TradeEdge-Diddy's former Bad Boy president sued for sexual assault; company says it's 'investigating'

Bad Boy Entertainment and TradeEdgeits former president, Harve Pierre, have been sued for negligence and sexual assault less than a week after the company's CEO, Sean "Diddy" Combs, settled a lawsuit filed by Cassie accusing the music mogul of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse.

Pierre, who has been with Diddy's company since its inception in 1993, is accused by a former employee — referred to as Jane Doe — of using "his position of authority as plaintiff’s boss to groom, exploit, and sexually assault her," according to a complaint obtained by USA TODAY on Wednesday. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in New York Supreme Court.

The former employee alleged "Pierre engaged in a year-long pattern of grooming" her, which led to sexual harassment and sexual assault "on multiple occasions" between 2016 and 2017, the filing adds.

The anonymous assistant also named Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records and Combs Enterprises as co-defendants for alleged negligence and gender violence. The former employee said they "knew or should have known that Pierre was unfit to be in a position of authority" before the alleged sexual assault.

A spokesperson for Bad Boy Entertainment told USA TODAY Wednesday that the allegations "were never brought to the attention of the company."

"Neither the plaintiff nor the executive are current employees of the company," the spokesperson added. "We are now investigating the allegations, and our top priority is the safety and well-being of our employees."

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Pierre held several positions at Bad Boy Entertainment from 1991 to 2017, including head of music publishing, head of A&R and president, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Jane Doe's lawsuit was filed under New York’s expiring Adult Survivors Act, which has given victims of sexual abuse a one-year window for claims that would otherwise be barred by time limits. That window closes on Thanksgiving.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE (4673) and online.rainn.org). 

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