Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was taken into custody in New York City.

Hip-hop entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is embroiled in controversy, was taken into custody in New York City on vague federal allegations, federal authorities confirmed to CBS, the US partner of the BBC.

Authorities conducted raids on two of his houses in Miami and Los Angeles in March as part of an “ongoing investigation” into sex trafficking, which led to his arrest in Manhattan. Marc Agnifilo, the attorney for Mr. Combs, stated that his client was an “innocent man” and that they were “disappointed” by the arrest.

Many accusations, including those of abuse and sexual assault by his former partner Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, have been made against the artist. He has refuted every accusation made against him. What is known about Diddy’s alleged offenses?

Several law enforcement sources informed CBS that his arrest was related to an ongoing investigation by US homeland security officials.

Damian Williams, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, verified the arrest in a statement on Monday evening. “Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” said the prosecutor.

He stated that we “will have more to say at that time” when the office unveils the indictment on Tuesday morning. Combs is the target of several legal cases, with claims that he attempted to “groom” a producer and force him to have sex with another man, as well as that he sexually assaulted a minor.

“Clearing his name in court” was what Mr. Combs was looking forward to, according to his attorney on Monday night. In a letter to the BBC, Mr. Agnifilo stated, “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe to be an unjust prosecution.”

“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a self-made entrepreneur, music icon, devoted family man, and established philanthropist who has dedicated the last thirty years to the development of his empire, the love of his children, and the advancement of the Black community.” When Ms. Ventura filed her complaint in November 2023, the rapper’s legal issues started. That same week, two more women filed claims, one of whom said Mr. Combs had choked her so badly she had passed out. The other woman claimed abuse and assault.

At the time, a representative for the rapper referred to the lawsuits as a “money grab,” and he refuted all of the accusations. Then, in December, a second civil suit claimed that, at the age of seventeen, a lady had been “sex trafficked” by Mr. Combs and two other males.

New allegations surfaced in February of this year in a civil case brought by his former producer Rodney Jones Jr., who claimed that Mr. Combs attempted to “groom” him into having sex with other people and made unwanted sexual approaches.

Although Mr. Combs refuted the accusations, his residences were raided a month later. As he was getting ready to leave for the Bahamas, the singer was detained at a Miami airport and had to turn over devices to the police.

A large number of the complaints were filed just before the New York Adult Survivors Act expired, which gave victims of sexual assault a temporary window of time to file lawsuits—even after the statute of limitations had passed.

The rap mogul allegedly attacked and assaulted Ms. Ventura in May, according to CCTV evidence that CNN posted. This incident was included in Ms. Ventura’s civil lawsuit.

Mr. Combs is one of the most successful moguls in the rap industry. He has also gone by the names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love.

Source: BBC