Why Prince Harry was mentioned in the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sexual-assault lawsuit
CARL DE SOUZA / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
- Prince Harry was mentioned in a sexual assault lawsuit filed against Sean "Diddy" Combs last month.
- Prince Harry was used as an example of celebrities that are associated with Combs.
- But there is no evidence that the prince has interacted with Combs since 2007.
Prince Harry was named in a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs, but the prince has not been accused of a crime.
Last month, record producer Rodney Jones Jr, also known as Lil Rod, filed a lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan federal court, accusing the rapper of a slew of misdeeds, including sexual assault.
It's a civil lawsuit, seeking to secure a trial by jury and, ultimately, damages from Combs.
On Tuesday, numerous outlets published articles noting that Prince Harry's name is in the lawsuit.
Business Insider reviewed the document in question, which mentions Harry a single time in passing.
His name comes in a section Jones accuses multiple other parties of knowing about and benefiting from sex-trafficking parties which Jones alleges Combs held.
"Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of Mr. Combs sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artist, musicians, and international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry," the filing says.
Prince Harry's name is used in the lawsuit as an example of famous celebs associated with Combs. He is the only person mentioned by name.
There is no evidence that the prince attended or knew about any sex-trafficking parties, nor does Jones assert that he did.
© Pool Photograph / Corbis / Corbis via Getty Images
Prince Harry and his brother Prince William did meet Combs once in 2007 when the rapper performed at a concert in honor of Princess Diana at Wembley Stadium in London. The princes organized the charity concert to honor Diana on the 10th anniversary of her death.
The event included appearances from Ye (then known as Kanye West), Elton John, Natasha Bedingfield, Gillian Anderson, David Beckham, Ricky Gervais, and Lily Allen. According to the Royal Family's website, the concert raised £1.2 million ($1.51 million), which was split between eight charities.
Combs performed at the concert and was later pictured with William, Harry, and Ye at the event. The princes and Combs haven't interacted publicly since then.
In 2011, during an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show," Combs said the princes were by then too mature to party with him.
"Trust me they're off the list," he said when asked by Norton about plans to bring them to a "Diddy Party." "When they were young bucks growing up and they were getting in a lot of trouble themselves, so I was like, 'Why don't you come hang out with me?'"
A representative for Prince Harry declined to give a comment to Business Insider.
The Prince Harry reports were published a day after the Department of Homeland Security raided Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami.
The Associated Press and Los Angeles Times said the raid was part of a sex-trafficking investigation, citing law-enforcement sources. A representative for DHS told BI the search was part of an ongoing investigation but didn't provide further details.
Aaron Dyer, Combs' attorney, told BI that Combs is innocent and called the search "a gross overuse of military-level force."
Combs has not been criminally charged but is facing multiple civil lawsuits.
Combs ex-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura was the first to file a lawsuit against the rapper in November 2023. Although the suit was settled quickly, Jones and three more women have come forward to accuse Diddy of sexual abuse or sex trafficking.