Anthony Barksdale v. Sean Combs et al

In 1997, Anthony Barksdale, a respected barber in Harlem, New York, known to Sean Combs through haircuts and mutual friends, was invited by a security guard friend to a recording studio in New York City with Combs and another music scene friend. After arriving in a blue Mercedes, the group smoked marijuana and drank; the others left, leaving Barksdale alone with Combs. Barksdale fell asleep, possibly drugged, and awoke hours later with his pants and underwear down, his buttocks wet with what he believed was Combs’ semen, suggesting an attempted sodomy. Shocked and humiliated, Barksdale confronted Combs, who offered $1,000 to calm him; Barksdale took it and fled. Days later, he told the security friend, who acknowledged Combs’ bisexual tendencies. Over years, at public events, Barksdale challenged Combs, who paid him varying sums (hundreds to $3,000) to silence him, causing Barksdale lasting physical and emotional distress as a straight, married man.

Plaintiff seeks compensatory damages for physical injuries, emotional distress, psychological harm, anxiety, humiliation, pain and suffering, and other harms; punitive damages; attorneys’ fees and costs; pre- and post-judgment interest; attachment of Defendants’ real property and assets in New York; and any other relief deemed just and proper.