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On September 16, 2024, Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in New York by federal agents, and his indictment charges were released shortly after. According to NBC News, Combs was charged with three felony counts: racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The grand jury indictment was unsealed on September 17.
The news came amid the rapper and music producer’s legal woes, including a 2023 lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who claimed that he sexually assaulted her. Although he denied the claims and settled the case, Combs is under investigation by Homeland Security.
Find out more about Diddy’s legal troubles below.
Was Diddy Arrested?
Diddy was arrested on Sept. 16, and the charges against him were revealed when he was taken into custody on Tuesday, Sept. 17. According to court filings obtained by the outlet, he and his accomplices participated in “sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
The music mogul is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told reporters at the time of his arrest, “He came to New York to basically engage the court system and start the case, and it will start today, and he’s going to plead not guilty.” Agnifilo added, “He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers.”
Why Was Diddy’s House Raided?
BREAKING
Federal agents have raided the home of Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles.
TMZ is reporting they’ve also raided his home in Miami. pic.twitter.com/w6hwKiRLwe
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 25, 2024
Homeland Security did not publicly explain the reason behind its raid on Diddy’s home. However, the agency released a statement to multiple outlets about the incident.
“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,” Homeland Security explained in a statement, per CNN. “We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
According to NBC, a source told the outlet that “three women and a man have been interviewed by federal officials in Manhattan in relation to allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms.” The outlet also reported that Homeland Security and federal agents executed search warrants at Diddy’s L.A. and Miami properties. Following the raid, it was reported that law enforcement found firearms at both of the rapper’s residences.
What Did Diddy Do?
While the 2024 Homeland Security investigation is ongoing, Combs previously made headlines for multiple allegations of sexual assault in late 2023. That November, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Ventura filed a lawsuit against him in the Federal District Court in New York City for alleged rape and abuse.
According to court documents from Ventura’s lawsuit, she accused Combs of “beating her” and “forcing her to have sex” with “male prostitutes” while Diddy allegedly recorded the sexual “encounters.” At the time when Ventura and Combs began dating when she was 19 and he was in his 30s. The exes had an on and off relationship for several years.
In response to the claims, Combs defended himself in an Instagram statement—which now appears to have been deleted.
“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” he wrote. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick pay day. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
Diddy’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, also released a statement as well, denying the sexual assault allegations.
Shortly thereafter, Ventura and Combs settled the case that month. However, in December 2023, another woman came forward with accusations of sexual assault against Combs. She claimed that he raped her in 2003 when she was 17.
By early 2024, Diddy was facing five accusations of sexual assault.
Now, charges have been piling up. Diddy could be facing more than 100 new lawsuits just two weeks after his arrest by federal agents in New York. As recently as October 14, the embattled music mogul has been hit with six bombshell lawsuits filed in the Southern District of New York, accusing him of raping, drugging, sodomizing, and threatening to kill alleged victims. The incidents detailed in the complaints span from 1995 to 2021.
Among the accusers is a man who was 16 at the time of the alleged incident and a woman who was a 19-year-old college student when she alleges Combs raped her in a Manhattan hotel room in 2004. All of the alleged incidents occurred in New York City or the Hamptons, according to the suits. Two of the lawsuits include incidents alleged to have happened at Combs’ lavish Labor Day “White Parties” at his Hamptons property.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
