Why Is Prince Harry Named in the Latest Diddy Lawsuit?

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

If the royal family didn’t already have enough to deal with, now Prince Harry’s name is popping up in headlines about the latest lawsuit accusing Diddy of sexual abuse. To be clear, the suit, which was filed by Diddy’s former producer and videographer Rodney Jones back in February, does not claim that Prince Harry had anything to do with Diddy’s alleged sexual crimes. Rather, it argues that those who enabled Diddy were granted access to powerful people, such as Harry.

Jones’s lawsuit — which refers to Diddy by his legal name, Sean Combs — is back in the news following reports that Homeland Security raided two of Diddy’s properties on Monday. The raids at Diddy’s Miami and Los Angeles residences were reportedly part of  a New York–based sex-trafficking investigation. According to Rolling Stone, five people have already sat with Southern District of New York investigators for a probe related to “alleged sex trafficking, domestic violence and racketeering” with more scheduled to be interviewed.

Jones’s suit came on the heels of several lawsuits filed against Diddy, most notably one filed by his ex-girlfriend, the singer Cassie Ventura, who accused Combs of a litany of both physical and sexual abuse. (Diddy settled the suit one day after it was filed.) In his lawsuit, Jones accused Diddy of “constant unsolicited and unauthorized groping and touching of his anus.” He also alleged the music mogul drugged him, claiming that he once woke up naked in bed with Diddy and two sex workers.

So where does Prince Harry fit into all this? Well, Jones also alleged that one of the benefits of “participating in and facilitating Combs’ sex-trafficking venture” was “the affiliation and access to Mr. Combs’ popularity.”

“Mr. Combs was known for throwing the ‘best’ parties,” the suit reads. “Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of Mr. Combs sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artist[s], musicians, and international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry.”

To reiterate, Prince Harry was not accused of any wrongdoing in the suit. Bizarrely, he was the only person explicitly named in this section, but his name came up as an example of the kind of powerful person Diddy knows and has socialized with.

Diddy and Harry reportedly met in 2007, when the rapper performed at the Concert for Diana, a tribute to Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana. Photos from the event show Harry posing alongside Diddy, Kanye West, and his brother, Prince William. A few years later, in 2012, Diddy told The Sun that he was hoping to hang out with Harry while in London. “I really can’t wait to get to the U.K. as London is one of my favorite cities. I’m also hoping I’ll get to catch up with Prince Harry while I’m there,” he said. “He’s such a cool guy and it’s about time we hung out. I need him to take me to some of those wild Mayfair clubs.”

In a statement to Peoplewhen the suit was first filed, Diddy’s lawyer Shawn Holley denied all of Jones’s allegations. “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies,” Holley said.

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