A lawyer says there could be 300 lawsuits against Diddy

A lawyer representing several victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs says the number of potential charges against the singer is “probably around 300”.

Tony Buzbee told the BBC that his team had received around 3,000 calls since he held a press conference calling for clients in October.

He has issued 20 lawsuits by men and women seeking damages from the singer; and says that “realistically” the final total will be “around 100 to 150”. Some won't even go to court because the statute of limitations for filing claims has expired in some states.

Mr Combs has denied all charges against him, calling the allegations “sickening” and the implication that people are looking for a “quick payday”.

His lawyers have branded a number of civil suits, including claims by up to 300 victims, as part of a “reckless media circus”.

They said Mr Buzbee's press conference, as well as the creation of a toll-free number to get bitten, were “clear attempts to get people to know.

In a statement sent to the BBC, his lawyer Erica Wolff said: “Mr Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.

“In court, the truth will be there: That Mr. Combs has never sexually abused or trafficked anyone – male or female, old or young.”

The singer is currently being held at Manhattan's Metropolitan Detention Center, awaiting trial on various charges of sex trafficking and fraud, which he denies.

Mr. Buzbee, whose work is based in Houston, is a unique character in US legal circles, who was once described by the New York Times as “the greatest trial lawyer in Texas, brutal, brutal, tough, breathing fire”.

A former Marine and TV host, he made his name suing oil giant BP after an oil refinery explosion in Texas City killed 15 people; and successfully defended former Texas governor Rick Perry against allegations of abuse of power.

Recently, he helped a large group of women take American football player Deshaun Watson to court over allegations that he sexually assaulted them during a private massage.

His involvement with Mr Combs began last year – after Andrew Van Arsdale, who has represented hundreds of victims in a sexual assault case against the Boy Scouts of America, started receiving calls from the star.

“I think he was frustrated, he realized that this was beyond his control [on his own]”, said Buzbee.

After agreeing to help, Buzbee asked potential victims to come forward in an Instagram post. Over the next 10 days, he estimates his team received 3,000 calls.

Those claims were vetted by a team of lawyers and former law enforcement officers, who came up with a list of clients with “active, well-researched, and ultimately filed cases,” he said.

“We're still getting it [calls] every day,” he added. “I think it's strength [number of] The cases are about 300, but I think realistically, it will be about 100 to 150.”

The alleged victims include an almost equal number of men and women; his cases lasted for 20 years.

Among them are a woman who says Mr. Combs raped her in a hotel room in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student; and a young up-and-coming singer who says the singer drugged her and forced her to perform oral sex at the age of 10.

Mr Combs' lawyers denied the allegations, saying in a statement sent to the BBC that he had “never sexually assaulted – young or old, male or female”.

The cases have so far been filed anonymously, and the alleged victims are referred to in court documents as John Doe or Jane Doe.

However, Mr. Combs has asked the courts to release their identities so they can adequately prepare for any trial.

In three cases so far, including that of a 19-year-old woman, the judge has ruled that they must reveal their names in order for their claims to move forward.

“It's happening a lot,” Mr Buzbee told the BBC. “If the plaintiff is forced to reveal his identity, Mr. Combs hopes that they will go quietly and not file a claim again.

“The good news is that's not going to happen. That's what I've checked… so if they're forced to reveal who they are, they'll reveal who they are, and we'll keep moving forward.”

Mr. Buzbee added that he took similar steps in the case of DeShaun Watson, where several women attached their names to the lawsuits following a challenge from the player's lawyers.

One case has received special attention because it claims that other celebrities are involved in the alleged crimes of Mr. Combs.

The lawsuit, filed in New York in October, is about a 13-year-old boy who said he became disoriented and dizzy after accepting a drink at one of Mr Combs' parties.

Soon after, she says a man, named “Celebrity A” stripped off her clothes and raped her, while Mr Combs and a woman named “Celebrity B” looked on.

On Sunday, i the plaintiff reviewed the case identifying the first celebrity as rap legend Jay-Z.

In a wide-ranging statement, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, called the allegations “stupid” and accused Mr Buzbee of trying to bring him down by threatening to make his name public.

“My heart and support goes out to the real victims in the world, who have to look at how their life story is being dressed up for profit by this ambulance runner in a cheap suit,” he added.

The singer previously filed an anonymous lawsuit in Los Angeles, accusing Mr Buzbee of being “shameless” for trying to defraud him.

Mr Buzbee denied the “ridiculous” lawsuit was a “last ditch effort” to stop Mr Carter's name being made public.

“I am a US Marine,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram. “I will not be silenced or intimidated. Neither will my clients.”

Mr Combs' legal team also denied the allegations, saying the fraud case against Mr Buzbee “exposes the bulk of his crimes … for what they are: Shameless statements, designed to extract payments from celebrities who fear they will be lied to, just like the lies spread about Mr Combs”.

The backlash has fueled speculation that some high-profile music industry figures will be caught up in the upcoming trials.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Buzbee called that “very likely”.

“If you just look at the alleged behavior, it's all over the place. There was a culture that was established, a party culture, where anything happened,” he said.

“There was just a general feeling that [Mr Combs] he was above the law, that he could do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, with whoever he wanted to do with.”

There has been speculation on social media, including the people and charges Mr Combs is accused of – based on photographs of businessmen's parties in the 1990s and 2000s.

Needless to say, there is no evidence to support those allegations.

There are also widely discredited lies, including an autobiography purportedly written by Mr Combs' late partner, Kim Porter; and a viral song, in which Justin Bieber allegedly sang, “I lost myself at Diddy's party”. The latter turned out to be an AI-generated hoax.

Mr Combs' lawyers argued that the number of “false and scandalous” claims made by “government agents, plaintiffs' lawyers, and others with dubious motives” “could be construed as prejudicial to potential jurors”.

Mr Buzbee denies it.

“Obviously, people who come into court as judges, they don't come in empty handed,” he told the BBC.

“They read the media, and they know what's going on, but I think a lot of people are willing to say, 'Let's judge this claim on its merits. What's the evidence and what's the defense?'

Ultimately, Mr. Buzbee's clients may face a long wait for their cases to be heard in court.

Jennie VonCannon, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in sex trafficking and fraud, says the case against Mr.

“That's because the Fifth Amendment gives you the right to remain silent,” he told the BBC.

“So you need the criminal case to go first, because if you make statements in damages cases to defend yourself, you may incriminate yourself.”

The BBC understands that the Grand Jury hearing into Mr Combs' case has continued since he was indicted in September.

Some of the alleged victims who sued him in the civil courts are believed to have testified to the allegations. VonCannon says the government can easily amend their case because of that.

“There is a school that thinks no investigation will ever be completed,” he said.

“It sounds like the government is still producing what is available, so it is possible that he will take over [replace or amend] case, and add more defendants.”

The criminal trial is currently scheduled to begin in May 2025.