US Rapper “DIDDY” Arrested By Feds In NYC After Grand Jury Indictment—-Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been arrested and taken into federal custody following Homeland Security’s raids on his homes in Beverly Hills, California, and Miami, Florida, in March.
Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs found himself in the grip of federal agents last night as he was taken into custody in Manhattan, New York. Following Homeland Security’s swoop on the hip-hop tycoon’s plush pads in Beverly Hills and Miami earlier this year, the dramatic arrest unfolded.
It’s believed that Diddy was arrested late Monday while staying in a hotel. These raids come in the wake of sexual litigation against him, starting with a claim made by his former flame Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in November 2023.
Spearheaded by the Southern District of New York, investigators have been examining evidence with a grand jury and hearing testimonies from those making accusations in recent times. In mid-summer, NBC reported that a grand jury was investigating evidence linked to a probe into sex trafficking and racketeering charges pointed at Diddy.
Representing P Diddy, barrister Marc Agnifilo expressed to 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,” reports the Mirror.
“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 hit by raids on March 25 when police swooped in with a search warrant. Reports suggest they seized the music mogul’s phones after cornering him at Miami-Opa Locka airport.
One of Diddy’s legal representatives, Aaron Dyer, slammed the raids as a “gross overuse of military-level force” and branded it a “witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits,” Rolling Stone reports.
Details on Diddy’s arrest are scant with the indictment under wraps, but the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams tweeted that details could soon be revealed.
Tweeting from the official US Attorney SDNY handle, Mr Williams stated: “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, once known as Puff Daddy and a key figure in the 90s East Coast-West Coast hip-hop rivalry, was Notorious B. I.G. ‘s partner and producer until B.I. G. ‘s murder in 1997. Over time, Combs’ image mellowed into that of a suave party host in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a stylish entrepreneur, and a loving father, especially after the mother of some of his children passed away in 2018.
However, this persona was challenged in November when his ex-girlfriend and former protege, RandB singer Cassie, filed a lawsuit against him. She accused him of sexual abuse, including claims of a constant presence of sex workers in drug-laden environments where some were allegedly pressured into sexual acts.
Cassie’s lawsuit from November details years of alleged abuse, such as beatings and rape. The suit accuses Combs of sex trafficking by “requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and alleges he was involved in “harbouring and transportation of Plaintiff for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.”
Furthermore, it claims he forced her to assist in trafficking male sex workers for sexual acts with her, which he would record.
The suit was swiftly settled the next day; however, the impact of it resonated well beyond. After CNN broadcasted a leaked video showing Combs assaulting Cassie in a hotel hallway in May, any remaining goodwill and support for him quickly evaporated.
Acknowledgeing his actions publicly for the first time since accusations started piling up, Combs issued an apology on social media the following day, admitting: “I was disgusted when I did it” and “I’m disgusted now.”
The incident with Cassie set off a cascade of at least six more lawsuits in the months that followed.