The music mogul has been under mounting scrutiny since a 2023 lawsuit by his former girlfriend, Cassie, accused him of sex trafficking and years of abuse. Mr. Combs’s representatives called him an “innocent man.”
Sean Combs, the music mogul whose career has been disrupted by sexual assault lawsuits and a federal investigation, was arrested at a Manhattan hotel on Monday evening following a grand jury indictment.
While the indictment remains sealed and the charges undisclosed, Marc Agnifilo, Mr. Combs’s attorney, indicated that he is likely facing charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
In a statement, Mr. Combs’s legal team expressed disappointment with the decision to prosecute, emphasizing his cooperation with the investigation and noting that he had “voluntarily relocated to New York last week in preparation for these charges.”
The statement described Sean “Diddy” Combs as a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, devoted family man, and dedicated philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, cherishing his children, and supporting the Black community. “He is not a perfect person, but he is not a criminal.”
Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated on social media late Monday that “we plan to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will provide more information at that time.”
Mr. Agnifilo mentioned that Mr. Combs was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations officers around 8:30 p.m. at the Park Hyatt New York on 57th Street, where he was staying. He is expected to be held overnight and arraigned on Tuesday.
At 54, Mr. Combs is the most prominent figure in the music industry to face criminal charges related to sexual misconduct since R. Kelly, who, after trials in New York and Chicago, was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for child sex crimes, sex trafficking, and racketeering.
Known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, Mr. Combs was instrumental in the global rise of hip-hop as a commercial powerhouse during the 1990s and 2000s, launching the careers of artists like the Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige. However, he has been under significant public scrutiny since last November, when former girlfriend Casandra Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of years of sexual and physical abuse.
Mr. Combs settled the lawsuit with Ms. Ventura — an R&B singer known as Cassie, who had been signed to his record label — in a single day, denying any wrongdoing. However, legal pressure intensified over the following nine months, with five women filing lawsuits alleging sexual assault, along with three additional sexual misconduct suits, all of which Mr. Combs’s lawyers are contesting in court.
Mr. Combs’s legal team stated, “these are the actions of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he is eager to clear his name in court.”
In March, federal agents raided Mr. Combs’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, stopping him at a Miami-area airport and seizing his electronic devices. While no announcements were made at the time, a federal official indicated the investigation was partly focused on human trafficking. By then, federal prosecutors in New York had interviewed several witnesses regarding sexual misconduct allegations against Mr. Combs, according to a source familiar with the interviews.
Mr. Combs has strongly denied the allegations in the civil suits, describing them as “sickening claims” from individuals seeking “a quick payday.” His lawyers have condemned the raids, in which Homeland Security Investigations agents brandished firearms, calling it a “gross overuse of military-level force.”
However, the defiant stance softened after CNN released hotel surveillance footage in May showing Mr. Combs physically assaulting and kicking Ms. Ventura in 2016. In response, Mr. Combs posted an apology video on social media, admitting his behavior was “inexcusable” and revealing he had sought professional help.
A prolific producer and talented impresario, Mr. Combs played a key role in bringing hip-hop into the mainstream with his record label, Bad Boy Entertainment. He also crafted a bold, larger-than-life media persona, hosting celebrity-packed parties and leading the popular MTV reality competition show “Making the Band” in the mid-2000s. Additionally, he built a successful brand portfolio that included fashion, liquor, and the cable TV network, Revolt.
For decades, Mr. Combs has faced accusations of violence, though this marks the first time he has been subject to such an extensive investigation into his conduct over several years. In 2001, he was involved in a widely publicized trial for a nightclub shooting but was acquitted of gun and bribery charges.
In recent years, he adopted a new persona, asking people to call him Love, naming his youngest daughter Love, and releasing his first solo album in 17 years, titled *The Love Album: Off the Grid*, independently under a new label, Love Records.
Last year, Mr. Combs was receiving positive attention for that album and his long career in music when Ms. Ventura filed a lawsuit with detailed and disturbing allegations spanning over a decade. Her complaint included accusations of sex trafficking and claimed Mr. Combs forced her to engage in sexual acts with male prostitutes, instructing her to use websites and escort services to arrange drug-fueled encounters he referred to as “freak offs.”
Mr. Combs chose to settle only Ms. Ventura’s lawsuit, while his legal team continues to fight the other claims in court, portraying the allegations as fabricated stories intended to secure settlements.
In court documents, his lawyers argued that a lawsuit accusing him of participating in a gang rape in 2003 had “irreparably damaged” his reputation based on “baseless, uncorroborated allegations.” And when a male music producer filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Combs of making unwanted sexual advances, a lawyer for Mr. Combs called the plaintiff a “liar” and dismissed the claims as “pure fiction” designed to attract media attention.
Since the lawsuits were filed, much of Mr. Combs’s brand portfolio has unraveled.
He sold his stake in Revolt and his share of DeLeón tequila, a joint venture with the spirits giant Diageo. Additionally, a New York charter school network ended its partnership with him.
Earlier this month, Mr. Combs’s mansion in the exclusive Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, where federal agents conducted a raid in March, was put on the market for $61.5 million.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, prosecutors have increasingly used sex trafficking laws to pursue sexual assault allegations in federal court. Mr. Kelly’s first conviction was based on racketeering and violations of an anti-sex-trafficking statute known as the Mann Act.
Homeland Security Investigations, which frequently handles sex trafficking cases, led the investigation into Mr. Combs. The March raids were widely publicized, with television news footage showing agents at Mr. Combs’s Los Angeles estate seizing electronic devices; the mother of one of his sons later shared footage of agents pointing guns at Justin and Christian Combs while they were detained inside their father’s home.
Since then, federal prosecutors have remained quiet, discreetly issuing subpoenas to potential witnesses as they built their case against Mr. Combs.
