Sean “Diddy” Combs was indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering on Tuesday, September 17, following his arrest one day prior.
The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, accuses the music mogul, 54, of abusing, threatening and coercing women for years “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.” Some of the allegations listed date back to 2009.
The indictment continues: “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”
Diddy was arrested on Monday, September 16, and taken into custody in Manhattan after a grand jury indicted him, according to The New York Times. The arrest came amid a string of sexual assault lawsuits and a federal investigation.
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“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo told Us Weekly in a statement after the arrest. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
Agnifilo added, “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy has faced a series of allegations since last November when his ex-girlfriend Cassie filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of rape, assault and repeated physical abuse throughout their relationship. The duo dated off and on from 2007 to 2018.
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Diddy denied Cassie’s allegations, and one day later, she dropped the suit. Her attorney Douglas Wigdor told Us at the time that she and Diddy had “amicably” settled the case.
Earlier this year, however, their relationship made headlines again when a video resurfaced that showed Diddy assaulting Cassie in 2016. The rapper apologized for his actions in a video shared via Instagram.
“It’s difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, sometimes you gotta do that,” he said in May. “I was f—ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted.”
The rapper continued, “I went and sought out professional help. I’ve been going to therapy, going to rehab. Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry, but I’m committed to being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Two months prior, Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided in connection with a sex trafficking investigation.
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“Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners,” Homeland Security told Us in a statement in March. “We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
More recently, Diddy was ordered to pay a $100 million default judgment from a civil lawsuit filed by a Michigan inmate who accused him of sexual assault. The default judgment, which was reached after Diddy failed to appear for a virtual hearing on September 9, came after Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith alleged in a lawsuit that the rapper drugged and sexually assaulted him at a 1997 party in Detroit.
Diddy’s lawyer later slammed the judgment and claimed his client had “never heard” of Cardello-Smith. According to court documents obtained by Us on Thursday, September 12, Diddy then filed an emergency motion to vacate the judgment, as well as dissolve a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction.
