arms and wrists, according to her lawsuit, suggesting she had been tied with ropes.

When was it filed?

October 22, 2024, in New York Federal Court.

What’s the status?

On October 24, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni ruled that the alleged victim in this case was allowed to continue to pursue her case against Combs anonymously.

CASE no. 24

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

A John Doe living in California said he was introduced to Diddy in 2005 when he was only 10 years old and interested in breaking into the entertainment industry. He alleges that he was introduced to Combs by a consultant his parents had hired who took him to an “audition” with Combs in a hotel across from the one he was staying in with his parents. During the audition, he performed several rap songs before Combs allegedly asked him “how badly he wanted to be a star.” He claims Combs then gave him a soda to drink which made him feel “a little funny.” Combs allegedly forced him to perform oral sex and he lost consciousness. When he awoke, his “pants were undone and his anus and buttocks hurt badly,” according to the lawsuit. Combs, he alleges, threatened him against telling anyone what happened. Despite the warning, he says he immediately told his parents, who were
“terrified of the potential consequences of reporting the abuse.”

When was it filed?

October 28, 2024, in New York Supreme Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

CASE no. 25

JOHN DOE V. SEAN COMBS

What does the lawsuit say?

John Doe, who lives in California, alleges that Combs and his bodyguard sexually assaulted him during a Making the Band audition in New York. In 2008, when he was just 17 years old, he participated in a three-day audition for Combs’s reality show where Combs met with each of the contestants in a private room. On the first day, he recalls Combs asked him “hypothetical questions” about how he would handle situations involving sexual pressure, according to his lawsuit.

“As Combs described these scenarios, he began to sexually assault Plaintiff by touching Plaintiff both over and under his clothing, including groping and fondling his penis and instructing Plaintiff to undress,” the lawsuit states. He also alleges Combs masturbated. During the second day, Doe alleges Combs escalated to sexual assault. On the third day, Combs introduced his bodyguard “T” and forced the accuser to give the bodyguard oral sex while Combs sexually assaulted him again. Ultimately, he was told that he was eliminated from the competition. Combs claimed he was “untrustworthy due to his reservations about performing oral sex on his bodyguard,” according to the complaint.

When was it filed?

October 28, 2024, in New York Supreme Court.

What’s the status?

Ongoing.

What was Combs’s response to these three lawsuits?

Combs’s attorneys issued this statement:

“The lawyer behind this lawsuit is interested in media attention rather than the truth, as is obvious from his constant press appearances and 1-800 number. As we’ve said before, Mr. Combs cannot respond to every new publicity stunt, even in response to claims that are facially ridiculous or demonstrably false. M. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor.”

A timeline of the Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell scandal

From the moment he first faced criminal charges, in 2006, Jeffrey Epstein has been the object of public fascination, conspiracy theories and outrage — especially after his lawyers got prosecutors to agree to a lenient plea deal that spared him from serious prison time.

Epstein was eventually arrested again, but died by suicide while awaiting trial in 2019. Here is a timeline of the case against him and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for helping him abuse teenage girls.

March 2005: Police in Palm Beach, Florida, begin investigating Epstein after the family of a 14-year-old girl reports she was molested at his mansion. Multiple underage girls, many of them high school students, would later tell police that Epstein hired them to give sexual massages.

May 2006: Palm Beach police officials sign paperwork to charge Epstein with multiple counts of unlawful sex with a minor, but the county’s top prosecutor, State Attorney Barry Krischer, takes the unusual step of sending the case to a grand jury.

July 2006: Epstein is arrested after a grand jury indicts him on a single count of soliciting prostitution. The relatively minor charge draws almost immediate attention from critics, including Palm Beach police leaders, who assail Krischer publicly and accuse him of giving Epstein special treatment. The FBI begins an investigation.

2007: Federal prosecutors prepare an indictment against Epstein. But for a year, the money manager’s lawyers engage in talks with the U.S. attorney in Miami, Alexander Acosta, about a plea bargain that would allow Epstein to avoid a federal prosecution. Epstein’s lawyers decry his accusers as unreliable witnesses.

June 2008: Epstein pleads guilty to state charges: one count of solicitating prostitution and one count of soliciting prostitution from someone under the age of 18. He is sentenced to 18 months in jail. Under a secret arrangement, the U.S. attorney’s office agrees not to prosecute Epstein for federal crimes. Epstein serves most of his sentence in a work-release program that allows him to leave jail during the day to go to his office, then return at night.

July 2009: Epstein is released from jail. For the next decade, multiple women who say they are Epstein’s victims wage a legal fight to get his federal non-prosecution agreement voided, and hold him and others liable for the abuse. One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, says in her lawsuits that, starting when she was 17, Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, set up sexual encounters with royalty, politicians, academicians, businessmen and other rich and powerful men, including Britain’s Prince Andrew. All of those men deny the allegations.

November 2018: The Miami Herald revisits the handling of Epstein’s case in a series of stories focusing partly on the role of Acosta — who by this point is President Donald Trump’s labor secretary — in arranging his unusual plea deal. The coverage renews public interest in the case.

July 6, 2019: Epstein is arrested on federal sex trafficking charges after federal prosecutors in New York conclude that they weren’t bound by the terms of the earlier non-prosecution deal. Days later, Acosta resigns as labor secretary amid public outrage over his role in the initial investigation.

Aug. 10, 2019: Guards find Epstein dead in his cell at a federal jail in New York City. Investigators conclude he killed himself.

July 2, 2020: Federal prosecutors in New York charge Ghislaine Maxwell with sex crimes, saying she helped recruit the underage girls that Epstein sexually abused and sometimes participated in the abuse herself.

Dec. 30, 2021: After a monthlong trial, a jury convicts Maxwell of multiple charges, including sex trafficking, conspiracy and transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity.

June 28, 2022: Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison.

What We Do and Don’t Know About Jeffrey Epstein

The financier, who had ties to celebrities, politicians, and royalty, was arrested on multiple disturbing charges. He died by suicide in jail, but questions about his life and crimes still remain.

On July 8, 2019, federal prosecutors charged financier Jeffrey Epstein with one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Following the indictment, Epstein pleaded not guilty on both charges. He was denied bail and remained in jail until August 10, when several media outlets confirmed that Epstein had died by apparent suicide. But numerous questions still remain about Epstein’s life, crimes, and fortune, some of which were raised in the case against his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who was arrested in July 2020, and later found guilty of 5 out of 6 counts. In June 2022, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

With that in mind, here’s what we do and don’t know about Epstein.

Epstein started his career in New York City as a math teacher at the elite Dalton School, but in the 1970s, he went to work at the investment bank Bear Stearns before founding his own firm, J. Epstein and Co., in 1982. According to Vox, he specifically marketed his services to “those with assets worth more than $1 billion,” and operated his company out of the U.S. Virgin Islands for tax reasons.

While Epstein appeared to be wealthy, living in a massive townhouse and giving large sums of money to a wide variety of causes and institutions, the source of his money is obscure. He has been widely called a billionaire, but Forbes disputes that claim, saying that he was more likely “worth a fraction of that.” And when Epstein died, he was worth $577,672,654, according to a will signed just two days before his death.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a felony charge of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor, and was sentenced to 18 months in prison; he served 13, and was granted work release, which allowed him to commute to an office outside the jail six days a week. He also registered as a sex offender.

The plea deal came under renewed scrutiny last winter, after Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown published a series on Epstein, his victims, and the powerful people who advocated for him to receive a more lenient sentence over a decade ago.

Epstein died in his cell.

On July 24, 2019, Epstein was reportedly found injured in his cell. Several weeks later, on August 10, he was found dead by apparent suicide, per the New York Times, and his death is being investigated by the FBI.

Here is the official statement regarding his death from the Federal Bureau of Prisons:

On Wednesday October 30, a forensic pathologist working for Jeffrey Epstein’s brother Mark announced he believed that Epstein did not die by suicide. Dr. Michael Baden said on the morning TV show Fox & Friends that Mr. Epstein, 66, experienced a number of injuries that “are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation.”

The city’s Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, disputed Dr. Baden’s claim, according to the New York Times. She had previously ruled his death a suicide.

NPR reports that Epstein’s death “effectively end[ed]” the criminal case, but several of his alleged victims have gone on to sue his estate.

What we know about the case against Epstein.

Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey on July 6, after arriving back in the United States from France. He was charged by federal prosecutors the following Monday. Per the indictment, “over the course of many years, Jeffrey Epstein, the defendant, sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes in Manhattan, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, among other locations.”

His indictment also noted that that “in order to maintain and increase his supply of victims, Epstein also paid certain of his victims to recruit additional girls to be similarly abused.” The prosecution alleged that he sexually assaulted girls as young as 14 years old.

Federal prosecutors also searched his New York City home following his arrest. According to the New York Times, “During the search of his townhouse on Saturday, investigators seized photographs of nude underage girls.”

Epstein pleaded not guilty. He was denied bail, and as mentioned above, he died by suicide in his cell before the trial.

Epstein’s high-profile social circle only amplified the attention on this case.

Epstein was known to associate with politicians on both sides of the aisle (Bill Clinton and Donald Trump to name just two), numerous celebrities, and other people in the public eye.

“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy,” Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.”

Following the news of his recent arrest, Trump said he has distanced himself from Epstein in recent years. “I had a falling out with him,” the President said, according to the New York Times. “I haven’t spoken to him in 15 years. I was not a fan of his, that I can tell you.”

Former president Bill Clinton issued a public statement, acknowledging that he has ridden on Epstein’s private plane, but that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activity.

“President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York,” reads the statement from a Clinton spokesperson.

“In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein’s airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation.”

Epstein also notably had ties to Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Andrew.

They met in 1999, and the extent of their relationship is somewhat unclear, but the two men were spotted walking together in Central Park in late 2010. At that point, Epstein was already a convicted sex offender.

In the months following Epstein’s death, Prince Andrew spoke out against him and his crimes in statements from Buckingham Palace.

One reads in full:

In November 2019, Prince Andrew also spoke about his relationship with Epstein with Newsnight, a conversation which journalist Emily Maitlis described as a “no holds barred interview.”

They discussed how Prince Andrew first met Epstein (through Ghislaine Maxwell) and spoke about the times the royal stayed at Epstein’s various properties. Prince Andrew also denied allegations that he had sex with one of Epstein’s alleged victims, Virginia Giuffre, multiple times.

“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady. None whatsoever,” Prince Andrew said.

Additionally, Prince Andrew admitted that it was “wrong” to visit Epstein in New York City in 2010. But during that conversation, the Duke of York said he did not regret his friendship with Epstein, and he did not explicitly express sympathy for his former friend’s victims.

Following enormous public criticism after the interview, Prince Andrew announced he was stepping back from his duties “for the foreseeable future.”

“I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” he wrote in a statement. “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.” He also said he would be willing to speak with law enforcement. Read the full statement here.

Giuffre later sat down for a TV interview of her own, in which she called Prince Andrew’s responses to her allegations “BS.”

“The people on the inside are going to keep coming up with these ridiculous excuses like his arm was elongated, or the photo was doctored, or he came to New York to break up with Jeffrey Epstein,” she said. “I mean come on. I’m calling BS on this because that’s what it is. He knows what happened. I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the truth, and I know that’s me.”

“I’m calling BS on this, because that’s what it is.” Prince Andrew says he has no recollection of meeting Virginia Giuffre, nor of any photo being taken with her and he emphatically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with her.

Buckingham Palace has issued two statements in response to the program, the first of which is in regard to the Duke of York’s association with Epstein. It’s quite similar to previous statements issued by the royal family about their friendship, and reads:

The second statement focuses more specifically on Giuffre’s allegations. It reads:

“It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”

She would go on to sue Prince Andrew, which they eventually settled out of court.

Epstein’s choice of causes reveal some of his disturbing beliefs.

Of the many causes to which Epstein donated, academic scientists were a notable subgroup. He apparently “dangled financing for their pet projects,” reports the New York Times, and attracted a distinguished group of acquaintances, including several Nobel laureates, to his home for parties and to scientific conferences he sponsored.

In meetings with these scientists he had discussed several of his own pet theories, including eugenics. The New York Times has uncovered that one ambition he discussed was to impregnate multiple women, thereby spreading his DNA. One account claimed his plan was for 20 women to bear his children, and that his ranch in New Mexico would be a base for this operation.

This may have been part of his interest in transhumanism, the study of how to improve the human population through technologies like genetic engineering and artificial intelligence.

Europol

The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) is the EU’s law enforcement agency that helps member countries prevent and combat international crime and terrorism: 

• Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands  
• Mission: Improve cooperation between EU countries’ law enforcement services to create a safer Europe  
• Services: Provides criminal intelligence, analysis, and operational support to law enforcement agencies  
• Focus: Combats serious international crime, including terrorism, human trafficking, cybercrime, and drug trafficking  
• Partners: Works with non-EU partner states and international organizations  
• Powers: Does not have executive powers, such as the power to arrest or investigate without national approval  

Europol’s goals include:

• Identifying common information gaps and investigation priorities  
• Developing new techniques and sharing knowledge in specialist areas  
• Contributing to the security of EU citizens and member states  

Interpol

Our full name is the International Criminal Police Organization and we are an inter-governmental organization. We have 196 member countries, and we help police in all of them to work together to make the world a safer place.

To do this, we enable them to share and access data on crimes and criminals, and we offer a range of technical and operational support.

Who makes up INTERPOL?

The General Secretariat coordinates our day-to-day activities to fight a range of crimes. Run by the Secretary General, it is staffed by both police and civilians and comprises a headquarters in Lyon, a global complex for innovation in Singapore and several satellite offices in different regions.

In each country, an INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) provides the central point of contact for the General Secretariat and other NCBs. An NCB is run by national police officials and usually sits in the government ministry responsible for policing.

The General Assembly is our governing body and it brings all countries together once a year to take decisions.

Connecting police

We connect all our countries via a communications system called I-24/7. Countries use this secure network to contact each other, and the General Secretariat. It also allows them to access our databases and services in real-time, from both central and remote locations.

We also coordinate networks of police and experts in different crime areas, who come together through working groups and at conferences to share experiences and ideas.

What we do

The General Secretariat provides a range of expertise and services to our member countries. We manage 19 police databases with information on crimes and criminals (from names and fingerprints to stolen passports), accessible in real-time to countries.

We offer investigative support such as forensics, analysis, and assistance in locating fugitives around the world. Training is an important part of what we do in many areas so that officials know how to work efficiently with our services.

This expertise supports national efforts in combating crimes across four global areas we consider the most pressing today: terrorism; cybercrime; organized crime; and financial crime and anti-corruption.

Officials working in each specialized crime area run a variety of different activities alongside member countries. This can be investigative support, field operations, training and networking.

Importantly, since crimes evolve, we keep an eye on the future through research and development in international crime and trends.

A global platform

Today’s crimes are increasingly international. It is crucial that there is coordination among all the different players in maintaining a global security architecture.

Since INTERPOL is a global organization, it can provide this platform for cooperation; we enable police to work directly with their counterparts, even between countries which do not have diplomatic relations.

We also provide a voice for police on the world stage, engaging with governments at the highest level to encourage this cooperation and use of our services.