Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested in New York, says music mogul's lawyer | Sean “Diddy” Combs

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in Manhattan and faces charges in federal court, the music mogul’s lawyer told US media.

The New York Times reported that the arrest came after a grand jury indicted him, citing a person familiar with the charges who was not authorized to speak publicly.

Details of the charges were not immediately released by prosecutors, but Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, issued a statement saying: “We are disappointed by the U.S. Attorney's decision to pursue what we believe is an unjustified prosecution of Mr. Combs.”

He added that Combs traveled to New York last week to await arraignment.

“He is an imperfect human being, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said.

The federal investigation into Combs was uncovered when Department of Homeland Security agents simultaneously executed search warrants and raided Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25.

A day after the raids, his defense attorney Aaron Dyer called them “a gross use of military force,” said the allegations were “baseless” and that Combs was “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name.

Since then, his career has been marred by sexual harassment lawsuits and a federal investigation.

Combs was once one of the most successful rappers in the US, with a string of hits including the US number one singles Can't Nobody Hold Me Down, I'll Be Missing You and Shake Ya Tailfeather. His label Bad Boy Records featured well-known artists such as Notorious BIG and Mase, and he also enjoyed success with other ventures such as the Sean John clothing brand and the Cîroc vodka brand.

But his reputation has been damaged since the allegations, which he denies. In recent weeks, New York City Mayor Eric Adams demanded that Combs return the ceremonial key to the city that was awarded to him in September 2023. Howard University stripped Combs of an honorary doctorate, ended a scholarship program in his name and returned a $1 million donation.

Last November, his former protégé and girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual abuse.

In her November lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Her lawsuit also alleged that Combs engaged in sex trafficking by “forcing her to perform coercive sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions” and “harboring and transporting the plaintiff for the purposes of sex induced by force, fraud or coercion.” It also said he forced her to help him traffic male sex workers, with whom Combs forced Cassie to have sex while he filmed.

The case was settled the next day, but the aftermath lasted much longer. In May, CNN aired a leaked video of him punching, kicking, and throwing Cassie to the ground in a hotel hallway.

Combs released an apology video, saying, “I was disgusted when I did it” and “I'm disgusted now.” Cassie's lawsuit was followed by at least half a dozen more in the months that followed.

In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit claiming Combs forced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Another of Combs' accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

Combs and his lawyers denied the allegations.

While authorities did not publicly state that the lawsuits triggered the criminal investigation, Dyer stated in serving the warrants that the case was based on “baseless allegations in civil litigation.”

Last week, a man who accused Combs of sexual abuse won a $100 million settlement after the music producer failed to contest the allegations in civil court in Michigan.

A lawyer for Combs denied in a statement that his client knew plaintiff Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith. Attorney Marc Agnifilo said Cardello-Smith committed “judicial fraud” and that Combs “hopes to have this judgment overturned quickly.”