Sean “Diddy” Combs Steps Down as Chairman of Revolt Amid Multiple Sexual Assault Lawsuits
Sean “Diddy” Combs has resigned as chairman of hip-hop TV network Revolt, the company said Tuesday, as he faces multiple sexual assault and battery accusations dating back to the early 1990s.
Revolt said that Combs has stepped down to ensure that the network “remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people,” according to a company statement posted on Instagram.
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“Our focus has always been one that reflects our commitment to the collective journey of Revolt — one that is not driven by an individual, but by the shared efforts and values of our entire team on behalf of advancing, elevating and championing our culture — and that continues,” said the statement, which noted that Combs didn’t have an operational or day-to-day role in the business.
On Thursday, two women sued Combs for sexual assault under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, which revived the window to bring sexual misconduct claims for one year. Joi Dickerson-Neal, who briefly appeared in one of his music videos, claimed that he drugged and raped her when she was a college student at Syracuse University in 1991. According to the complaint, he allegedly recorded the encounter and shared it with several people.
In another suit, the plaintiff, suing as a Jane Doe, accused Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall of sexually assaulting her and a friend, as well as choking her until she passed out several days later as he urged her not to report the incident.
The suits were filed less than a week after Combs settled a suit brought by Cassie, an R&B singer once signed to his label, accusing him of raping and physically abusing her for nearly a decade. The case was among a series of suits under the Adult Survivors Act against powerful men in the music industry, including music executive L.A. Reid; Neil Portnow, the former head of the organization behind the Grammy Awards; and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Combs denied the allegations and called them a “money grab.”
“Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for accusers who will falsify the truth, without conscience or consequence, for financial benefit,” the statement said. “The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited for improper purposes. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these unsubstantiated allegations.”
Combs founded Revolt in 2013 as a music channel on Comcast after its merger with NBCUniversal. In 2021, Detavio Samuels, hired as chief operating officer, was elevated to chief executive of the Black-owned media company after the departure of Roma Khanna.
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