Prince Harry named in Diddy lawsuit
LOS ANGELES - Prince Harry has been named in a lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs officially accusing the rap mogul of sexual assault.
The civil lawsuit was filed in a New York federal district court last month by music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr. In a complaint Monday, Jones added actor Cuba Gooding Jr. to the new version of the suit.
According to court documents, Jones claimed that guests were lured to Combs’ alleged sex trafficking parties due to his "access to celebrities" along with "international dignitaries like British royal Prince Harry", as it gave him "legitimacy."
The Duke of Sussex is not accused of any wrongdoing.
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The prince allegedly first met Combs in 2007 at an after-party for the "Concert for Diana" benefit at Wembley Stadium. Combs had performed "I’ll Be Missing You" at the charity event, which was held in honor of the princes’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Harry and Diddy posed for a photo with Kanye West at the time, but it's unclear if the two were ever in contact after that event.
Prince Harry poses for a photograph with P Diddy and Kanye West at the after concert party the Princes hosted on July 1, 2007 in London, England. (Photo by POOL/ Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images)
On Monday, FOX 11 first broke the bombshell news that Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami were searched by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigators and other law enforcement. Officials said the searches were connected to an investigation by federal authorities in New York.
In response, Diddy's lawyer, Aaron Dyer, has released the following statement:
"Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush -- paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence -- leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.