Liza Gardner, one of the women who sued Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual assault, intends to move her lawsuit from New York to New Jersey. According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Gardner’s lawyer Tyrone Blackburn informed Judge Richard G. Latin of new evidence precipitating the move in a letter sent on Saturday (May 4).
“Plaintiff and this writer have received information from several witnesses: a former employee of UMG subsidiary Uptown Records and a Bad Boy Records executive,” Blackburn wrote. “This new information adds context to the Plaintiff’s claims and clarifies the timeline. The first and second witnesses have photos of Plaintiff and Defendant Aaron Hall from the day of the assault, which was taken a few hours before he raped Plaintiff. The first and second witnesses also confirmed that the sixteen-year-old plaintiff was assaulted at the MCA event in New York City, went to dinner in New York City, and then was taken to New Jersey, where the rape occurred. The former employee confirmed that Aaron Hall was an employee of MCA at the time of the rape.”
Blackburn told the judge his client sought to voluntarily discontinue her case without prejudice in New York and refile her lawsuit in New Jersey. Blackburn, who also represents Diddy’s accuser Lil Rod, was previously referred to a grievance committee for “improperly” filing cases in federal court to attract media attention.
Gardner sued Diddy and Hall for sexual assault, battery and negligent infliction of emotional distress in 2023. She accused Diddy and Hall of sexually assaulting her and a friend in 1990. Gardner, who was 16 years old at the time of the alleged attack, said she met the Bad Boy Records founder and Hall at an event hosted by MCA Records.
“Towards the end of the night, Liza Gardner and her friend were invited by Combs and Hall back to Hall’s apartment for an afterparty,” her lawsuit explained. “While at Hall’s apartment, Liza Gardner was offered more drinks and was coerced into having sex with Combs. After Combs finished doing his business, Liza Gardner laid in bed, shocked and traumatized. As she was in the process of getting dressed, Hall barged into the room, pinned her down, and forced Liza Gardner to have sex with him. After Hall finished raping Liza Gardner, she quickly got dressed and ran out of Hall’s house. Her friend left shortly after.”
The complaint continued, “Liza Gardner’s friend shared with her that she, too, had been forced to have sex with Combs and Hall in another room. Upon information and belief, when Combs finished with Liza Gardner, he and Hall switched, and they commenced assaulting Liza Gardner’s friend. A couple of days later, Combs came to the home where Liza Gardner and her friend were staying. He was irate and began assaulting and choking Liza Gardner to the point that she passed out. Combs was searching for Liza Gardner’s friend because he was worried that she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them.”
Diddy denied any wrongdoing. The feds are investigating him for allegations of sex trafficking. So far, he has not been charged with any crimes.