US rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested in New York | News

Charges against Combs not immediately clear, lawyer criticizes “unfair” prosecution.

American rapper and music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in New York after a grand jury indicted him.

The charges against Combs on Monday were not immediately clear.

“We expect to be able to unseal the indictment tomorrow morning and will have more to say then,” Damian Williams, attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.

Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo expressed his disappointment in a statement at the authorities' decision to initiate “unjustified proceedings” against the rap mogul.

“Combs is a music icon, a self-made entrepreneur, a loving family man and a proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and advocating for the advancement of the black community. He is an imperfect human being, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said.

“To Mr. Combs' credit, he has cooperated fully with this investigation and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve judgment until you know 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 March, federal authorities raided Combs' properties in Los Angeles and Miami.

Since November, when his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura sued him for alleged physical and sexual abuse, Combs has also been accused of sexual assault and misconduct by several women in a series of lawsuits.

Combs and Ventura reached a settlement with the Commission the day after the lawsuit was filed, without disclosing the terms of the agreement.

Combs has vehemently denied the allegations made against him and said his accusers were only interested in making “quick money.”

In May, Combs came under fire again when CNN aired a leaked video showing the rapper brutally grabbing, dragging and kicking Ventura in 2016.

Combs publicly apologized after the video was released, calling his behavior “inexcusable.”

Combs, who also performed under the names Puff Daddy and Love, became one of the most successful producers in rap history after founding Bad Boy in the early 1990s.

During his three-decade career, he has worked with a number of top artists, including The Notorious BIG, Mary J Blige, Faith Evans and Usher.

Combs also ventured into businesses outside of music, including a fashion label, a perfume brand and a line of alcoholic beverages.