Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in Manhattan after a grand jury indicted the music mogul, diverse And he confirmed.
Combs' attorney, Mark Agnifilo, shared a statement with diverse Monday about the arrest of the rapper in New York. The charges were not immediately clear.
“We are disappointed in the decision by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute Mr. Combs, as we believe. Sean “Diddy” Combs is a music icon, a self-made entrepreneur, a family man, and a philanthropist who has spent the past 30 years building an empire, doting on his children, and working to uplift the black community. He is imperfect, but he is not a criminal. Thankfully, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and voluntarily moved to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the actions of an innocent man who has nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
In May, CNN released a 2016 video showing Combs attacking his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura. The footage matches allegations in a lawsuit Ventura filed in November, which describes an incident at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
Combs apologized for his behavior in the video, saying on Instagram: “It’s so hard to think back on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you have to. I was in a bad place. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I’m not making any excuses. My behavior in that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. It’s disgusting. I felt disgusted when I did it, and I feel disgusted now. I went and sought professional help. I went to therapy, I went to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry, but I’m committed to being a better man every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
The Department of Homeland Security raided Combs' properties in Miami and Los Angeles in March, and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the search and seizure in a statement: “Homeland Security Investigations New York conducted law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles, Homeland Security Investigations Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, issued a statement on the searches, calling them an “unprecedented ambush” and a “witch hunt.”
“Yesterday, we witnessed an excessive use of military force during the execution of search warrants at Mr. Combs’ residence,” Dyer said at the time. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility shown by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never arrested, and he spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members were arrested or restricted in any way from traveling. This unprecedented ambush — coupled with an advanced and coordinated media presence — leads to a rush to judgment against Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on baseless accusations in civil lawsuits. There has been no criminal or civil outcome in any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every day to clear his name.”
Combs has been the subject of multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault in the past year. On November 16, 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit in New York accusing Combs of raping and beating her throughout their relationship. The two sides reached a settlement the next day.
Combs was hit with a second lawsuit in November by Joy Dickerson Neal, who alleged that Combs “drugged, sexually assaulted and abused” her and that she was the victim of “revenge porn” created and distributed by the rapper.
In December, a woman filed an additional lawsuit alleging that Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall took turns raping her and her friends at Hall's apartment sometime between 1990 and 1991.
