Kalenna Harper has disputed claims made in Dawn Richards’ sexual abuse lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
The former Danity Kane member filed a lawsuit against her former mentor earlier this week, and in her legal documents she alleged she and her Diddy-Dirty Money bandmate were threatened by the rap mogul after witnessing him abuse his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, but Kalenna has distanced herself from the situation.
Harper released a statement on Friday denying she witnessed Combs, 54, abusing his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, with whom he has settled a lawsuit, or ‘any behavior that could be considered abusive or unlawful’ while working with Bad Boy Records founder, according a statement shared in her Instagram Stories.
Harper was mentioned more than 30 times in the lawsuit, but according to the Love and Hip-Hop: Atlanta star, her account of events do not match up with Richard’s.
‘While I fully respect Dawn’s right to recount her experiences, I want to emphasize that her account reflects her personal perspective and should not be interpreted as a universal truth applicable to everyone involved,’ the statement read.
Kalenna Harper, 45, released a statement on Friday, denying she witnessed Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 54, abusing his ex-girlfriend Cassie Venture or ‘any behavior that could be considered abusive or unlawful after being named in former bandmate Dawn Richard’s lawsuit
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‘Many of the allegations and incidents described in this suit are not representative of my experiences, and some do not align with my own truth.’
In her lawsuit, Richard, who first crossed paths with Combs while appearing on the MTV series, Making The Band, and became a member of the group Danity Kane while on the show, claims she was ‘manipulated’ by Combs on promises that he would help her music career.
She also alleged that during the audition process for Making The Band, Combs had called female contestants various names, such as ‘fat’, ‘ugly,’ ‘b****es’ and also ‘h***.’
In response, Erica Wolff, an attorney for Sean Diddy Combs, told DailyMail.com: ‘Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.’
Wolff continued: ‘If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. 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.’
Richard claimed Combs did not like her because of her eagerness and excitement to work alongside a big star.
In the documents, she claimed that she was a victim of Diddy’s abuse in the past, stating that she had been forced to have 48-hour rehearsals without a break.
Due to the exhaustive practices and lack of sleep, Richard claimed that she suffered weight loss, dehydration and health issues such as rashes.
Harper shared her full statement in her Instagram Stories
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 54, is currently facing another lawsuit amid his mounting legal woes as Danity Kane’s Dawn Richard, 41, sued the rapper for ‘terrorizing and sexually abusing’ her; seen in 2023 in Atlanta
In the lawsuit, Richard claims that she was ‘manipulated’ by Combs on promises that he would help her music career; seen in 2009 in NYC
In the documents, she claimed that she was a victim of Diddy’s abuse in the past, stating that she had been forced to have 48-hour rehearsals without a break
The Coming Home artist also alleged that she had also been asked to go to the rapper’s home in Miami, and found him inside only wearing his underwear.
After asking that he put clothes on, she claimed that the star denied her request and said, ‘This is my f***ing house!’
Richard also claimed that Diddy’s treatment towards her progressively got worse from 2009 through 2011.
In the documents, the Damaged singer claimed Combs had entered her dressing room located at his recording studio when she was fully undressed and placed his hands on her breasts and buttocks.
Richard claimed another incident occurred when the rapper locked her in a car for two hours. She tried to get help but she claimed the windows were tinted, and she eventually had to call her father for help.
The Damaged singer claimed that her father traveled to New York and while there, approached Combs about his behavior.
She claims Combs responded to her father’s concern saying ‘Think about your daughter’ as well as ‘think about your daughter’s career.’
In the lawsuit, the singer claimed that she had witnessed Combs abusing other women, such as his ex, Kim Porter.
She alleged that back in 2005, she saw Porter leaving his recording studio in tears with injuries on her face.
Dawn claimed that she witnessed Sean throwing his ex, Cassie, against a wall at his home in Los Angeles in 2009, followed by him ‘choking her and dragging her’ up stairs when he was high on drugs.
At another time, Richard alleged that she saw the rapper throw a hot pan of eggs at Cassie as he said, ‘I’ve been asking you for my s**t; I can’t stand you b***h, you never do it right!’
Dawn claimed in the lawsuit that she and other women came to Cassie’s aide and encouraged her to break up with Diddy.
Richard also claimed that Diddy’s treatment towards her progressively got worse from 2009 through 2011, per TMZ; seen in 2023 in London
Dawn claimed that she witnessed Sean throwing his ex, Cassie, against a wall at his home in Los Angeles in 2009, followed by him ‘choking her and dragging her’ up stairs when he was high on drugs; seen in 2018 in NYC
However, the music artist found out and said, per TMZ, ‘Y’all b****es don’t get in my relationship.’
‘Don’t tell my b***h [Cassie] what she need to be doing…Just make money and shut the f**k up…I end artists…I shelve careers…You could be missing…You b***es want to die today.’
Former Danity Kane member, Aubrey O’Day, came forward in June, claiming she immediately supported Cassie after she accused her ex-boyfriend Diddy of sexual abuse, while talking to Us Weekly.
‘[I was] the first one who came out and stood for her. It was a little too silent for my liking.’
Last year in November, he settled a federal lawsuit with singer and ex, Cassie – who accused him of rape and claimed he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes.
At the time, O’Day took to social media to share a message of solidarity to Cassie.
‘I had it up within the first five minutes of seeing it because Cassie is a victim and she has an insane amount of bravery,’ O’Day told the outlet.
The artist’s November Instagram post read: ‘Been trynna tell y’all for years. Prayers up for this queen @cassie.’
O’Day had been picked to be a part of Diddy’s girl group Danity Kane on 2005’s Making the Band, but she later asserted that he fired her because she ‘wasn’t willing to do what was expected of [her] – not talent-wise, but in other areas.’
In May, months after Cassie and Diddy resolved their legal dispute, a video from 2016 emerged, purportedly showing the rapper physically assaulting her.
Diddy issued an apology on social media, seemingly expressing remorse for his ‘inexcusable’ behavior, though he did not directly reference Cassie.
At the time, O’Day took to social media to call out that Diddy ‘did not apologize to Cassie’ but ‘he apologized to the world for seeing what he did.’
Shortly after the rapper’s homes were raided by Homeland Security in a sex trafficking probe, Aubrey also took to social media to share her thoughts and penned, ‘What you sow, you shall reap…’
O’Day also claimed in September of last year that Diddy recently asked her and former Danity Kane bandmates to sign NDAs.
‘And me, as somebody that’s a girl’s girl, I hit everyone in my group and said, ‘Absolutely do not take this deal.’
Both Dawn and Aubrey are former members of Danity Kane, as well as Shannon Bex, D. Woods and Aundrea Fimbres.
The group was formed on MTV’s Making The Band under Diddy’s Bad Boy Records – but since 2020, the group has been on an indefinite hiatus.
And on Tuesday, amid Diddy’s legal woes, it was revealed the rapper has been ‘ordered to pay $100 million’ in a default judgement over sexual assault allegations by Michigan inmate, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith.
Cardello-Smith – who is currently serving time at the Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility – claimed Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted him at a party that took place 27 years earlier in 1997.
Cardello-Smith sued Combs for $100 million, but due to the star not responding to the lawsuit and failing to attend a virtual hearing on Monday, a judge entered a default judgement against Combs that requires him to pay the $100 million, per TMZ.
Former Danity Kane member, Aubrey O’Day, shared in June that she immediately supported Cassie after she accused her ex-boyfriend Diddy of sexual abuse, while talking to Us Weekly
The group was formed on MTV’s Making The Band under Diddy’s Bad Boy Records – but since 2020, the group has been on an indefinite hiatus; the group seen with Diddy in 2006
Beginning next month on October 1, the disgraced music artist will have to pay Cardello-Smith in $10 million installments monthly, according to the outlet.
Derrick first crossed paths with the rapper when he was working at a restaurant in Detroit.
In the lawsuit obtained by TMZ, Cardello-Smith claimed that both he and Combs were drinking and smoking marijuana at a 1997 party when the alleged sexual assault took place.
At one point, while performing a sexual act with one of the women at the party, Derrick claimed that the rapper placed a hand on his buttocks.
He also claimed that afterwards, he accepted a drink from Combs that had been drugged and Derrick proceeded to pass out.
Upon waking, he said he noticed Diddy having sex with one of the women at the party and claimed Combs told him, ‘I did this to you, too.’
The $100 million default judgement comes just one month after Cardello-Smith filed a temporary restraining order against Diddy in August, according to the Detroit Metro Times.
He was able to show records that the rapper had visited him at the prison he is currently serving time at.
He alleged that Combs offered him $2.3 million to drop the sexual assault allegations against him.
During a hearing that took place last month in August, Cardello-Smith claimed that Diddy had told him, ‘You know how we get down,’ when he refused to drop the lawsuit.
Cardello-Smith claimed that in response to Combs, he told the rapper, ‘I disagree with how you get down.’
According to the Detroit Metro Times, the $100 million default judgement has the possibility of being the largest award to a non-attorney and individual currently serving time.
And on Tuesday September 10, it was revealed the rapper has been ‘ordered to pay $100 million’ in a default judgement over sexual assault allegations by Michigan inmate, Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith; seen in 2018 in Pasadena
In August, Combs filed a motion to dismiss a $30m lawsuit filed by record producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, who sued him for constant groping and a possible drug-induced rape; seen in 2020 in Beverly Hills
Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo told DailyMail.com: ‘This man [Cardello-Smith] is a convicted felon and sexual predator, who has been sentenced on 14 counts of sexual assault and kidnapping over the last 26 years.
‘His resume now includes committing a fraud on the court from prison, as Mr. Combs has never heard of him let alone been served with any lawsuit. Mr. Combs looks forward to having this judgment swiftly dismissed.’
And last month in August, Combs filed a motion to dismiss a $30m lawsuit filed by record producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, who sued him for constant groping and a possible drug-induced rape.
Also in August, former porn star Adria English accused Diddy of sex trafficking her – after filing a $50 billion civil suit against the music artist.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.