Diddy accused of dangling woman from high balcony in new case

Sean "Diddy" Combs photographed with sunglasses and a gold chainImage source, Reuters
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Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused in a new lawsuit of dangling a woman from the 17th-floor balcony of an apartment during an altercation.

The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by fashion designer Bryana "Bana" Bongolan alleges the incident happened in 2016 while she was at the home of Mr Combs' then-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura.

It is the latest in more than two dozen lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of several offences, including sexual assault, drugging people, threatening witnesses and causing physical harm.

The music mogul is also facing federal charges in a racketeering and sex trafficking scheme. He has denied all the allegations, including the latest claim.

A representative told the BBC on Tuesday that he "firmly denies these serious allegations" in the new lawsuit and "remains confident they will ultimately be proven baseless".

Ms Bongolan says she was spending the night Ms Ventura's apartment when Mr Combs started shouting and banging on the front door, the lawsuit states.

After coming inside the home, Mr Combs allegedly confronted Ms Bongolan, who was on the balcony at the time. The lawsuit states he allegedly grabbed and molested her.

He then lifted her up and started dangling her from the balcony of the unit, the lawsuit alleges.

At the time of the incident, Ms Bongolan weighed about 100lb (45.3 kg), according to the lawsuit.

It claims Ms Bongolan "attempted to resist him, throwing her weight back in a desperate struggle to avoid being thrown to the ground and likely to her death", but Mr Combs "easily overpowered her".

The lawsuit states that Ms Ventura came outside to intervene, and Mr Combs allegedly pulled Ms Bongolan back over the ledge by slamming her onto patio furniture.

A representative for the rapper denied the allegations in a statement to the BBC on Tuesday.

"Anyone has the right to file a lawsuit, regardless of the evidence they may or may not have," the statement reads, adding Mr Combs "has unwavering faith in the facts and in the fairness of the judicial process".

It continues: "In court, the truth will come to light, demonstrating that the claims against Mr Combs are without merit."

Ms Bongolan claims she did not and still does not know what provoked the alleged incident, according to the suit. She is seeking $10m (£7.89m) in damages from the rapper.

In the lawsuit, Ms Bongolan alleged that it was a "culmination of a series of threats, intimidation and violence that coloured many of Ms Bongolan’s interactions with Mr Combs from the day she met him".

The allegations echo an incident noted in a separate lawsuit filed by Ms Ventura against Mr Combs.

That lawsuit - which was filed in 2023 and settled the day after - alleged abuse, rape and sex trafficking. It noted an episode at Ms Ventura's apartment when Mr Combs "picked up one of Ms Ventura’s friends like a child and dangled the friend over the balcony".

Ms Bongolan also alleges that she endured "terror and abuse" from Combs throughout their professional relationship, which began when the music mogul approached her to collaborate on projects such as a clothing line and album cover art.

Mr Combs is being held in jail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, after being denied bail three times by a judge.