Dawn became Diddy’s 'protégé' at 21. Years later, he entered her dressing room.

In 2004, Dawn Richard was 21 years old when she auditioned for an MTV talent show called Making The Band.

The show was overseen by Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who not only acted as the judge, but also the manager of the artists, and the winner would be signed to his record label, Bad Boy Records.

Alongside Aubrey O'Day, Shannon Bex, Wanita 'D. Woods' Woodgett and Aundrea Fimbres, Dawn won the show as a member of the short-lived girl group, Danity Kane.

The group went on to have a string of songs, including one big hit with 'Damaged', but they broke up after three years because Diddy fired several members and disbanded the group in 2009.

Watch the music video for 'Damaged'. Post continues after video.

Combs was only interested in continuing to work with one member: Dawn Richard.

The rapper formed a musical trio with Dawn and fellow R&B singer Kalenna Harper, which was titled Diddy – Dirty Money.

Years later, Dawn briefly tried to reform Danity Kane and by 2011, Dawn decided to leave Diddy's Bad Boy Records for good.

While Richard's bandmate, Aubrey, has long been open about her negative experiences with Diddy, who fired her from the group in 2008, we're only now starting to hear what Dawn claims she experienced.

Back in September, Richard filed a lawsuit against the music mogul, alleging he sexually assaulted her, and deprived her of food, sleep and adequate pay.

On the latest episode of DailyMail.com's podcast The Trial of Diddy, Richard's attorney, Lisa Bloom, said Richard only decided to come forward after she watched the footage showing Diddy assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

"All she wants to do is make music and be a musician. And yet, she found herself in the position — after Cassie Ventura came forward — of saying, 'I need to come forward too, in support of Cassie, and in support of others, to tell my own story'," Bloom said.

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In the lawsuit, Richard claims she saw her former boss assaulting Ventura, but she was also subjected to sexual, physical and psychological abuse herself too.

In one incident in Dawn's dressing room, she claims Diddy entered the room where he grabbed and groped her bare buttocks and breast area.

At another time, Richard alleged that Combs demanded her to strip down to her underwear, as he called her "lazy, fat, ugly and skinny" in front of people, including other producers, bodyguards and friends.

In Scotland in 2010, Richard alleged that, once again, Diddy made sexual advances towards her. Throughout her rising career as a young artist, Dawn accused Combs of manipulating her for years with empty promises he would boost her music career.

What she got in return, she claims, was not being paid for the work she did, along with not eating or sleeping because of the work schedule that Diddy designed.

Back in November, Bloom said that during these years, Dawn was "absolutely terrified" of the music mogul.

Diddy-Dirty Money appeared in New York in 2010. Dawn Richard stands on right. Image: Getty.

In an interview with the BBC's Newsnight, Bloom said Richard alleged that Combs "groped and grabbed her body parts, sexually assaulted her… [and] failed to pay her money that was promised to her" and when Richard tried to confront Combs about it, "she was threatened with more physical violence," Bloom stated.

"She said Sean Combs had a vicious temper and she was absolutely terrified of him ... [it was] just a really violent, tumultuous atmosphere."

Combs' has denied all allegations.

In response to Richard's lawsuit, Diddy's representatives claimed Richard was attempting "to rewrite history" and had created "a series of false claims all in the hoped to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour."

The rapper is currently being held in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center on sex trafficking, racketeering and prostitution-related charges.

Bloom said she looked forward to Combs having to answer for his alleged treatment of Richard in court.

"One of the biggest moments will be when I get to take Sean Combs' deposition, which will probably be in prison, and I'm very happy to go and take his deposition in prison," Bloom told the BBC.

"We'll see what he says about Dawn, and we'll see what his story is. We'll see whether it matches up with the documents and information and other witnesses. We'll see what he has to say for himself."

Feature image: Getty.