The lawyer says there could be 300 potential cases against Didi

A lawyer representing several alleged victims of Sean “Diddy” Combs says the potential number of civil legal cases against the musician is “probably in the 300 range.”

Tony Buzbee told the BBC that his team had received about 3,000 phone calls since he held a customer contact press conference in October.

Already, 20 lawsuits have been filed by men and women seeking damages from the musician. He says the final total “realistically” will be “about 100 to 150.” Others won't make it to court because the deadline to file claims has expired in some states.

Combs denied all charges against him, calling the accusations “disgusting” and the result of people looking for a “quick payday.”

His lawyers described the multiple civil suits, including claims from 300 potential victims, as part of a “reckless media circus.”

They said Buzbee's press conference, and the establishment of a toll-free phone number to receive reports, were “clear attempts to gain publicity.”

In a statement to the BBC, his lawyer Erica Wolfe said: “Mr Combs has complete confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.”

“In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs did not sexually assault or traffic anyone — man or woman, adult or minor.”

The musician is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Manhattan, awaiting trial on separate criminal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, which he also denies.

Buzbee, whose practice is based in Houston, is a huge figure in American legal circles, and was once described by the New York Times as “a big, mean, ambitious, stubborn, infuriating Texas lawyer.”

A former Marine and TV host, he made his name in a lawsuit against energy giant BP after an explosion at an oil refinery in Texas City killed 15 people. He successfully defended former Texas Governor Rick Perry against allegations of abuse of power.

Most recently, he helped a large group of women reach out-of-court settlements with American football player Deshaun Watson over allegations that he sexually assaulted them during private massage sessions.

His collaboration with Combs began last year — after his co-counsel Andrew Van Arsdale, who previously represented hundreds of victims in a sexual assault lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America, began receiving calls about the star.

“I think he was a little overwhelmed and realized this might be more than he could handle (on his own),” Buzbee says.

After agreeing to help, Buzbee asked potential victims to come forward via an Instagram post. In the next 10 days, he estimates his team received 3,000 calls.

The claims were vetted by a team of lawyers and former law enforcement officials, who landed on a list of clients who had “viable, thoroughly vetted, and eventually filed cases,” he says.

“We still get (calls) every day,” he added. “I think (the number of) potential cases is probably in the 300 range, but I think realistically it will ultimately be around 100 to 150.”

The alleged victims include approximately equal numbers of men and women; Her charges extend back 20 years.

They include a woman who alleges that Mr. Combs raped her in a hotel room in 2004 when she was a 19-year-old college student; A young aspiring musician claims the musician drugged him and forced him to perform oral sex when he was 10 years old.

Mr Combs' lawyers denied the accusations, saying in a statement to the BBC that he “did not sexually assault any person, whether adult or minor, man or woman”.

The lawsuits have so far been filed anonymously, with the alleged victims referred to in court documents as John Doe or Jane Doe.

However, Mr Combs' lawyers have asked the courts to reveal their identities so that he can adequately prepare for any potential trial.

In three cases so far, including the 19-year-old woman's case, the judge has ruled that they will have to reveal their names so their claims can go forward.

“This happens a lot,” Buzbee told the BBC. “If the plaintiff is forced to reveal their identity, Mr. Combs hopes they will leave quietly and never file suit again.

“The good news is that's not going to happen. This is something I've vetted for…so if they're forced to reveal their identity, they'll reveal their identity, and we'll move forward.”

Mr. Buzbee added that he had taken similar action in the Deshaun Watson case, where several women publicly attached their names to lawsuits after a challenge from the athlete's attorney.

One lawsuit has received particular attention because it alleges that other celebrities were involved in Mr. Combs' alleged crimes.

The case, which was filed in New York in October, involves a 13-year-old girl who claims she became disoriented and dizzy after accepting a drink at one of Mr. Combs' parties.

Shortly after, she claimed a man, originally identified as “Celebrity A” stripped her and raped her, while Mr Combs and a woman called “Celebrity B” looked on.

Sunday, The plaintiff has updated the lawsuit To identify the first celebrity as rap legend Jay-Z.

In a lengthy statement, Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, called the allegations “ridiculous” and accused Mr. Buzbee of trying to blackmail him by threatening to reveal his name.

He added: “My heart and support go out to the real victims in the world, who have to watch their life story be dressed up for profit by an ambulance chaser in a cheap suit.”

The musician had previously filed an anonymous lawsuit in Los Angeles, accusing Mr. Buzbee of trying to blackmail him “shamelessly.”

Buzbee responded by saying that the “frivolous” lawsuit was a “last ditch effort” to prevent Carter's name from being published.

“I am a US Marine,” he wrote in a statement on Instagram. “I will not be silenced or intimidated. Nor will my clients.”

Mr. Combs' legal team also denied the allegations, and said the racketeering charge against Mr. Buzbee “reveals the barrage of lawsuits he has filed… for what they are: shambolic publicity stunts, designed to extract money from celebrities who fear lies will be spread about them, just as they have been spread.” “Lies about Mr. Combs.”

This back and forth has fueled speculation that more high-profile music industry figures will be caught up in the upcoming trials.

Speaking to the BBC, Buzbee described this possibility as “very likely.”

“If you just look at the alleged behavior, it's all over the place,” he says. “A culture has been created, a partisan culture, where everything goes.”

“There was a general feeling that he (Mr. Combs) was above the law, and that he could do what he wanted, when he wanted, with whomever he wanted.”

Social media has seen a wave of speculation linking people to Mr Combs' alleged crimes, based on little more than photos of business parties in the 1990s and 2000s.

Needless to say, there is no evidence to support these claims.

There were also widely discredited forgeries, including a biography purported to be written by Mr. Combs' late partner, Kim Porter; And a viral song in which Justin Bieber allegedly sang “I Lost Myself at a Diddy Concert.” The latter turned out to be a fake created by artificial intelligence.

Mr. Combs' lawyers said the number of “false and outrageous” allegations made by “government agents, plaintiffs' attorneys and others with questionable motives” could be “perceived as prejudicial to potential jurors.”

Mr. Buzbee disagrees.

He told the BBC: “It is clear that people who come to court as jurors do not come out of nowhere.”

“They read the press, they know what's going on, but I think most people are willing to say: Let's judge this claim on its merits. What's the evidence and what's the defense?”

Ultimately, Mr. Buzbee's clients may face a long wait for their cases to be heard in court.

Jenny von Cannon, a former federal prosecutor with experience in sex trafficking and racketeering cases, says the criminal trial against Combs must end before the civil lawsuits can move forward.

“That's because the Fifth Amendment gives you the right to remain silent,” she told the BBC.

“So you have to start the criminal case first, because if you make statements in civil cases in order to defend yourself, you will probably incriminate yourself.”

The BBC has learned that grand jury hearings in Mr Combs' criminal trial have continued since he was charged in September.

Some of the alleged victims who are suing him in civil court are believed to have testified at these hearings. VonCannon says the government could easily amend their case as a result.

“There is a school of thought that no investigation is ever perfect,” she says.

“The government appears to still be actively working on discovery, so it is possible that it could supersede (replace or amend) the indictment, and even add more defendants.”

The criminal trial is currently scheduled to begin in May 2025.