Sean 'Diddy' Combs sued by former male employee for sexual battery, according to reports

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been sued again as his legal issues mount.

The embattled music mogul, who is awaiting a May 2025 trial for federal sex crimes, was sued Monday, this time by a former male employee, Phillip Pines, who is accusing Diddy of sexual battery, according to TMZ and Variety.

Per the suit obtained by the outlets, Pines claims the now-55-year-old mogul treated him as a "personal lackey" during his employment for the Bad Boy Records founder, which lasted from 2019 to 2021. Part of Pines' alleged responsibilities included setting up rooms for sex parties that Combs referred to as "Wild King Nights" − arranging “red lights, ice buckets, alcohol, marijuana joints, honey packs for male libido, baby oil" sex toys, drugs and more.

Pines' lawsuit states he was made to clean up hotel rooms after these events and ensure no one spoke about what went on, which included tipping hotel staff to ensure their silence.

The suit alleges Diddy tested Pines' reliability by treating him "like an animal playing fetch in order to prove his loyalty." It also claims Diddy pressured him to have sex with a female guest of the rapper, detailing an incident in which Diddy told him to have sex with the unnamed woman. Pines stated that he complied briefly but stopped and left the room upset.

Combs' representatives said in a statement to USA TODAY about the latest suit: “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone — man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.”

Combs is currently in jail in Brooklyn, New York, as he awaits trial. He's been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the alleged crimes. Combs has maintained all of his sexual encounters were consensual in the face of mounting civil lawsuits over the past year accusing him of rape, trafficking and sexual abuse from the 1990s to 2022.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy sued by former male employee for sexual battery