Hip hop star Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs was arrested last night and taken into federal custody in New York. The arrest follows Homeland Security’s raids on the music mogul’s homes in Beverly Hills, California, and Miami, Florida, back in March, the Mirror reports.
The raids were launched in response to sexual lawsuits filed against him, the first of which was lodged by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in November 2023.
It is understood Diddy was arrested late on Monday night in a hotel where he was staying.
The Southern District of New York is leading the investigation, the Mirror US reports. A grand jury has been hearing testimony from accusers over recent months.
In July, NBC reported that a grand jury was examining evidence related to an investigation into sex trafficking and racketeering allegations against Diddy.
A representative for P Diddy, lawyer Marc Agnifilo, told The Mirror.com: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office”.
“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community.”
“He is an imperfect person, but he Is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgement until you have all the facts”.
“These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy’s homes in Florida and California were raided on March 25 when federal agents executed a search warrant. It is believed they seized the rapper’s phones after law enforcement rolled up on him at Miami-Opa Locka airport. One of Diddy’s attorney’s Aaron Dyer labelled the raids as a “gross overuse of military-level force” and a “witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits,” according to Rolling Stone.
Although there is little information available regarding the precise details of Diddy’s arrest due to the indictment being sealed, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, has claimed in a Twitter post that that would soon change.
On the official Twitter account for the US Attorney SDNY, Mr Williams wrote: “Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”
Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, was at the centre of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s as the partner and producer of the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997.
But like many of those who survived the era, his public image had softened with age into a genteel host of parties in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a fashion-forward businessman, and a doting father who spoiled his kids, some of whom lost their mother in 2018.
But a different image began emerging in November, when his former protege and girlfriend, the RandB singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for what she alleges was sexual abuse, with alleged stories of a steady stream of sex workers in drug-fueled settings where some of those involved were allegedly coerced or cajoled into sex.
In her November lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Her suit also alleged Combs engaged in sex trafficking by “requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and by engaging in “harbouring and transportation of Plaintiff for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”
It also alleged he compelled her to help him traffic male sex workers Combs would force Cassie to have sex with while he filmed.
The suit was settled the following day, but its reverberations would last far longer. Combs lost lingering allies, supporters and those reserving judgement when CNN in May aired a leaked video of him punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her on the floor in a hotel hallway.
The following day, in his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the stream of allegations began, Combs posted a social media video apologising, saying:”I was disgusted when I did it” and “I’m disgusted now.” Cassie’s lawsuit was followed by at least a half-dozen others in the ensuing months.