A Michigan man, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, has won a $100 million default judgment against Sean “Diddy” Combs after the music mogul failed to appear in court to contest allegations of a sexual assault from 1997. The judgment, issued by the Lenawee County Circuit Court, requires Combs to pay Cardello-Smith $10 million per month starting in October.
Cardello-Smith, currently incarcerated at the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility, accused Combs of sexually assaulting him during a party in the Detroit area in 1997. He claims that while he was engaged with a woman, Combs touched him inappropriately. After Cardello-Smith reportedly recoiled from the contact, Combs allegedly spiked his drink, leading to a state of drowsiness where he felt vulnerable.
In August, Cardello-Smith testified that Combs had visited him in prison and offered him $2.3 million to settle the lawsuit, making a statement implying an understanding of how things work between them. Cardello-Smith responded by expressing his disagreement with Combs’s behavior.
Combs’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, has challenged the judgment, characterizing Cardello-Smith as a convicted felon with a history of sexual assault and kidnapping. Agnifilo claims that Combs was never properly served with the lawsuit and looks forward to having the judgment dismissed.
This case adds to a troubling pattern of allegations against Combs, which include a recent federal investigation into sex trafficking that involved raids on his properties in Los Angeles and Miami. Additionally, footage emerged of a 2016 incident where Combs violently assaulted his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, corroborating her previous allegations of abuse made in a lawsuit that was later settled.
These developments represent a significant legal and reputational challenge for Diddy as he faces multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and violence.