Federal officials allege that Sean “Diddy” Combs paid off former Dirty Money group member Kalenna Harper after notes recovered from his jail cell suggested financial exchanges for a supportive public statement.
The information was discovered during a nationwide search targeting all Bureau of Prisons facilities.
Investigators claim the language used strongly suggests a payment agreement was made after Harper’s favorable statement on Instagram.
The dramatic claims bring new intrigue to the ongoing legal battle, unfolding as Diddy faces a series of serious accusations, including sex trafficking.
Richard, who filed a lawsuit against Diddy in late 2023, has accused him of various forms of abuse spanning nearly a decade.
The suit also asserts that both Harper and Richard witnessed alleged physical violence against another one of Diddy’s ex-girlfriends, Cassie Ventura.
According to the government’s filings, communication between Diddy and Harper accelerated in the days leading up to her public message.
Harper’s name appeared many times in Richard’s lawsuit against Diddy, a document he allegedly shared with her on September 11, 2024.
The government asserts there were more than 128 total communications between Diddy and Harper during this timeframe, culminating in Harper posting her statement on social media.
“While I fully respect Dawn’s right to recount her experiences,” the post from Harper read, “I want to emphasize that her account reflects her personal perspective and should not be interpreted as a universal truth applicable to everyone involved.”
While Harper has acknowledged Richard’s right to speak her truth, she has consistently refuted the specifics of the allegations.
Harper mentioned that neither she nor her husband witnessed any abusive behavior during their time working with Diddy.
“Many of the claims in that lawsuit do not align with my own experiences,” she stated via Instagram. “My husband and I always conducted ourselves in a professional manner.”
Diddy’s legal team has steadfastly denied Richard’s accusations, stating that “a series of false claims” were thrown together to target their client.
“It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court,” Diddy’s lawyer Erica Wolff said in a statement.
The government claims the text exchange between Diddy and Harper only added more suspicion.
They argue that the communications, combined with the notes found in Diddy’s jail cell, strongly suggest that Diddy compensated Harper financially after she publicly backed him and rejected Richard’s experiences as unfounded.
Diddy’s next court appearance is set for November 22, where he will make his 5th motion for bond to get out of the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
His trial is set for May 2025.