Police search Sean 'Diddy' Combs' properties as part of sex ...
March 26, 2024 — 9.04am
New York: Two properties belonging to rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were searched on Monday by federal Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement as part of an ongoing sex-trafficking investigation, two law enforcement officials have told The Associated Press.
The officials said the searches were connected to a sex-trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York. It’s not clear whether Combs was the target of the investigation. The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Diddy, 54, is an American rapper, producer and record executive. Born as Sean Combs, he rose to fame in the 1990s under the alias Puff Daddy. He has since become one of the most influential hip-hop producers in history, going by many names, including P. Diddy and Puffy. In 2017 he announced his new preferred monikers: “Love” or “Brother Love”.
Combs is best known for hits like Victory, Show Me Your Soul and the Grammy-award winning I’ll Be Missing You, which he co-produced with Faith Evans and R&B group 112 as a tribute to Evans’ late husband, the Notorious B.I.G. after his murder in 1997. He collaborated with a wide range of top-tier musicians, including Lenny Kravitz, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Ginuwine, and Christina Aguilera.
Music mogul and entrepreneur Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas in 2022.Credit: AP
Over his career, he has been credited with establishing an entertainment empire, largely propelled by his record label Bad Boy Records, which he founded in 1993. The label has signed major artists, including Notorious B.I.G. (aka Biggie Smalls), as well as Boyz n da Hood, Mary J. Blige and Machine Gun Kelly.
Beyond music, Combs created the fashion clothing line Sean John, launched the Revolt TV channel with a focus on music, and produced the reality show Making the Band for MTV.
What are the allegations against him?There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months.
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie (Cassandra Ventura), sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
Two properties belonging to Combs were searched by law enforcement agents as part of an ongoing sex-trafficking investigation.Credit: AP
Four other people accused Combs of assault following Ventura’s lawsuit. The first was Liza Gardner, who filed a suit on November 23 that alleged the rapper had sexually assaulted her and her friend in 1990.
The second was filed on the same day by Joi Dickerson-Neal, who alleged that in 1991 she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs while on a date with him. She claimed Combs recorded the assault to use as revenge porn.
Another lawsuit was filed on December 6 by an unidentified woman. It alleged she was gang-raped by Combs and two other men at the rapper’s Manhattan recording studio in 2003. She was only 17 at the time. The complaint alleged they flew Doe on a private jet from Michigan to New York, where the men plied her with drugs and alcohol.
An aerial view of one of Combs’ LA homes during a federal law enforcement raid.Credit: MEGA/GC Image
The latest lawsuit was filed in February by a male music producer, who alleged Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies”.
Combs had said in a November statement: “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.” He also posted a statement on Instagram in December, further denying the claims.
“Enough is enough,” he wrote. “For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
In late November, Combs temporarily stepped down as chairman of his media company Revolt. Capital Prep Harlem, a charter school he established in 2016, also announced it would end its partnership with him.
AP with Nell Geraets
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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