FAST DOWNLOAD
Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was the subject of a sex trafficking investigation and a pair of federal raids, was arrested Monday in Manhattan.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo confirmed the news to USA TODAY in a statement, saying, “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.”
The hip-hop mogul was taken into custody “based on a sealed indictment” filed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, SDNY announced on social media. While the specific charges were not disclosed, the indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday morning.
“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,” Agnifilo said.
“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 judgment 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.”
Combs’ arrest follows a spate of legal woes for the Bad Boy Records founder. He is facing multiple lawsuits filed in recent months claiming the music magnate raped or sexually assaulted several alleged victims over the past few decades. Combs has denied all accusations against him.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of sex assault by Danity Kane member, others leading up to arrest
Combs was dealt a double whammy in his ongoing litigation battles earlier this month when singer Dawn Richard and Michigan inmate Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith pursued legal action.
Richard, formerly of the Bad Boy Records girl group Danity Kane and trio Diddy Dirty Money, sued Combs on 21 counts of sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and copyright infringement in a lawsuit filed Sept. 10.
She claims the producer stole her work, withheld payment and subjected her to “inhumane” working conditions, which included assault, groping and false imprisonment, over the course of nearly a decade.
The day before Richard’s lawsuit was filed, Cardello-Smith was granted $100 million in a default civil suit judgment for an alleged 1997 sexual assault, which the convict sued for in June. In response, Combs filed a pair of emergency motions on Sept. 12 to dismiss the multimillion-dollar judgment, as well as a restraining order granted in the case.
Additionally, in May, two women who claimed to have been sexually abused by Combs in the mid-’90s and early 2000s both sued the rap mogul for the alleged assaults.
Why was Diddy arrested? Law enforcement raided homes in federal investigation
In March, two of Combs’ homes were reportedly searched by U.S. Homeland Security as part of a federal investigation.
Federal officials raided Combs’ Los Angeles home March 25, according to Rolling Stone and local Los Angeles news station Fox 11. Agents also searched the “Hello Good Morning” rapper’s Miami residence the same day, per reports from Rolling Stone, NBC News and The Associated Press.
When reached for comment regarding a case on Combs, a Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY at the time that “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.”
Per NBC News, the Los Angeles Times and the AP, the searches were part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation in New York. Several people have been interviewed by investigators about allegations against Combs regarding sex trafficking, sexual assault and other alleged offenses, according to NBC News and the AP.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyer calls home raids ‘a witch hun.t’
Aaron Dyer, a corporate investigations and white-collar defense lawyer for Combs, told USA TODAY March 26 that the music mogul is innocent and criticized the federal raid of his homes.
“There was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer said in a statement. “This unprecedented ambush – paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence – leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
Dyer added that none of the rapper’s family members were arrested during the raid.
Lawyer of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend applauds federal raids following lawsuit
Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, shared a statement March 25 after reports of the search warrant on Combs emerged.
In November 2023, Ventura filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Combs accusing him of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse. Combs and Ventura settled the suit for an undisclosed amount a day after the complaint was made.
“We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law,” Wigdor said. “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”