Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Steps Aside as Chairman of Revolt TV Network amid Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

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News of Combs stepping down from Revolt, which he co-founded in 2013, comes days after three women came forward to accuse the music mogul of sexual abuse.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has temporarily stepped down as chairman of the media network Revolt, which he co-founded in 2013, a spokesperson for the music mogul said Tuesday.

The move follows news of lawsuits against him alleging sexual abuse.

Combs made the decision to step aside from the TV network last week, the spokesperson said.

It’s not clear when he plans on returning as chairman.

Revolt said Tuesday in a social media statement that Combs had no “day-to-day role in the business” and that the decision “helps to ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora.”

“Our focus has always been one that reflects our commitment to the collective journey of REVOLT — one that is not driven by any individual, but by the shared efforts and values of our entire team on behalf of advancing, elevating, and championing our culture — and that continues,” the company said.

News of Combs stepping down from his post comes days after three women came forward to accuse him of sexual abuse. One of the lawsuits filed was a federal suit arguing the record producer raped, sex trafficked, and abused his former girlfriend, R&B artist Cassie.

Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, filed the $30 million lawsuit last Thursday, alleging a history of coercion and abuse that went on for over a decade.

The singer and Combs settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount of money a day after it was filed. Cassie said she “decided to resolve this matter on terms that I have some level of control.”

Ben Brafman, Combs’ lawyer, said the decision to settle was not an admission of wrongdoing. “Mr. Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best.”

Before Combs temporarily stepped down, a co-host of Revolt’s podcast Monuments to Me announced she would not be participating in the third season of the show.

“I am a [sexual assault] survivor & I cannot be part of a show that’s supposed to uplift black women while @Diddy leads the company,” Dawn Montgomery wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

She said Tuesday that the announcement that Combs has stepped aside will not change her decision. “I still would like to hear from Revolt’s leadership as there are men in those positions who could’ve provided a safe space for [sexual assault] survivors like myself,” she said.

Ventura’s lawsuit prompted another accuser, Joie Dickerson-Neal, to file a separate lawsuit alleging Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her in 1991 while she was a student at Syracuse University.

Dickerson-Neal alleged Combs recorded the assault without her knowledge and shared the video with other people.

The same day as Dickerson-Neal’s lawsuit, plaintiff Jane Doe sued Combs, alleging he and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall sexually assaulted her and a friend at Hall’s apartment in 1990 or 1991. In that suit, the accuser said the assault happened after an event at the offices of MCA Records.

Combs has denied the sexual abuse claims, saying the latest ones are “a money grab”.

The string of legal actions coincides with the end of the New York Adult Survivors Act, which allowed alleged victims of sex crimes to sue after the statute of limitations has lapsed.