2 months ago
16
Some high-profile A-list celebrities are quietly settling with alleged victims to avoid being publicly named in lawsuits related to the
Diddy sex assault
case, according to attorney
Tony Buzbee
, who represents more than 120 alleged victims.
The lawyer told TMZ that his firm is suing huge stars, and he’s giving them a chance to settle with victims to avoid being named publicly in the
lawsuit
.
Some celebrities have opted to settle, he added.
“In every single case, especially cases like this… because it’s in the best interests of the victim, we attempt to resolve these matters without the filing of a
public lawsuit
and we’ve done that already with a handful of individuals, many of which you’ve heard of before,” Buzbee said, as quoted by the New York Post.
Buzbee is set to file a series of lawsuits this month, including cases representing 25 minors. He has already sent out demand letters notifying others, in addition to Combs, who will also face legal action.
“If you were there in the room, participated, watched it happen and didn’t say anything or helped cover it up, in my view, you have a problem,” the plaintiff's lawyer said.
“A lot of people saw this activity going on, a lot of people allowed it to go on, said nothing, didn’t intervene… all of these individuals and entities have exposure.”
Buzbee stated that he plans to ‘aggressively’ pursue anyone who witnessed the alleged abuse but failed to intervene or protect the victims.
However, Buzbee clarified that the disclosure of notable names won't happen this week.
"Everyone is focused on which other celebrities were involved, who will be named, and who will be exposed. I don’t expect that to happen this week," he said.
"We want to ensure that if we name individuals beyond Mr. Combs, we've done our homework, as it will spark a firestorm, and we're fully aware of that," he added.
Combs, 54, has been in custody since he was arrested on September 16, he was accused of forcing women into drug-fueled sex sessions with male prostitutes, some lasting days.
Authorities have claimed that the abuse lasted over a decade, involving violence or threats.
Combs denies the allegations, including those involving minors, claiming that all the ‘
freak offs
’ were among consenting adults.
