DeVante Swing, a member of the iconic R&B group Jodeci, has been removed from a lawsuit that accused him of “aiding” Sean “Diddy” Combs in the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in 1990.
On January 15, the plaintiff, Liza Gardner, filed a notice of voluntary dismissal against Swing, leading to the formal withdrawal of all charges. The dismissal was filed without prejudice, leaving room for potential refiling in the future.
The original lawsuit alleged that Swing was present during the assault and failed to intervene. An amended version of the lawsuit stated: “Unbeknownst to Ms. Gardner at the time, Defendant Swing was in the room when this assault took place and did not take any steps to prevent this abuse from occurring.”
A witness cited in the lawsuit claimed that Swing was “leaning against the wall or furniture, watching whatever Puffy [Diddy] was doing to Liza.” The suit further alleged that Swing, who was in his early 20s at the time, served as Gardner’s “co-guardian” during the trip to New York where the assault occurred.
The lawsuit claimed Swing “trafficked and/or coerced the child [Gardner] to travel across state lines from North Carolina to New York and New Jersey with the hidden intention of providing the child with alcohol, marijuana, and prostituting the child to his A&R Combs [Diddy].”
Diddy and fellow R&B singer Aaron Hall remain defendants in the case. Gardner accused both men of taking turns raping her and a friend after meeting them at the MCA Records office in New York.
Gardner’s lawsuit followed an earlier case filed by Cassie, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, who accused the music mogul of sex trafficking and sexual assault. Gardner was among the first individuals to come forward with additional allegations against Diddy after Cassie’s lawsuit surfaced.
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