A Michigan inmate has been awarded $100 million in a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs through a default judgment after the rapper failed to respond to a court summon.
Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, who is currently serving a prison sentence for unrelated charges, accused Diddy of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a party in Detroit in 1997. Cardello-Smith claimed to have met the rapper in the 1990s while working in Detroit’s restaurant and hospitality industry.
According to court testimony, Cardello-Smith stated that Diddy offered him $2.3 million to drop the case, but he refused the offer. He also presented prison visitation logs that allegedly showed Diddy's name as proof of contact.
The Lenawee County Circuit Court judge, Anna Marie Anzalone, ruled in favor of Cardello-Smith after Diddy did not appear for the hearing on September 9. The court ordered the rapper to pay $100 million in damages, with $10 million to be paid monthly starting from October 1.
Diddy’s legal team denied knowing about the lawsuit, claiming they were not properly notified. They also stated that the rapper had no connection to Cardello-Smith and accused him of committing “fraud on the court.” Diddy’s representatives have vowed to challenge the ruling.
