Gloria Estefan slams Diddy accuser's claim that he was tunneled from her home
Published in Entertainment News
NEW YORK — Gloria Estefan has denied the allegations that a man was tunneled from a home she owned in Miami Beach with husband Emilio Estefan Jr. to a nearby mansion owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs, where the alleged victim says he was drugged and sexually assaulted.
The Miami Sound Machine star, 67, “categorially [denies] each and every allegation about me and my husband” made by Manzaro Joseph, according to a letter written to a judge obtained by Us Weekly.
Joseph filed a lawsuit in April claiming he was taken through a tunnel from a party at Estefan’s former Star Island home to Diddy’s neighboring residence in 2015. There, he alleges he was drugged before the rapper and an unnamed woman directed others to subject him to “degrading and nonconsensual acts.”
Gloria Estefan says the home referred to in the lawsuit was one of several she and Emilio owned on Star Island at the time. She claims that from 2012 to 2019 it was occupied by relatives, who would have “no doubt” contacted the couple “had strangers appeared” there “after midnight.”
“No such thing happened. Particularly given the occupants of [the home], I know that no parties were thrown during that period,” wrote the “Conga” singer. “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 his lawsuit, Joseph alleged he entered the back of the Estefans’ home, which the Grammy winner said would have not possible due to security provisions. He also claimed that Gloria and her husband were there at the time, and that Emilio moved his wife away from the scene after she expressed concerns over Joseph’s impaired physical state.
Gloria said the timing of the lawsuit should be questioned, as it coincided with the release of two of her new songs, which were produced by Emilio.
Emilio, who was named a defendant in the suit, has similarly denied the allegations. The claims against him were dismissed in late July, though Joseph was given time to amend his complaint.
Diddy’s attorneys previously denied the accusations to TMZ, dismissing then as “depraved lengths plaintiffs will travel to garner headlines in pursuit of a payday.”
“[Diddy] looks forward to having his day in court where these lies — and the perverse motives of those who told them — will be revealed,” his lawyers said.
In early July, Combs was acquitted of federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges, for which he could have faced life behind bars, but was found guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He has been denied bail ahead of his sentencing on Oct. 3.
©2025 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Comments