Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested after grand jury indictment in New York

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in Manhattan after a grand jury indicted the music mogul. diversity has confirmed.

Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo released a statement diversity about the rapper's arrest on Monday evening in New York. The charges were not immediately clear.

“We are disappointed in the U.S. Attorney's decision to pursue what we believe is an unjustified prosecution of Mr. Combs,” the statement said. “Sean 'Diddy' 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 not a perfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has fully cooperated with this investigation and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve judgment until you know all of the facts. These are the actions of an innocent man with nothing to hide and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Damian Williams, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, also issued a statement Monday. “This evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” he said. “We expect to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say then.”

Combs' arrest comes amid an ongoing federal investigation and a wave of lawsuits, most of which accuse him of sexual assault. Most recently, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard filed suit against Combs on September 10, alleging verbal abuse, battery, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In May, CNN released a 2016 video of Combs attacking his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura. The footage matches allegations made by Ventura in a lawsuit filed last November, describing an incident that occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. (The two parties reached a settlement in New York a day after the lawsuit was filed, on Nov. 16, 2023.)

Combs apologized for his behavior in the video, writing on Instagram, “It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you have to. I was devastated. I mean, I was at rock bottom. But I'm not making excuses. My behavior in that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. They are disgusting. I was disgusted when I did it and I still am now. I went and sought professional help. I went to therapy, to rehab. I had to ask God for his grace and mercy. I am so sorry, but I am committed to being a better person every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I am truly sorry.”

Since Ventura's case last November, several women have filed lawsuits against Combs. That same month, Combs was hit with a second lawsuit by Joi Dickerson-Neal, who claimed that Combs “drugged, sexually assaulted and abused” her and that she was the victim of “revenge porn” the rapper created and distributed. Then in December, a lawsuit filed by a Jane Doe alleged that Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall took turns raping her and her friends in Hall's apartment sometime between 1990 and 1991. Combs has denied the allegations made in those various lawsuits.

In March, the Department of Homeland Security raided Combs' properties in Miami and Los Angeles as part of a sex trafficking investigation. HSI confirmed the search and seizure in a statement: “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York took police action as part of an ongoing investigation with the assistance of HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.”

Combs' attorney Aaron Dyer issued a statement about the searches, calling them an “unprecedented ambush” and a “witch hunt.”

“Yesterday, there was a massive abuse of military force when search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs' residences,” Dyer said at the time. “There is no excuse for the excessive use of force and hostility by authorities or the manner in which his children and associates were treated. Mr. Combs was never arrested, but spoke and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor his family members were arrested, nor was their freedom of travel restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush — coupled with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a hasty judgment on Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on baseless allegations in civil suits. No criminal or civil liability has been established for any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every day to clear his name.”