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In November, Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued for allegedly raping Liza Gardner with singer-songwriter Aaron Hall when she was 16 in 1990. The lawsuit has now added Jodeci member DeVanté Swing as a co-defendant.
An amended complaint filed by Gardner and obtained by Rolling Stone alleges Swing, born Donald DeGrate, was present during the assault. According to the magazine, the complaint reads, “Unbeknownst to Ms. Gardner at the time, Defendant Swing was in the room when this assault took place and did not take any steps to prevent this abuse from occurring.”
In May, a woman submitted a sworn statement in the case claiming she was a fellow minor with Gardner that night and saw Swing “leaning against the wall or furniture or something, watching whatever Puffy was doing to Liza.” In the new filing, she alleges Swing was 20 or 21 years old at the time. He is accused of “aiding and abetting” the alleged abuse. He served as Gardner’s “co-guardian at the time” because he invited her on the trip to the New York area with a group of her friends. They were staying with him in New Jersey, at a house allegedly “subsidized” by Jodeci’s label at the time, the MCA subsidiary Uptown Records, where Combs was working as an A&R executive.
The lawsuit claims Swing “had a duty to protect the child as her parents entrusted him with her safety. He trafficked and or coerced the child [to] travel across state lines from North Carolina to New York and New Jersey with the hidden intention of providing the child with alcohol, and marijuana and prostituting the child to his A&R Combs.”
Swing is now one of the lawsuit’s defendants in causes of action alleging negligent infliction of emotional distress and violation of the Mann Act, which includes a claim for “transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.”
Last month, Combs was arrested after grand jury indictment on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Combs was denied bail, and was sued for sexual assault by a 12th accuser. Combs filed an appeal on Tuesday (Oct. 8) on the decision to deny him bail, arguing that concerns of witness tampering were unfounded. Today (Oct. 9), his lawyers accused the government of leaking the video of him assaulting Cassie.
Combs’ mother, Janice Small Combs, shared her first statement earlier this week. Read it below.
I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs. It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies. To bear witness what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.
I am not here to portray my son as perfect because he is not. He has made mistakes in his past, as we all have. My son may not have been entirely truthful about certain things, such as denying he has ever gotten violent with an ex-girlfriend when the hotel’s surveillance showed otherwise. Sometimes, the truth and a lie become so closely intertwined that it becomes terrifying to admit one part of the story, especially when that truth is outside the norm or is too complicated to be believed. This is why I believe my son’s civil legal team opted to settle the ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit instead of contesting it until the end, resulting in a ricochet effect as the federal government used this decision against my son by interpreting it as an admission of guilt.
It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fear or mistakes. Not being entirely straightforward about one issue does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges leveled against him. Many individuals who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated had their freedom taken from them not because they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of, but because they didn’t fit the image of what this society considers to be a “good person.” History has showed us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted due to their past actions or mistakes.
Watching the world make jokes and laugh at my son’s life crumbling before our eyes is something I can never forget. It is truly agonizing to watch the world turn against my son so quickly and easily over lies and misconceptions, without ever hearing his side or affording him the opportunity to present his side. These lies thrown at him are motivated by those seeking a financial gain, and not justice. These individuals saw how quickly my son’s civil legal team settled his ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit, so they believe they can receive a quick payday by falsely accusing my son. False allegations of sexual assault thwart true victims of sexual violence from getting the justice they deserve. To make matters worse, the federal government is now using these lies to prosecute my son. This injustice has been unbearable for our family. The worst part of this ordeal is watching my beloved son be stripped of his dignity, not for what he did, but for what people choose to believe about him.
I ask his supporters, fans, colleagues, friends, and the public, to not judge him before you’ve had the chance to hear his side. I beg you to think about those who have been wrongfully persecuted, to remember that not everyone who has made mistakes in life deserves to have their entire existence judged by a single action or a few mistakes. My son is not the monster they have painted him to be, and he deserves the chance to tell his side. I can only pray that I am alive to see him speak his truth and be vindicated.
If you or someone you know is undergoing sexual abuse, please visit rainn.org or contact the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673.