Rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is at the center of accusations surrounding an assault last year at a nightclub in Hollywood.
The Associated Press reports that four eyewitnesses support Gerard Rechnitzer, who alleges that Combs assaulted him and his girlfriend at a post-Oscar party on Feb. 25, 2007 outside Teddy's at the Roosevelt Hotel.
In court papers filed Wednesday (Jan. 16) by Rechnitzer’s attorney, Marianna Ruiz claims the attack was unprovoked.
"I just kind of remember seeing him go flying, not flying as in like feet off the ground, but he went back significantly," said Ruiz, one of the witnesses on the scene. "I was just in shock that somebody would ... just kind of strike somebody out of nowhere."
Rechnitzer later filed his lawsuit that same year in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Michael Sherman, another witness who was in the group with Rechnitzer at the club, revealed more details in the court papers as he noted that all of a sudden, he hit him.
And there was a taxi behind Gerard. Gerard got knocked into the taxi."
In addition, Sherman stated that Combs tried to spit on Ruiz, who was standing nearby.
Attorneys for the mogul, who called Rechnitzer’s suit "completely baseless," also filed court papers on Wednesday which stated that Combs is "in no way legally responsible for what happened to Rechnitzer."
The new lawsuit comes as Combs avoided criminal charges in another nightclub assault in November.
The entertainer/business executive was accused of punching Steven Acevedo after an argument at SoHo night spot Kiosk on Oct. 13.
Rechnitzer seeks unspecified damages in his lawsuit.
