Stylist Who Worked for Diddy and Cassie Files Lawsuit Alleging Disturbing Abuse Claims By Samira Asma-Sadeque and Danielle Bacher

One of the witnesses who testified in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs earlier this year is now suing the music mogul, alleging verbal, physical, and sexual abuse.

Deonte Nash, who worked for Combs from 2008 to 2018, took the stand for several days in the high-profile trial that convicted Combs on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

In a lawsuit filed in a California superior court this week, Nash alleged Combs pinched his nipples, groped his buttocks, “grinded” on his groin and forced Nash’s hand on his penis.

Nash began working for Combs in 2008 when he was 21, but soon after joining he was “met with exploitative working conditions, often working overtime and forced to style additional individuals in Combs’ personal circle with no compensation,” his lawyers said in a statement to PEOPLE.

On one occasion, Nash alleges in his complaint, which was obtained by PEOPLE, Combs violently slammed him against a car and “violently strangled him” after finding out that Nash had gone out for dinner with Combs’ on-again, off-again girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.

On another occasion, Nash alleges in the complaint, Combs and his security guards “chased” the stylist on a freeway at nearly 100 miles per hour after Combs “violently pushed him” out of Ventura’s apartment during an outburst.

During the alleged chase, Nash claims, he was afraid to go to the police because he “truly believed that would be a death sentence,” the complaint alleges.

On one occasion in 2018, while Nash prepared Ventura and Combs for an event, Combs allegedly “grinded on Mr. Nash’s genital area in a sexually charged way without his consent and said, ‘this is how I make love to my lady,'” the complaint alleges.

Nash “felt very uncomfortable because he could feel Combs’ penis through his shorts,” the complaint claims.

“His abuse has consistently affected every part of my life, from my personal well-being to my career, and the damage cannot be ignored,” Nash said in a statement to PEOPLE. “I am reclaiming my story and demanding the justice I deserve.”

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Nash’s allegations come as a New York judge considers Combs’ sentencing and has been receiving character references from Combs’ loved ones.

While Combs was acquitted of the more severe charges, he still remains a focus of several similar accusations.

Ventura’s 2023 lawsuit accusing Combs of violence and trafficking sparked an avalanche of lawsuits against the Bad Boy Records producer, with dozens of people accusing him of similar sexual, verbal, physical and psychological abuse.

“The courage of Cassie Ventura…further brought to light Combs’ pattern of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse of his employees and others, paving the way for survivors like Nash to come forward,” the statement from Nash and his lawyers says.

Both Nash and his lawyer say his testimony during Combs’ trial empowered him to come forward.

“Had he not been subpoenaed and forced to testify in Mr. Combs’ criminal trial, he likely would never have come forward,” Nash’s lawyer Katie Llamas said in the statement. “The reality is that Sean Combs is a danger to others—his power and intimidation tactics have kept victims silent for too long.”

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Combs is denying the allegations. In a statement to PEOPLE, his legal team said the lawsuit is full of “falsehoods,” branding Nash an “opportunist looking to profit off his proximity to a celebrity.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.