Federal agents raided two properties owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday. It is related to an ongoing investigation into sex trafficking, according to the Associated Press.
What just happened?
On Monday afternoon, videos and images were released showing federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations and other law enforcement agencies searching the music mogul's properties in Los Angeles and Miami.
A representative for Combs, who was accused of sex trafficking by his ex-girlfriend Cassie and Jane Doe late last year, has not commented. The New York Department of Homeland Security Investigations told Yahoo Entertainment that it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation.” Law enforcement sources told multiple media outlets that Combs is the subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation. The order comes from the Southern District of New York.
Investigators seized the phones of Combs, who also goes by the name Puff Daddy, in Miami before the Bad Boy Records executive was scheduled to travel to the Bahamas, law enforcement sources told NBC News. Combs was photographed walking through Miami's Opa-Locka Airport on Monday afternoon. It is unclear if he made the trip.
Footage from outside Combs' Los Angeles mansion showed men, later identified as Justin and Christian “King” Combs, two of the rapper's sons, being detained outside the house.
Federal officials interviewed four women and one man in connection with allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms, according to Rolling Stone. Interviews are planned with three other people.
Attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie and a Jane Doe accuser, said in a statement to the outlet: “We will always support law enforcement as they seek to prosecute those who have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs accountable for his depraved conduct.”
Attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who represents two other Combs accusers, music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones and Liza Gardner, also issued a statement to Rolling Stone, saying, “It's about time. Sometimes justice delayed is not justice denied, as long as it finally arrives.”
How did we end up here?
In November, singer, model and actress Cassie, who was romantically involved with Combs for more than a decade, filed an explosive lawsuit against him, alleging rape, abuse and sex trafficking. She denied the accusations. A day later, the exes settled the lawsuit, which was filed in New York under the New York Adult Survivors Act. The terms were not disclosed.
That opened the floodgates. Three other women filed lawsuits against Combs in the Southern District of New York alleging they were sexually assaulted by the “I'll Be Missing You” singer. Two of the women said they were teenagers at the time. One allegation involved gang rape. Diddy denied the allegations in a statement, insisting that he “did not do any of the horrible things alleged.”
In February, Jones, a producer who worked for Combs from 2022 to 2023, sued him, alleging that Combs sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him. Jones claimed to have witnessed Combs and others “engage in serious illegal activity” while living and traveling with the superstar. Combs called it “pure fiction.”
As a result of the allegations, Diddy, a father of seven, resigned as president of the Revolt media network. Hulu abandoned plans for a reality series about his family.
Combs' previous legal problems
Combs has had run-ins with authorities in the past. In 1999, he was arrested for assaulting Interscope Records executive Steve Stoute about a music video. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of harassment and was sentenced to a day of anger management.
The same year, Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were arrested after fleeing a New York City nightclub where a shooting took place. A gun was found in the car and Combs faced weapons and bribery charges, but was acquitted.
