Jodeci member added as co-defendant in Diddy sexual assault lawsuit

In November, Sean “Diddy” Combs was sued for allegedly raping Liza Gardner with singer-songwriter Aaron Hall in 1990, when she was 16 years old. Jodeci member DeVanté Swing has now been included as a co-defendant in the lawsuit.

An amended complaint filed by Gardner and received by Rolling Stone claims Swing, born Donald DeGrate, was present at the attack. According to the magazine, the complaint states, “Unbeknownst to Ms. Gardner at the time, defendant Swing was in the room when this assault occurred and took no steps to prevent this abuse.”

In May, a woman filed an affidavit in the case claiming she was with Gardner that night, underage, and saw Swing “leaning against the wall or furniture or something, watching what whatever Puffy did to Liza”. In the new filing, she claims Swing was 20 or 21 at the time. He is accused of “aiding and abetting” the alleged abuse. He served as Gardner’s “co-guardian at the time” because he invited her on a trip to the New York area with a group of her friends. They lived with him in New Jersey, in a house that was reportedly “subsidized” by Jodeci’s then-label, MCA subsidiary Uptown Records, where Combs worked as an A&R manager.

The lawsuit alleges that Swing “had a duty to protect the child because her parents entrusted him with their safety.” He trafficked and/or coerced the child [to] Travel across state lines from North Carolina to New York and New Jersey with the hidden intent of supplying the child with alcohol and marijuana and prostituting him to his A&R Combs.”

Swing is now one of the defendants in the lawsuit for negligent infliction of emotional distress and violating the Mann Act, which also includes a claim for “transporting a minor with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.”

Last month, Combs was arrested after a grand jury indicted him on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Combs was denied bail and charged with sexual assault by a 12th accuser. Combs appealed the decision to deny him bail on Tuesday (October 8), arguing that concerns about witness tampering were unfounded. Today (October 9), his lawyers accused the government of leaking the video of him attacking Cassie.

Combs’ mother, Janice Small Combs, shared her first statement earlier this week. Read it below.

I come to you today as a mother who is devastated and deeply saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs. It is heartbreaking to see my son being judged not for the truth, but for a narrative based on lies. Witnessing what appears to be a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable for words. Like every person, my son deserves to be in court, to finally argue his side and prove his innocence.

I’m not here to portray my son as perfect because he isn’t. He made mistakes in his past, like we all do. My son may not have been entirely truthful about certain things, such as denying that he had ever been violent toward an ex-girlfriend, even though hotel surveillance showed otherwise. Sometimes truth and lies are so closely linked that it’s scary to admit part of the story, especially when that truth is outside the norm or too complicated to be believed. For this reason, I believe my son’s civil rights team chose to settle the ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit rather than fight it to the end, which created a ricochet effect as the federal government used that decision against my son by using it interpreted as an admission of guilt.

It is important to recognize that none of us, regardless of our status, are immune to fears or mistakes. If I am not completely clear about something, it does not mean that my son is guilty of the disgusting allegations and serious allegations that have been made against him. Many people who were wrongfully convicted and later exonerated were deprived of their liberty not because they were guilty of the crimes they were accused of, but because they did not fit the image of what this society defines as “good people.” looks at. History has shown us how individuals can be wrongfully convicted because of past actions or mistakes.

Watching the world joke and laugh at my son’s life crumbling before our eyes is something I will never forget. It is truly excruciating to see the world turn against my son so quickly and easily because of lies and misunderstandings, without ever hearing his side or giving him the opportunity to present his side. These lies accused of him are motivated by those seeking financial gain and not justice. These people saw how quickly my son’s civil rights team settled his ex-girlfriend’s lawsuit and therefore believe they can make a quick buck by falsely accusing my son. False allegations of sexual assault prevent real victims of sexual violence from receiving the justice they deserve. To make matters worse, the federal government is now using these lies to prosecute my son. This injustice was unbearable for our family. The worst part of this ordeal is watching my beloved son be stripped of his dignity, not for what he has done, but for what people believe about him.

I ask his supporters, fans, colleagues, friends and the public not to condemn him until you have had the opportunity to hear his side. I ask you to remember those who have been unjustly persecuted and to remember that not everyone who has made mistakes in life deserves to have their entire existence judged by a single act or a few mistakes. My son is not the monster they made him out to be and he deserves the chance to speak his side. I can only pray that I am alive to see him speak his truth and be vindicated.

If you or someone you know is being sexually assaulted, please visit rainn.org or call the National Sexual Assault Helpline at 1-800-656-4673.