Sean Diddy Combs is facing charges of extortion, trafficking, and coercing women into prostitution, just hours after his arrest in New York.
The Manhattan arrest follows investigations conducted at two of his properties in Los Angeles and Miami in March as part of a “trafficking investigation.”
Unsealed documents reveal that Diddy and his employees used the resources and influence of his various businesses to commit crimes such as sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice. pic.twitter.com/7jf6O2W8Xd
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 17, 2024
According to the BBC, the 14-page indictment against the rapper alleges that he has been involved in verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse of women, and reportedly used his fame to control his victims.
The indictment states that he “manipulated women and secured their participation, among other things, by obtaining and distributing drugs to them, controlling their careers, leveraging his financial comfort, and threatening to withdraw all these privileges if they did not comply with his wishes, using intimidation and violence.”
Additionally, he is accused of forcing several women into prostitution between 2009 and 2018. Specifically, it is alleged that he knowingly “recruited, enticed, held, transported, provided, acquired, advertised, maintained, protected, and encouraged” an unnamed victim to engage in sexual acts for monetary gain.
Prosecutors claim that he did this while being aware that the unnamed victim had endured “violence, fraud, and coercion,” and they have ordered the seizure of all of the rapper’s assets. This includes any property, funds, or companies controlled and operated by Diddy.
The indictment also alleges that Diddy has attacked women by “hitting, punching, dragging, throwing objects, and kicking them.”
“The attacks described in the indictment were known from witnesses and, in one case, were recorded on video and later reported publicly, referring seemingly to the video of Combs attacking his former partner Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura in a California hotel,” the indictment states.
BREAKING: Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested Monday night in New York City by federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations, multiple sources told ABC News. https://t.co/dhdvowH4IA pic.twitter.com/mwTtGJd8Fv
— ABC News (@ABC) September 17, 2024
“When a hotel security staff member intervened, Combs attempted to bribe the staff member to ensure their silence,” the indictment adds.
The indictment also claims that the abuse extended beyond these women to his employees, witnesses, and others.
The musician has faced a series of allegations ranging from sexual assault to abuse, including from his former partner Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura. He has denied all claims against him.
His arrest is related to an investigation conducted by U.S. Homeland Security officials, according to multiple law enforcement sources cited by CBS.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams confirmed the arrest in a statement on Monday evening.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been arrested in New York City. The music mogul was taken into custody following a grand jury’s indictment: https://t.co/SNV5MUtoGC pic.twitter.com/QmkXtzKjTa
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 17, 2024
“Earlier tonight, federal agents arrested Sean Combs based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” the prosecutor said. He noted that the office plans to unseal the indictment on Tuesday morning and “will have more to say at that time.”
Combs faces a range of civil lawsuits, including claims that he raped a minor girl and attempted to coerce a producer into having sex with another man.
His attorney stated on Monday evening that Mr. Combs looks forward to “clearing his name in court.”
“We are disappointed with the decision to bring what we believe to be an unjust prosecution,” said Mr. Agnifilo in a written statement to the BBC. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a musical icon, self-made entrepreneur, beloved family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, cherishing his children, and working to uplift the Black community.”
The rapper’s legal troubles began in November 2023, when Cassie Ventura filed her lawsuit.
Two other women filed lawsuits the same week alleging abuse and assault—one of whom said Mr. Combs had choked her until she lost consciousness.
He denied all the claims at the time, and a representative of the rapper referred to the lawsuits as “money grabs.”
In December, another civil suit claimed that a woman was a victim of “sexual trafficking” by Mr. Combs and two other men when she was 17 years old. In February of this year, new allegations emerged in a civil suit filed by former producer Rodney Jones Jr., who claimed that Mr. Combs made unwanted sexual advances and tried to coerce him into having sex with others.
Combs denied the allegations, but a month later, his properties were raided. The musician was stopped at a Miami airport as he was preparing to leave for the Bahamas and handed over electronic devices to authorities.
Many of the lawsuits were filed just before the expiration of New York’s statute of limitations for adult survivors, which temporarily allowed individuals who claimed to have been sexually abused to file lawsuits even after the statute of limitations had expired.
In May, footage from surveillance cameras released by CNN appeared to show the rap mogul attacking and hitting Ventura, an incident documented in her civil suit.
