Thalia Graves Breaks Silence on Alleged Assault, Files Lawsuit Against Diddy
In a new lawsuit, Thalia Graves alleges she was sexually assaulted by Diddy and his former bodyguard in 2001.
Published Sept. 24 2024, 4:48 p.m. ET
Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault, rape, and suicide.
As disgraced music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs remains rotting in jail awaiting trial on federal sex crime charges, he and his ex-bodyguard are facing even more sexual assault allegations in a new lawsuit.
In a deeply troubling legal filing and request for a jury trial filed on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, Thalia Graves has bravely come forward, alleging that Diddy and his former head of security, Joseph Sherman, raped her in the summer of 2001.
Alleged victim Thalia Graves breaks her silence in a lawsuit filed against Diddy.
According to court documents obtained by People, Thalia Graves has alleged that Diddy and Joseph Sherman raped her at the Bad Boy Records studio in New York City. Graves claimed the sexual assault was recorded and that she has had suicidal thoughts ever since.
In the lawsuit, Graves says she was 25 and dating one of Diddy's employees at the time, which Combs "exploited to lure [her] into meeting him and Sherman alone."
After isolating Graves, they reportedly gave her a drink that was "likely laced with a drug that eventually caused her to lose consciousness" She later awoke to find herself bound and restrained.
Graves alleges she was raped "anally and vaginally" and did not report it out of fear of Combs and Sherman. For years, she struggled with severe depression and anxiety, which intensified when she learned they had allegedly recorded the "horrific rape."
She claims they "continued to show the video of the assault to others over the years and through to the present and/or sold the video as pornography."
At a press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 24, Graves broke down in tears, stating that the alleged rape left her feeling "worthless and isolated."
Graves described her experience as a pain that "goes beyond just physical harm caused by and during the assault," saying, "It's a pain that reaches into your very core."
"This has taken a toll on my mental health," she added, mentioning she has endured PTSD, flashbacks, nightmares, and suicidal thoughts. Graves concluded by expressing relief that Diddy is locked up, but called it a "temporary feeling."
Her attorney, Gloria Allred, confirmed that Graves will seek compensatory and punitive damages "to be determined at trial."
If you need support, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit RAINN.org to chat online one-on-one with a support specialist at any time.