Latest news with #Gender-MotivatedViolenceAct
USA Today
09-07-2025
- USA Today
Diddy's legal team claims win after judge issues ruling in civil sexual assault case
A week after Sean "Diddy" Combs escaped the top charges in his federal criminal trial, the embattled music producer's lawyers are claiming a victory in a sexual assault case against him. On July 8, New York State Supreme Court Justice Leslie Stroh issued a ruling that narrowed the scope of a civil lawsuit against Combs, who was accused of sexual assault and battery by a woman named April Lampros in May 2024. According to a court document obtained by USA TODAY, Stroh agreed to Combs' request to dismiss claims about any incidents that are found to have occurred before Dec. 19, 2000, when the Gender-Motivated Violence Act went into effect in New York City. Lampros had alleged four unwanted sexual advances from Combs – a rape in 1995, a sexual assault in 1996, a coerced sexual performance and rape in 1998, and a sexual assault in her apartment either at the end of 2000 or early 2001. In an Aug. 19 bid to dismiss Lampros' lawsuit, Combs' lawyers said she "filed this baseless lawsuit more than twenty years after the end of her romantic relationship with Mr. Combs" and added that "each and every one of her false claims is deficient on its face and must be dismissed." Combs has maintained his innocence in response to at least 70 sexual assault lawsuits, which detail alleged incidents dating back to the 1990s. The 55-year-old music producer and businessman, who was convicted of prostitution charges on July 2, has been jailed since September amid his recently wrapped criminal case. He will be sentenced on Oct. 3. Diddy accuser's lawyer says 'it is full steam ahead' In a statement to USA TODAY, Lampros' attorney Tyrone Blackburn confirmed that "the sole claim against Sean Combs is now the (New York City Gender-Motivated Violence Act) claim." Blackburn added that he notified Combs' team of plans to depose the mogul within two months and "will be serving discovery demands" in the case within a day. "It is full steam ahead — playtime is over," he said. In a statement, Combs' team said the ruling shows his motion to dismiss the suit largely "prevails." Combs' team also said he "has not yet had an opportunity to contest those false allegations, and the Court's decision thus does not address their truth." Trial recap: Everything that came to light, from disturbing claims to photos of belongings April Lampros' lawsuit alleged Diddy assaulted her from 1995 to 2001 Lampros, a former New York Fashion Institute of Technology student, alleged Combs raped her on multiple occasions, including one instance in which she claimed he forced her and his then-girlfriend Kim Porter, who died in 2018, to take ecstasy and have sex together before he raped her. Earlier in the year, Lampros withdrew three of the four causes of action in her suit: battery, sexual assault, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. She also dismissed the companies she'd named as defendants: Bad Boy Records and Sony Music's Arista Records, where she'd allegedly worked at the time of the assaults. The legal development comes on the heels of Combs' landmark sex-crimes trial in Manhattan court, which concluded on July 2 with a split verdict that found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. The Grammy-winning rapper was acquitted on the most serious charge of racketeering and a pair of sex trafficking counts. Despite not being found guilty of the charges that carried the most prison time, Combs was denied bail by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian just hours after the verdict was handed down. The judge cited, in part, Combs' history of domestic violence as he explained the reasoning for his decision. Combs faces up to 20 years in prison for his convicted charges. But prosecutors have said sentencing guidelines could ultimately have him serve only 51 to 63 months in prison. Meanwhile, the defense said guidelines subject him to a maximum of two years. If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish via chat and at 800-656-4673. Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Patrick Ryan, and Aysha Bagchi, USA TODAY
New York Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Riccardo Tisci Accused of Sexual Assault in Lawsuit
Riccardo Tisci, the former creative director of Givenchy and Burberry and an Italian fashion designer whose name continues to surface when top industry jobs open up, was accused of sexual assault in a state lawsuit filed in New York this week. Patrick Cooper, 35, said in the lawsuit that he was assaulted last June after he met Mr. Tisci in a Manhattan nightclub. Mr. Cooper said that he and Mr. Tisci, along with one other acquaintance, went to an East Harlem soul food restaurant called 2 Sisters 4 Brothers Restaurant & Lounge, where Mr. Cooper claims Mr. Tisci, 50, slipped a substance into his drink without his consent or knowledge that left him 'so disorientated as to no longer know where he was' or what other people, particularly Mr. Tisci, were doing to him. Mr. Cooper said that woke up naked in Mr. Tisci's SoHo apartment, with Mr. Tisci naked next to him, and that he had been sexually assaulted. A spokesman for Mr. Tisci said in a statement: 'These allegations are categorically untrue. Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.' News of the 11-page lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court was first reported by The Independent. Mr. Tisci, who is well known for his close celebrity friendships with the likes of Kim Kardashian and Naomi Campbell, left his role as creative director of the British luxury brand Burberry in 2022 after almost five years at its helm. He had previously been at the French house Givenchy from 2005 to 2017. His name was recently linked to the top job at Versace, which was bought by Prada last month. Instead, Donatella Versace was replaced by Dario Vitale in April. In the lawsuit, Mr. Cooper said that after his interaction with Mr. Tisci, he went to hospital the next morning and later filed a police report. According to the lawsuit, which accuses Mr. Tisci of assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of New York's Gender-Motivated Violence Act, Mr. Cooper 'sustained, and will continue to sustain for an indefinite period of time, physical, psychological and emotional injuries.' Mr. Cooper is seeking damages from Mr. Tisci to be determined in court. 'I just went out to have a good night,' Mr. Cooper said in an interview with The Independent. 'My intentions were never to end up in Riccardo Tisci's bed. I remember sipping the drink, and I don't remember anything else. To this day, I still don't remember anything.' A lawyer for Mr. Cooper did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. The fashion industry has been rocked by a series of sexual assault and exploitation scandals in recent years, with accusations levied at other notable figures including the photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber and the fashion designer Alexander Wang.
Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Italian fashion designer Ricardo Tisci accused of sexual assault
Fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, known for his former creative director roles at Burberry and Givenchy, is facing serious legal accusations following a lawsuit filed in New York. According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Patrick Cooper, 35, filed the suit on Tuesday, April 29, naming the 50-year-old designer as the perpetrator of assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of New York State's Gender-Motivated Violence Act. Cooper is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. 'These allegations are categorically untrue,' a spokesperson for Tisci said in a statement. 'Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.' The lawsuit centers around an alleged incident that occurred on or around June 29, 2024, when Cooper claims that Tisci drugged his drink without consent while they were at a restaurant in Harlem, New York. The legal filing asserts that Tisci did not offer Cooper any drugs or inform him that a drug was being added to his beverage. Cooper maintains he did not give consent to consume any drugs. After the alleged drug took effect, Tisci is accused of taking Cooper to his home, where the filing states the designer "prevented [Cooper] from leaving and sexually assaulted him.' Cooper alleges that when he regained consciousness, he found himself naked in bed beside Tisci, who was also nude. The court documents claim that at the time of the alleged sexual assault, Cooper 'lacked the capacity to consent' and 'was not conscious.' It further states that due to the alleged drug administered by Tisci, Cooper was 'unable to reject, fight, stop, or defend himself [from Tisci].' While the New York Police Department (NYPD) has not issued a direct comment on the case, a representative said: 'The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors.' As of now, no criminal charges have been filed. The case remains a civil matter, but it marks a potentially seismic development for Tisci, whose name has long been associated with the upper echelon of the global fashion world.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fashion Designer Riccardo Tisci Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault in New York
Patrick Cooper accused fashion designer Riccardo Tisci of allegedly drugging and assaulting him in June 2024 Cooper filed the lawsuit against the former creative director of Burberry on Tuesday, April 29 in New York City A spokesperson for Tisci denied the allegations and said Tisci "looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations" Riccardo Tisci, former creative director of Burberry and Givenchy, has been accused of drugging and assaulting a man in June 2024, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. On Tuesday, April 29, Patrick Cooper filed a lawsuit against Tisci, 50, claiming assault, battery, false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violations of New York State's Gender-Motivated Violence Act. He is seeking compensatory and punitive damages. 'These allegations are categorically untrue,' a spokesperson for Tisci said in a statement to PEOPLE. 'Riccardo looks forward to clearing his name of these false and malicious accusations. He will obtain vindication through due process.' Related: Fashion Designer Alexander Wang Accused of Sexual Assault Tisci is known for working with Madonna, Beyoncé, Meryl Streep, Rihanna, Cate Blanchett and Kim Kardashian. Cooper, 35, alleges that around June 29, 2024, Tisci put a drug in Cooper's drink at a Harlem, New York, restaurant. Cooper claims that Tisci did not offer drugs to Cooper or inform him 'that he was placing a drug in his drink,' per the filing. Additionally, Cooper claims he did not consent to accepting drugs. Cooper claims that 'once the drug took effect,' Tisci brought Cooper back to his home, where he 'prevented [Cooper] from leaving and sexually assaulted him.' When Cooper woke up, he found himself and Tisci naked next to each other. The filing claims that at the time of the aforementioned sexual assault, Cooper 'lacked the capacity to consent' and 'was not conscious.' As a result of the drug(s) that Tisci allegedly gave Cooper, the latter was 'unable to reject, fight, stop, or defend himself [from Tisci]," per the filing. The New York Police Department declined to provide a comment. However, the NYPD representative said, 'The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors.' Representatives for Tisci and Cooper's attorney, Philip Hines, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information on Thursday. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . Read the original article on People
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' Legal Team Claims CNN Altered Video of Alleged Cassie Ventura Assault and Destroyed Original Footage
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' legal team and prosecutors in his federal case are claiming that the explosive CNN video that showed him allegedly abusing his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 was edited, and that the original footage was destroyed, thereby rendering it inadmissible in his trafficking and racketeering case. Last May, CNN released shocking footage of Combs assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, prompting the mogul to issue an apology video addressing the incident. More from Variety Odell Beckham Jr. and Druski Named in New Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sexual-Assault Lawsuit; Both Deny Involvement Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Legal Troubles, Explained: From 'Freak-Offs' to Sex Trafficking Charges to Million Dollar Lawsuits Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Four Additional Sexual Assault Suits as Gender-Motivated Violence Act Lookback Window Closes A filing in New York City earlier today claims that CNN purchased the only known copy of the surveillance footage, uploaded it to free editing software and altered the video. The letter says CNN destroyed the original footage 'even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation.' The letter also states that the footage CNN released to the public was 'substantially altered in significant respects,' including covering the time stamp, changing the video sequence and speeding up the video to make it seem like the incident was happening faster than it transpired. Consequently, the letter states, 'the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question.' Representatives for CNN and Combs did not immediately respond to Variety's request for comment. The filing notes that they will be entering a motion to exclude the video from use in Combs' trial, which is slated to begin in May. While Combs' case is unrelated to the 2016 incident, the footage was intended to be used to show that he had violent tendencies. Combs is currently incarcerated in Brooklyn as he awaits trial. In Sept. 2024, he was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Oscars 2026: First Blind Predictions Including Timothée Chalamet, Emma Stone, 'Wicked: For Good' and More What's Coming to Disney+ in March 2025
