Crystal McKinney’s marriage collapsed and she faced a nervous breakdown after meeting Sean “Diddy” Combs, who she claims was The latest shocking lawsuit against the fallen tycoon is that she was sexually assaulted at a Men’s Fashion Week event in 2003.
After seeing other victims come forward, McKinney’s attorney, Michelle A. Keola, claims she found the courage to tell the truth and take Dee Dee to court.
“McKinney is a woman of faith who knew she had a moral obligation to speak out when she saw news reports of the lawsuit filed by Ms. Cassie Ventura, Ms. Dixon-Neal and others. The plaintiffs in She prayed to God before filing the lawsuit because she feared Combs would suffer further violence and/or retaliation, but ultimately decided she needed to tell the truth,” Keola explained.
McKinney is well-known in the modeling industry for her appearances on MTV’s “Total Request Live,” “Fashionically Loud” and “True Life.” Her promising modeling prospects even landed her in international shows in Germany and Australia.
But her invitation to New York Men’s Fashion Week led to a series of events that she claims derailed her life.
At just 22 years old, McKinney traveled from Miami to New York at the urging of a fashion designer and crafted her look to impress Diddy.
McKinney, wearing a chic black fur coat, a semi-sheer chiffon V-cut shirt and jeweled jeans, met Didi in downtown Cipriani.
At the designer’s insistence, she sat directly across from Diddy and spent a night filled with suggestive remarks and heavy drinking.
In what appeared to be an innocent attempt online, the “Bad Boy” boss allegedly promised to advance McKinney’s career and even gave her his phone number.
Night was falling when she arrived at his studio with Didi and his entourage.
McKinney recalled feeling unusually intoxicated as he was surrounded by men passing around marijuana and alcohol, and later suspected the marijuana had been tied up.
McKinney was forced into the bathroom and described how he assaulted her, subdued her and forced her to perform non-consensual acts.
Hours later, she woke up in a taxi, terrified and disoriented, realizing the gravity of what had happened.
After the incident, McKinney’s career prospects dimmed. She believes Diddy used his influence to blacklist her from the industry.
McKinney struggled with depression and anxiety, attempted suicide in 2004 and was hospitalized. Her trauma was inevitable, exacerbated by Diddy’s omnipresence in the media.
The emotional fallout affected every aspect of her life, including the breakdown of her marriage in 2010.
McKinney sees ongoing depression, substance abuse and intimacy issues as lasting scars from that night in 2003.
