Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested by federal authorities in New York on September 16 after nearly a year of legal drama culminated in the rapper and music mogul being indicted by a grand jury. The indictment was unsealed on September 17 and paints a fuller picture of Combs' alleged criminal network.
The chain of events accelerated in November 2023, when Diddy's longtime girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit detailing the physical and sexual abuse she allegedly endured throughout their relationship. The lawsuit was settled the next day, but for the “I'll Be Missing You” MC, that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Who has filed a lawsuit against Diddy so far?
In the year before Diddy’s federal arrest, the rapper faced legal lawsuits from a series of alleged victims. In November 2023, after Cassie settled her case, two more women came forward with accusations of physical and sexual abuse and forced drugging in the 1990s, just one day before New York’s Adult Survivors Act expired. Diddy’s lawyers denied the allegations.
In December 2023, another woman filed a separate lawsuit alleging that Diddy and two other men raped her in 2003 after she was drugged and alcohol-impaired and unable to consent. Diddy vehemently denied the allegations in a growing avalanche of lawsuits on Instagram the same day. “I did none of the horrible things alleged,” he said in the post. “I will fight for my name, my family, and the truth.”
In February 2024, a music producer filed a lawsuit against Diddy, alleging that Combs sexually assaulted her and forced her to have sex with prostitutes. This was just one of the potentially illegal activities she said she witnessed. In response, Diddy's lawyer called the allegations “complete fiction.”
When footage of an attack on Cassie emerged earlier this year, Diddy took “full responsibility” in a remorseful video on Instagram. “It’s so hard to think back to the darkest times of your life, but sometimes you have to,” he said. “F-…
In September 2024, just days before Diddy was captured by federal authorities, singer Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit recounting years of physical and psychological abuse and first-hand accounts of Diddy's abuse of Cassie. Richard was a member of the girl group Danity Kane, which was featured on Diddy's MTV reality show Establishment of the GroupDiddy's representatives said Richard “attempted to rewrite history” by “manufacturing a series of false claims” and acted “in hopes of getting a payday to coincide with his album release and press tour.”
Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused of Rape and Abuse in Lawsuit Filed by Singer Cassie
When did federal authorities raid Diddy's homes?
In the early morning hours of March 25, 2024, investigators with the Department of Homeland Security executed search warrants and raided Diddy's homes in Los Angeles and Miami. This was in connection with a sex trafficking investigation and was not related to the legal cases, although Diddy's attorneys alleged that the moves were related.
The next day, Diddy's attorney described the raids as “an extreme use of military-level force” and emphasized that Diddy “is innocent and will continue to fight to prove his innocence.”
What charges does Diddy face in federal investigation?
The federal indictment, unsealed on September 17, lists charges alleging sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, soliciting and encouraging prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice since 2008.
Diddy is currently facing charges of sex trafficking, promoting prostitution, and facilitating prostitution.
How did prosecutors define the alleged crimes?
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams described the alleged “frenzy” to reporters, detailing drug- and alcohol-fueled sexual escapades that were filmed for blackmail purposes. These incidents have also been recounted in similar civil lawsuits.
“Combs allegedly planned and controlled what he called 'maddening' sex acts and often electronically recorded them,” Williams told reporters. NBC News“These 'frenzies' sometimes lasted for days, involved numerous commercial sex workers, and frequently involved the use of various narcotics, including ketamine, ecstasy, and GHB, which Combs distributed to keep the victims compliant and compliant.”
What did Diddy say about the allegations?
Diddy has denied all charges in all lawsuits filed against him over the past year.
His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, spoke to reporters outside Manhattan federal court on September 17 after his client's arrest.
“He came to New York basically to engage with the court system and start the case, and he's going to start today and plead not guilty,” Agnifilo said. “He's going to fight this with all his energy, with all his strength and with the full confidence of his attorneys.”
How much prison time does Diddy face?
The Bad Boy Entertainment boss could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted on all three charges in the indictment.