Current:Home > StocksSean 'Diddy' Combs accuser says 'clout chasing' is why her lawyers withdrew from case -CapitalSource
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accuser says 'clout chasing' is why her lawyers withdrew from case
View
Date:2025-04-28 13:40:43
A woman who sued Sean "Diddy" Combs for allegedly sexually assaulting and trafficking her at his infamous Labor Day "white parties" say lawyers who withdrew from her case were "clout chasing."
In a statement to USA TODAY on Saturday, Adria English discussed her former attorneys Ariel Mitchell-Kidd and Steven A. Metcalf's Oct. 2 request to withdraw as her legal counsel in a court filing, claiming that Mitchell-Kidd is "trying to paint me as non-credible."
"I am happy with the decision to withdraw," English said, adding that her ex-attorneys' withdrawal from the case "made it easier" for her "to secure new, professional, non-clout chasing counsel." She added that she has "until Nov. 11, 2024, to secure new representation" or she will represent herself in court "by default."
United States District Judge Analisa Torres signed off on English's ex-attorneys' request on Friday. USA TODAY has reached out to Mitchell-Kidd and Metcalf for comment.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs accuser's lawyersask to withdraw over 'fundamental disagreement'
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Sean Combs accuser Adria English claims she was sex trafficked
In her 114-page federal lawsuit filed on July 3 in the Southern District of New York, English alleged she was sex trafficked by Combs and his associates between 2004 and 2009 in New York and Florida, claiming she agreed to work as "entertainment" at Combs' "white parties" in the Hamptons and Miami to help her boyfriend secure modeling work with Combs' fashion brand Sean John.
She also alleged she was "forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol and consume illicit narcotics " including ecstasy and eventually was coerced into having sexual intercourse with guests.
English also accused Combs of helping her break into the music industry to "silence" her and "keep her in his sex trafficking organization "as well as threatening to harm or blackball those who "did not comply with his demands."
The lawsuit is one in a near-dozen civil lawsuits filed over the past year that accuse Combs of sexually assaulting and trafficking alleged victims. Last month, Combs was arrested at a Manhattan hotel and federal prosecutors later announced a grand jury indictment, that revealed an extensive and ongoing federal investigation into the hip-hop icon.
Combs, who is currently in a Brooklyn jail awaiting a May 2025 trial, is accused by federal authorities of using his status to "fulfill his sexual desires" in a "recurrent and widely known" pattern of abuse. In a separate ruling filed Friday, federal appeals court judge William J. Nardini denied Combs' immediate release pending a decision on his motion for bail. Nardini referred the motion to a three-judge panel within the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
English says she felt 'let down and attacked' by attorneys
On Saturday, English added in a follow-up text to a USA TODAY reporter that she felt "let down and attacked" by Mitchell-Kidd and said she sent her ex-attorney "a cease and desist."
"I am glad she withdrew from my case! Now true justice can be served! I am in talks with several big name attorneys," English said in the text messages. She also said she will publicly announce her new attorney before the court's request to do so on Nov. 11.
In the Oct. 2 legal filing last week, English's former attorneys cited "a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship" and "irreconcilable differences" as the basis for parting ways with their client.
"As a result of a fundamental disagreement between" the attorneys and English "regarding almost every aspect of the litigation, including settlement demands, causes of actions in the pleadings," as well as English's alleged "undermining behavior and questionable antics," the attorneys say "an irreconcilable conflict and tension has developed," the motion reads.
The withdrawal is a result of English allegedly breaching a Sept. 24 agreement they entered into due to her "tone and lack of respect" and "continued behavior and self-destructive activities," the attorneys claimed.
Mitchell-Kidd told The New York Times on Oct. 3 that she "never lost faith" in English's case, "just in her," adding, "Her case is great. My issue was with her undermining my work and going behind my back doing things incongruent to advancing her case." English also told the Times she clashed with Mitchell-Kidd on issues including the attorney telling her not to speak with the media
This story has been updated with new information and because an earlier version contained an inaccuracy stating Oct. 3 as Thursday.
veryGood! (378)
Related
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson breaks another Kickstarter record with Cosmere RPG
- Women behind bars are often survivors of abuse. A series of new laws aim to reduce their sentences
- First look at 'Jurassic World Rebirth': See new cast Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey
- Shilo Sanders' bankruptcy case reaches 'impasse' over NIL information for CU star
- When are the 2024 MTV VMAs? Date, time, performers and how to vote for your faves
- Nvidia sees stock prices drop after record Q2 earnings. Here's why.
- Feds: U.S. student was extremist who practiced bomb-making skills in dorm
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- Toyota recalls 43,000 Sequoia hybrids for risk involving tow hitch covers
Ranking
- 3 years after the NFL added a 17th game, the push for an 18th gets stronger
- As Mike McCarthy enters make-or-break year, unprecedented scrutiny awaits Cowboys coach
- Tennis star Caroline Garcia another example of athletes being endangered by gamblers
- Target's viral Lewis the Pumpkin Ghoul is sneaking into stores, but won't likely lurk long
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Memphis City Council sues to reinstate gun control measures on November ballot
- ‘Dancing With the Stars’ pro Artem Chigvintsev arrested on domestic violence charge in California
- Social media is filled with skin care routines for girls. Here’s what dermatologists recommend
Recommendation
9/11 hearings at Guantanamo Bay in upheaval after surprise order by US defense chief
The Ultimate Labor Day 2024 Sales Guide: 60% Off J.Crew, 70% Off Michael Kors, 70% Off Kate Spade & More
Catholic diocese sues US government, worried some foreign-born priests might be forced to leave
Reactions to the deaths of NHL star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew Gaudreau
Paris Olympics live updates: Quincy Hall wins 400m thriller; USA women's hoops in action
Home contract signings hit lowest since 2001 as house hunters losing hope
Ancient mosaic of Hercules nets man prison term for illegal import from Syria
A measure to repeal a private school tuition funding law in Nebraska will make the November ballot