Sean “Diddy” Combs, the rap mogul whose popularity has plummeted following a slew of s*x trafficking allegations and assault cases, was apprehended by federal investigators in Manhattan late Monday, a US federal court announced.
Damian Williams, the attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that the arrest was a result of a sealed indictment filed by his office.
“We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time,” he said, without providing further details of the charges.
Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, told AFP that Combs had willingly relocated to New York in anticipation of the charges.
Combs’ lawyer stated that the team is “disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office.”
The rapper is the subject of multiple legal cases, which describe him as a violent s*xual predator who used drink and narcotics to subdue his victims.
In March, federal investigators raided his properties in a hugely publicized bicoastal operation, indicating a federal investigation and potential criminal prosecution against Combs.
Armed officers raided his expansive luxury mansions in Miami and Los Angeles, precipitating the quick demise of the strong music business figure who has recently sought to recast himself as “Brother Love.”
His legal team stated on Monday that Combs was “cooperative with this investigation” and “looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Bombshell suit
The singer, also known as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, was widely regarded as a significant figure in hip hop’s transition from the streets to the bottle service club.
He has earned great money over the decades, thanks in large part to his operations in the liquor market.
Despite his efforts to portray himself as a slick party leader and business genius, a slew of lawsuits accuse Combs of being a violent man who exploited his reputation to exploit women.
The musician has refuted all allegations against him.
He has no serious convictions, but claims of physical violence date back to the 1990s.
Late last year, the floodgates opened as singer Cassie, real name Casandra Ventura, claimed Combs subjected her to over a decade of physical force and drugs, as well as a 2018 r*pe.
The couple met when Ventura was 19 and he was 37, after which he signed her to his label and they started dating.
The shocking lawsuit was immediately resolved out of court, but a slew of other heinous s*xual assault accusations followed, including one in December by a woman who claimed Combs and others gang-r*ped her when she was 17.
In May, disturbing security video surfaced showing Combs brutally abusing his then-girlfriend Ventura, corroborating charges she made in the now-settled case.
Global fame with dark shadow
Sean John Combs was born in Harlem on November 4, 1969, and began his career as an intern at Uptown Records in 1990, eventually rising to the position of talent director.
He developed a reputation as a party planner, which became fundamental to his brand as his renown grew.
In 1991, he arranged a celebrity basketball game and concert at City College of New York, which resulted in nine deaths due to a stampede.
The event was thousands of times over capacity, prompting a slew of lawsuits, with Combs being blamed for employing insufficient security.
He was sacked from Uptown and started his own company, Bad Boy Records.
Thus began his rapid rise to the pinnacle of East Coast hip hop, with his protégé, the late Notorious B.I.G.
Combs had a number of notable signed acts and production collaborations with artists such as Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil’ Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey, and Boyz II Men.
He was also a Grammy-winning rapper, having made his debut with the number-one single “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and the album “No Way Out.”
He established himself as a boisterous hustler with unrepentant swagger, a prominent producer who also dabbled in Hollywood, reality television, and fashion, and had high-profile love relationships with celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez.
However, a dark past of violence and serious wrongdoing has long dogged his reputation, and it now appears to be eclipsing it.
