Renowned U.S. rapper and media mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been indicted on serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, following a protracted period of legal scrutiny.
The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, mere hours after Homeland Security Investigations agents took the 54-year-old Combs into custody at the Park Hyatt New York hotel.
The federal charges come in the wake of numerous allegations, including a high-profile lawsuit filed by Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s former girlfriend. Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit accused Combs of rape, abuse, and human trafficking throughout their decade-long relationship.
The suit characterized Combs as a “serial domestic abuser,” alleging frequent assaults that left Ventura with visible injuries. Though the case was settled out of court shortly after its filing, Combs has denied the allegations, calling them “offensive and outrageous” and accusing Ventura of extortion.
In addition to Ventura’s claims, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer for Combs, has brought forward a separate lawsuit alleging that the rapper sexually harassed, drugged, and threatened him over an extended period.
The charges against Diddy are further complicated by a recent default judgment in Michigan, where an inmate was awarded $100 million in a sexual assault lawsuit against the rapper. Public scrutiny has also intensified following the resurfacing of a 2016 video earlier this year, showing Diddy physically assaulting Cassie. Combs has since apologized, acknowledging that his actions were “inexcusable.”
The investigation took a significant step in March 2024 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security raided two properties associated with Diddy. His recent arrest and the unsealing of the indictment represent a dramatic escalation in a case that has already attracted extensive media attention.
Diddy has not yet issued a statement in response to the latest charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
