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Austrian journalist Kathi Steininger recently opened up about her experience with Diddy in an interview on a TV magazine program, Treffpunkt Österreich. In the interview that was aired on June 2, 2025, Steininger claimed that she was raped by Combs in March 2000, which is about 25 years ago.
Trigger warning: The article contains references to rape. Reader discretion is advised.
Kathi was only 19 years old when the alleged incident happened. According to the journalist, the incident took place on March 28, 2000, after Diddy had just performed at Vienna's Libro Music Hall. As an aspiring journalist at the time, Kathi Steininger landed an interview with Combs, which was scheduled to happen at Olympia P9, according to reports by the German magazine Stern.
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At some point during the interview, she got separated from the rest of her crew, including her cameraman as well as the producer. Combs' bodyguards allegedly told her that the party was too loud for an interview and escorted her to a tour bus. According to Kathi, Diddy offered her a drink there, which she now believes had been spiked. As per EFE, Steininger stated that she started getting dizzy after the drinks and that this was when Combs raped her.
She claimed that she was too weak and vulnerable at the time to move or retaliate. For the unversed, Kathi Steininger is an Austrian journalist whose career kickstarted in the 2000s. She gained fame as the presenter on Spotlights, a show that aired on Austria 9 TV at the time.
Her career later ended after the station shut down in 2012. According to Stern, she decided to step away entirely from her television career following some break-in incidents she experienced. Later in 2021, she went through a divorce and then ended up switching her career path. Kathi became a trained fitness trainer as well as promoted a diet product, according to Stern. She currently resides in Vienna with her two sons.
Kathi Steininger was ready to testify against Diddy in the ongoing trial, but was dismissed
44-year-old Kathi Steininger revealed that she made the decision to break her anonymity after she failed to take the stand in Diddy's federal trial. According to Kathi, she was set to testify in the trial, but her story was beyond the statute of limitations, since the incident took place out of the country.
She continued by claiming that the harrowing experience with Combs left her with PTSD, making it tough for her to work. Kathi had reportedly contacted several lawyers in Austria to press charges against the rapper. It was, however, considered outside the statute of limitations since the alleged incident happened a long time ago.
However, the state attorneys had told her that they would look into it on the basis of the outcome of Diddy's current trial. Talking about the rapper, Kathi Steininger said:
"I want some kind of punishment for what he did to me."
Steininger is one in the list of multiple people who had accused Combs of allegedly raping and drugging them on separate occasions. Meanwhile, Combs' attorney denied the accusations on his behalf. He had also denied the allegations made in the ongoing trial. However, if convicted, the rapper could face up to life in prison.
