Diddy’s former bodyguard Joe Sherman vows to take drastic action after being accused of drugging and raping woman in 2001
Diddy’s former bodyguard vowed to take legal action to clear his name after he was accused of raping a woman in the early 2000s.
Joseph Sherman demanded that authorities investigate Thalia Graves, the Texas woman who named him and Combs in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in New York.
“This is completely untrue and I am having my lawyers file a defamation case against this lady,” Sherman told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Graves alleged in her lawsuit filed Tuesday that she was violently raped by Combs and Sherman at the Bad Boy Records studio in New York in the summer of 2001 at age 25.
She claimed the disgraced mogul and Sherman lured her to the studio and gave her a drink that was “probably laced with a drug,” causing her to pass out.
Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman said he plans to sue Thalia Graves, a Texas woman who has filed a lawsuit against him and Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging she was sexually assaulted by both men at Bad Boy’s New York recording studio in the summer of 2001.
Thalia Graves became emotional during a press conference at her attorney Gloria Allred’s law office in Los Angeles on September 24, 2024. She claims she has suffered for years from the trauma of the alleged rape by Diddy and the sexual assault by Sherman
When she woke up, Graves claimed she was tied up and restrained.
“Combs raped her mercilessly, anally and vaginally,” the complaint said. “Sherman violently beat plaintiff [Graves] on a table, hit her and repeatedly pushed his penis into her mouth. Both men were not deterred by Plaintiff’s cries for help during the attack.’
Sherman, known as “Big Joe,” denied the allegations, saying Graves had been direct messaging him on his social media for at least five months.
The former bodyguard said Graves initially asked him to testify against Diddy in her ongoing lawsuit, but that her messages became more threatening when he refused to comply with her demands.
“I am also filing a defamation lawsuit against everyone she mentioned in the Instagram DMs she sent me,” he told DailyMail.com. “And I am also calling on anyone who is trying to push this to destroy my name. Again, I did not work for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2001.”
Big Joe (left) parties with rapper Cam’ron, Diddy and Huddy at the Zac Posen afterparty during Olympus Fashion Week in 2005
Sherman said Graves’ lawsuit against him and his former employer, Diddy, is a “money grab” and that he is being seen as a “scapegoat” for the serious criminal charges the rapper faces in a New York federal court.
However, photos from 2005 emerged showing Sherman and Diddy together at parties.
On his social media, Sherman shared photos of himself partying with some of the biggest stars of the 1990s, including Mariah Carey, Jay Z, Bruce Willis and the late singer Aaliyah.
Graves alleged in her lawsuit that the trauma of the rape “came back” after her ex-boyfriend, who worked with Diddy, told her in November 2023 that the rapper and the security guard had filmed the rape.
According to Graves, a group of men viewed the gruesome video footage at the Bad Boy studio in New York.
Graves said she was lured to the Bad Boy Records studio in New York, where she was allegedly brutally raped. She claims Combs and Sherman recorded the rape and showed the video footage to others
Graves’ attorney Gloria Allred said at a news conference in Los Angeles that her client has been experiencing “flashbacks, nightmares and intrusive thoughts” since the rape.
“I have a hard time trusting others to build healthy relationships or feel secure in my own skin,” Graves said through tears as she read a prepared statement Tuesday.
She added that her suffering is “a pain that cuts deep into your being and leaves emotional scars that may never fully heal.”
Sherman founded the magazine Rhymes N Dimes, a pornographic magazine also named in Thalia Graves’ complaint
During his career in the music industry, Sherman said he was close to several celebrities. He is pictured here with the late R&B star, Aaliyah
She is the 11th person to publicly accuse Diddy of sexual abuse since he was indicted on racketeering and sex trafficking charges last week.
Sherman maintains his innocence, telling DailyMail.com that he is a father of four daughters and a “publisher” who makes his money in real estate.
He founded the pornographic magazine Rhymes N Dimes. His social media posts included reminiscences of his life alongside Diddy and other celebrities.
Sherman claims that in 2000, he cut ties with Diddy and went to work for the Diplomats, a Harlem hip-hop group originally consisting of Cam’ron, Jim Jones and Freekey Zeke.
The former bodyguard said he is “willing to take a lie detector test” to prove his innocence.
“Because I’m a black man, they’re using me as a pawn and a scapegoat for things that I have nothing to do with,” Sherman said.
“Once the public sees my side of the story and sees my lyrics, they’re going to see what this lady is doing because I had nothing to do with it. I’m going to file a lawsuit because yes, this has hurt my family and my friends.”
When asked to respond to Sherman’s claims that Graves targeted him, Allred told DailyMail.com: “The complaint speaks for itself. Our client looks forward to her day in court.”