Who is Gloria Allred and who has she represented? Attorney files lawsuit against Diddy as alleged victim recounts ordeal

Esteemed attorney Gloria Allred is representing Thalia Graves, the latest plaintiff to file a s*xual assault lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs. On Tuesday, Gloria submitted the 26-page complaint in New York federal court on Thalia’s behalf, where the music mogul’s former bodyguard Joseph Sherman is also accused of the alleged assault.

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of assault. Readers' discretion is advised.

In a press conference held on September 24, Thalia was seen breaking down in tears as Gloria read out the complaint. Gloria, 83, has dealt with several high-profile cases and is regarded for advocating for women's rights. Her work has been recognized by the National Women's Hall of Fame.

According to Gloria Allred's official website, she initially pursued English in her Bachelor at the University of Pennsylvania and finished her Master of Arts degree from New York University. Gloria went on to earn her Juris Doctor cum laude from Los Angeles' Loyola University School of Law.

Gloria is also recognized as a co-founder of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg law firm, founded in 1976. Michael Maroko and Nathan Goldberg, her classmates from Loyola are the other founding partners of the establishment. She is also the founder and the current president of the non-profit Women’s Equal Rights Legal Defense and Education Fund.

Among Gloria Allred's many clients in high-profile celebrity cases, she has represented multiple women accusers of Bill Cosby, Rachel Uchitel in Tiger Woods' case, Amber Frey in the murder trial of Laci Peterson against Scott Peterson, and Nicole Brown Simpson's family in her murder trial against O.J. Simpson. One of her recent cases from last year involved NBA player Josh Giddey, where she represented a minor girl's family with whom the athlete had an alleged illicit relationship.

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"We are asking for justice for Thalia" — Gloria Allred demands at press conference

Thalia Graves’ lawsuit arrived a week after Diddy was taken into custody by federal agents on charges of racketeering, s*x trafficking, and transportation to engage in pr*stitution.

The victim, who claimed to have dated one of Diddy’s employees at Bad Boy Records, alleged the mogul lured her to the studio in New York in 2001. Thalia said Joseph Sherman, who was Diddy’s head bodyguard at the time supposedly spiked her drink that made her unconscious.

When she gained consciousness, Thalia allegedly found herself without any clothes with her hands tied behind her back. Gloria Allred’s client complained that Diddy and Joseph repeatedly r*ped and physically abused her after that.

Thalia said during the press conference that she was in the midst of a divorce, with a young child at the time, which, along with Diddy and Joseph’s threats prevented her from reporting the r*pe. In a broken voice, Thalia said:

"The internal pain after being s*xually assaulted has been incredibly deep and hard to put into words. It goes beyond just physical harm caused by enduring episode."

She continued that the "emotional scar" of the incident never ceases to "follow" the victim. Thalia shed light on the "shame and guilt" that came with the alleged assault and how it has affected her ability to lead a normal life:

"Being blamed, questioned and threatened has often made me feel worthless, isolated and sometimes responsible for what happened to me."

Thalia Graves said she did not receive emotional support from her family after experiencing the alleged assault while struggling with depression, anxiety attacks, and PTSD.

In 2023, Thalia came to learn from her former boyfriend that Diddy and Joseph had video footage of the alleged r*pe and they have forwarded it to multiple individuals over the years along with selling it as adult content.

Thalia's attorney, Gloria Allred said at the press conference:

"We are asking for justice for Thalia. She has suffered years of emotional and physical pain due to the heinous acts allegedly committed against her."

Upon being asked whether or not she watched the alleged video, Gloria Allred responded:

"I have not seen the video, nor do I wish to view it. It’s a violation that should never have existed."

Thalia Graves becomes the 11th individual to sue Diddy on s*x crime accusation — a string of complaints that began emerging since the record executive’s ex Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit last November.