Music industry titan Sean Combs, also known as “Diddy,” recently found his residences in Los Angeles and Miami under federal scrutiny. The high-profile raids relate to an ongoing investigation into sex trafficking allegations against the mogul.
On a Monday afternoon, federal Homeland Security Investigations agents, alongside other law enforcement officials, descended upon Combs’ properties. Images and videos of the event quickly flooded the internet.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations in New York confirmed that they had executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation. As per multiple news outlets, it appears Combs is the subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation, with the warrant originating from the Southern District of New York.
Combs’s legal representative, Aaron Dyer, vehemently refuted the allegations. In a statement released on Tuesday, Dyer dubbed the searches at Combs’ residences as “a gross use of military-level force.” He defended Combs, asserting his innocence and pledging to fight to clear his name.
Federal authorities seized Combs’s phones before he was scheduled to travel to the Bahamas. Meanwhile, images surfaced of Combs at Miami’s Opa-Locka Airport the same afternoon. However, it remains unclear whether he proceeded with his travel plans.
Footage from outside Combs’s Los Angeles mansion showed two men, later identified as Justin and Christian “King” Combs (his sons), being detained. Federal officials interviewed five individuals about allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and the distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms. Three additional interviews are planned.
In November, Cassie, a singer and model who had a decade-long relationship with Combs, filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape, abuse, and sex trafficking. Combs denied these claims, and the lawsuit was subsequently settled. However, this sparked a wave of similar lawsuits from three other women in the Southern District of New York. Combs maintains his innocence.
Combs has a history of legal issues. In 1999, he faced charges of harassment following an assault on Interscope Records executive Steve Stoute. The same year, Combs and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were embroiled in a shooting incident at a New York City nightclub, leading to weapons and bribery charges. However, Combs was acquitted.
Combs stepped down as chairman of media network Revolt following the allegations. Furthermore, Hulu scrapped a planned reality series about his family.
Attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represents Cassie and a Jane Doe accuser, expressed support for law enforcement in their pursuit of justice. Similarly, Attorney Tyrone Blackburn, who represents two other accusers, welcomed the developments, stating, “Sometimes justice delayed is not justice denied, so long as justice ultimately arrives.”
