As legal troubles continue to mount for Diddy, one high-profile figure has stepped in to defend her family. Music legend Gloria Estefan is speaking out after her husband, Emilio Estefan Jr., was named in a civil lawsuit related to Diddy’s ongoing legal drama.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this year by Manzaro Joseph, who claims he was sexually assaulted by Diddy at a 2015 party. Joseph’s filing also includes accusations that implicate Emilio Estefan Jr., prompting Gloria Estefan to submit a formal declaration refuting the claims and defending her husband’s name.
In court documents filed last week, Gloria firmly denied any connection to the alleged incident. She specifically addressed the claim that Joseph was taken through a tunnel from the Estefans’ home and subjected to inappropriate behavior involving Diddy.
“No such thing happened. Particularly given the occupants of [the home],” Gloria stated in the declaration, noting that relatives were living in the home at the time. “I know that no parties were thrown during that time period.”
She also disputed the tunnel claim, stating, “At no time was there ever any ‘tunnel’ between the two houses, at least not while we owned [that home], and based on many years of experience with the City of Miami Beach, I believe this fact could have been easily verified through the public records of the City of Miami Beach.”
In her statement, Gloria also discussed how the timing of the lawsuit’s publicity negatively impacted the release of her recent music; two songs produced by Emilio Estefan.
“The time period in which this suit was filed was, therefore, crucial for the planned marketing and promotion of not only the two songs, but the Album itself. The negative publicity, which persists, thwarted our marketing and promotional efforts, no doubt causing significant financial harm in lost sales,” she said.
Meanwhile, Diddy, who was found guilty last month on two counts of transportation for prostitution, awaits sentencing in October. He was acquitted of the more serious federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering after a two-month trial. He still faces multiple civil lawsuits related to other allegations.