Nearly a year after he was first accused of assaulting multiple people, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been ordered to pay $100 million to one of his alleged victims, who is described as a Michigan inmate.
According to Detroit’s Metro Times and court documents, Combs was told to pay the amount by a Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge on Monday, Sept. 9. This was after a temporary restraining order against Combs granted to Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith.
Cardello-Smith is described as a “Michigan inmate known for his long history of challenging the judicial system with civil lawsuits.”
According to his lawsuit, Cardello-Smith encountered Combs in 1997 while he was working at a Detroit-area restaurant. The two met a group of women at a party and were having a sexual encounter with them when Cardello-Smith stated he felt a male hand touching him. He claims the man was Combs.
Following the encounter, Cardello-Smith said that Diddy offered him a drink, which was spiked. After blacking out, the man said he woke to Combs having sex with a woman. Combs allegedly declared to him, “I did this to you too.”
The Inmate Said Diddy Offered Him $2.3 Million to Drop the Assault Case
Cardello-Smith, who is serving time in prison for an unrelated sentence, shared last month that Sean “Diddy” Combs offered him $2.3 million to dismiss the lawsuit. However, he declined the offer and said he would proceed with legal action.
Diddy allegedly told him, “You know how we get down.”
To which Cardello-Smith responded, “I disagree with how you get down.”
The Lenawee County Circuit Court Judge stated during the latest hearing that Combs would pay the amount in a payment schedule of $10 million per month. Payments are to start on October 1.
Detroit’s Metro Times reports that the default judgment was awarded to Cardello-Smith when Combs did not appear for the virtual hearing.
Combs’s attorney Marc Agnifilo provided a statement, denying Cardello-Smith’s allegations. “This man is a convicted felon and sexual predator, Agnifilo stated. “Who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years.”
Agnifilo also said, “His resume now includes committing 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.”
Cardello-Smith is currently being held at Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility in Muskegon Heights. He is a “self-taught” student of civil and criminal statutes.
Diddy has continuously declared his innocence for the multiple assault allegations made against him. However, in June, he admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Venture. She was the first to accuse the famous rapper of assault. His admission came after video footage leaked of a 2016 incident in a hotel.
Amid the backlash, Diddy apologized and said he was “f—ed up.”