Sean “Diddy” Combs (54) was arrested in New York on Monday evening (September 16). Several media outlets in the United States unanimously reported the news. According to the New York Times, a grand jury had previously indicted the rapper. The exact charges were initially unclear. Combs had been under investigation for several months on allegations of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Lawyer defends Combs: ‘He’s not a criminal’
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ that the 54-year-old was arrested by Homeland Security agents at a Midtown Manhattan hotel Monday evening and taken to the FBI’s Manhattan field office. Authorities had initially planned not to arrest Combs until Tuesday, but “something happened” that led federal agents to take him into custody sooner.
According to TMZ, U.S. Attorney Damien Williams said Combs was arrested in connection with a sealed indictment in the Southern District of New York. It is set to be unsealed on Tuesday. Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said in a statement: “We are disappointed in the U.S. Attorney’s decision to indict Mr. Combs, who we believe was wrongfully prosecuted. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, a self-made singer, an entrepreneur, a loving family man, and a trusted fiduciary and philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, loving his children, and advancing the Black community.”
He is “an imperfect human being,” but not a criminal. Combs has also “fully cooperated with this investigation” and voluntarily traveled to New York last week in anticipation of the indictment. “I ask that you withhold judgment until we know all the facts,” Agnifilo added. “This is the conduct of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
House search at the end of March
On March 25, authorities searched the music mogul’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami. Combs, also known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, was accused of soliciting and abusing women for sex in November 2023 by an ex-girlfriend. Then, in May, a shocking video from 2016 surfaced showing him assaulting her in a hotel hallway. The musician said he had “hit rock bottom” and that there was “no excuse” for his “inexcusable” behavior. He takes “full responsibility.” Following his ex-girlfriend, others have accused the rapper of sexual assault, even gang rape, and have reported sex parties where Combs allegedly drugged and abused women.
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