Inside the Sean Combs Hotline: The Makings of a Mass Tort

In a large office filled with cubicles, workers wearing headsets read from their computer screens, speaking to callers who have dialed a 1-800 number. Each conversation follows a script:

“Were you or a loved one sexually abused by Sean ‘Love’ Combs, also known as Diddy, Puff Daddy, or P. Diddy?”

“If the incident took place at a party, please provide the party’s name. What kind of event was it?”

These employees work for Reciprocity Industries, a legal services firm based in Billings, Montana, more than 2,000 miles from the Brooklyn jail where Mr. Combs awaits trial on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges.

For years, the company has facilitated litigation by gathering complaints from individuals affected by natural disasters, harmful products, or abuse by clergy members. Now, it has become the central hub for processing sexual assault allegations against Mr. Combs.

Complaints arrive through phone calls or online submissions, often in response to advertisements on Facebook and Instagram. A widely covered press conference last October prominently displayed the hotline’s number in bold red digits, generating significant attention.

According to the company, it has received approximately 26,000 contacts, with hundreds of complaints deemed worthy of further review. Lead attorney Tony Buzbee, a well-known Houston litigator, has already filed nearly 40 lawsuits against Mr. Combs and anticipates more to follow.

In court filings, the plaintiffs describe harrowing abuse. Fifteen have accused Mr. Combs of rape, with three stating they were minors at the time. The narratives share common elements: a drink at a party, an unexplained sense of dizziness, and subsequent sexual assault. Initially, all lawsuits were filed anonymously.

One lawsuit alleges that Mr. Combs assaulted a woman in a hotel room in 2014, stating, “The plaintiff has experienced significant personal and emotional distress as a result.”

The lawsuits against Mr. Combs, who denies all allegations, fall under the category of mass tort litigation—cases in which numerous plaintiffs, often drawn in by advertisements, file claims against a single defendant.

This legal approach has long been controversial. Supporters argue that mass tort cases provide justice for victims of powerful individuals and institutions, such as former Boy Scouts who suffered abuse. Critics, however, claim that mass tort litigation can encourage dubious claims that are poorly vetted, overwhelming the court system and legal teams.

It may take months, or even years, for settlements, dismissals, or verdicts to determine whether Mr. Combs was a serial offender. Meanwhile, his legal team is already challenging the methods used to collect these cases.

“We are seeing a huge number of extremely questionable claims,” Mr. Combs’ attorney, Mark Cuccaro, stated during a hearing in January.

Mr. Combs maintains his innocence, having pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges. His lawyers argue that the sheer volume of lawsuits is not an indicator of guilt but rather an attempt by opportunists to extract financial settlements from a wealthy celebrity.

One lawsuit was withdrawn last month after the plaintiff, who had accused Mr. Combs and rapper Jay-Z of raping her at age 13, admitted to errors in her account during an NBC News interview. This led to a complex legal battle involving private investigators and courts across multiple states.

In another case, an anonymous man’s lawsuit against Mr. Combs was amended after inconsistencies surfaced in his interview with CNN, including discrepancies about the timeline of events.

Mr. Buzbee insists these inconsistencies do not undermine the validity of other claims. “Each case stands on its own merit,” he said.

The surge in sexual abuse-related mass tort cases has been fueled in part by new laws stemming from the #MeToo movement, which have allowed victims to file claims beyond the typical statute of limitations.

Reciprocity Industries did not enter the Combs case because victims approached them, according to Andrew Van Arsdale, the attorney overseeing the company. Instead, they became involved after noticing an explosive lawsuit filed by Mr. Combs’ former girlfriend—one that was settled almost immediately.

“Predators don’t harm just one person,” Mr. Van Arsdale stated. “They target many.”

Within days, his firm launched its first social media advertisement, encouraging people to come forward with any information regarding Mr. Combs.

The Evolution of Mass Torts

The legal landscape shifted dramatically in 1977 when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that restrictions on lawyer advertising violated the First Amendment. Soon after, attorney advertisements began appearing in newspapers and on television.

While direct solicitation of accident victims is generally prohibited, publicly advertising legal services—including targeting specific groups of potential plaintiffs—is allowed. However, these ads must not be misleading or false.

Although disciplinary action is rare, legal authorities do investigate ads if complaints arise.

Critics of mass tort litigation, often attorneys representing corporate defendants, have pushed for stricter regulations on legal advertising and third-party investors who finance large-scale lawsuits.

Over the past decade, mass-tort television advertising has averaged around $190 million annually, according to data analytics firm X Ante. But social media has now become the dominant platform for legal outreach.

“It’s much easier and faster to reach a vast audience,” said Karen Barth Menzies, a mass-tort attorney with decades of experience.

Unlike class-action lawsuits, which involve a few plaintiffs representing a larger group with nearly identical claims, mass torts consist of numerous individual lawsuits, each presenting its own specific facts against the same defendant.

Reciprocity, co-founded by Mr. Van Arsdale and a high school friend who is a software engineer, does not file lawsuits directly. Instead, it collects and assesses potential cases before passing them on to law firms, including Mr. Van Arsdale’s own separate practice.

Mr. Van Arsdale has worked in legal advertising since 2006, seeing his career as a mission to expand access to justice. He became a licensed attorney in 2018, and his first major case was the mass tort involving sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America.

To find potential plaintiffs, he and his colleagues launched television ads—but it took three weeks before the first victim responded. Over time, as more cases came in, he expanded his staff. Today, Reciprocity has approximately 70 employees answering calls around the clock, along with 30 additional staff members dedicated to case development.

In the Combs case, only three individuals initially responded to the firm’s first advertisement. “It wasn’t as big as we had anticipated,” Mr. Van Arsdale admitted.

But once Mr. Combs was indicted, a new wave of social media ads went out.

One ad featured an AI-generated image of Mr. Combs behind bars, accompanied by the message: “The world is watching P. Diddy’s case unfold. If you’ve been silenced, now is the time to find your voice.”

This time, the response was overwhelming.

About a week later, Mr. Buzbee reached out to Reciprocity. Years earlier, the firm had helped him with advertising for another mass-tort case.

A Lawyer with a Texas-Sized Reputation

Reaching Tony Buzbee’s office requires three elevator rides—to the 75th floor of the tallest building in Texas. Inside, shark-themed décor dominates: silver sculptures, shark-shaped doorknobs, even a shark tattoo on his forearm.

A well-known figure in Houston, Mr. Buzbee gained notoriety both for his high-profile cases and his flair for spectacle. A former Marine captain, he made headlines in 2017 by parking a World War II-era tank outside his home. On his Texas ranch, he keeps an exotic menagerie, including zebras and camels, which often attract curious onlookers.

Mr. Buzbee has built a career on high-stakes litigation, initially representing oil and gas workers before shifting to mass torts. He has won multi-million-dollar verdicts and recently secured settlements for more than two dozen women who accused NFL quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual misconduct.

When he first spoke to Mr. Van Arsdale about the Combs case last September, he was intrigued.

“I told him, ‘We’ve got some cases—I think this is real,’” Mr. Van Arsdale recalled.

Mr. Buzbee’s response?

“Well, let’s go. I’d love to work on those.”