Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been accused of raping TV reporter Kathi Steininger as she tried to secure an interview
The 55-year-old music artist is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, to which Combs has denied all allegations against him.
His trial began last month in New York, with his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and Kid Cudi among those who have taken the stand so far.
Austrian present Steininger has claimed in an interview that she was raped by the rapper when she was 19 years old.
She organised an on-camera interview with Combs in March 2000 following his show at Vienna’s Libro Music Hall, she told PULS 24, claiming that during the chat she was separated from her cameraman and handed a drink by Combs.
She alleges the drink was drugged, and that her next memory from the event was being in the back of a tour bus being raped by the musician.
‘There was 100 percent something in it,’ she told the publication. ‘I would never have gone to bed with that man.’
Steininger claims she could not move or cry for help, and after the alleged attack, she felt too ‘ashamed’ to tell anyone about her experience. She also said that the attack left her unable to work and with post-traumatic stress disorder.
‘You should hold those who did this to you accountable. Others should be ashamed,’ she said.
She alleges she was going to take the stand as part of his ongoing trial, but that, as her claims are outside of the statute of limitations and they were not in the US, she could not.
The publication reports that a spokeswoman for the Vienna public prosecutor’s office said whether there will be investigations against Combs in Austria will be dependent on the outcome of his current trial in the US.
It comes after Combs was threatened with being removed from the courtroom yesterday after he ‘vigorously nodded’ at jurors.
Multiple outlets reported that he has been threatened with expulsion from the court for seemingly attempting to ‘interact’ with jurors.
Speaking to Comb’s attorney, the judge Subramanian said in court: ‘Mr Agnifilo, your client was looking at jurors and nodding vigorously.
‘This can’t continue, or I will give a limiting instruction you won’t like, or other measures, including barring your client from the courtroom. Do you understand?’
Defence attorney Marc Agnifilo told the judge that it would not happen again.
The judge then added: ‘There should be no efforts whatsoever to have an interaction with this jury.’
This comes just days after a screaming woman was removed from the trial after an explicit outburst.
Metro has contacted representatives for Sean Combs for comment.
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