After months of sexual assault claims, lawsuits, and home raids, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been arrested.
Combs was indicted on federal charges related to sex trafficking and racketeering on Monday. He has been charged with felonies for racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in the hotel lobby of the Park Hyatt on West 57th Street.
Combs also faces several civil lawsuits filed against him.
His civil legal issues escalated in November 2023 when his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of rape, physical abuse, and sex trafficking over a period of 10 years. One altercation between the former couple was caught on hotel surveillance, showing Combs attacking, kicking, and dragging Ventura through a hallway.
That lawsuit was settled out of court, but several other women have since come forward with civil suits alleging sexual assault and misconduct dating back to the early 1990s.
Last year, Combs shared a video statement claiming he was “so sorry” for and “disgusted” by his actions against Ventura. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” he said. “I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
After yesterday’s indictment, Combs’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said they had anticipated the charges against him. However, Agnifilo feels the prosecution is “unjust,” stating that they’re “disappointed with the decision.”
In a statement, he called Combs a “loving family man,” adding that “he is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. 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.”
The federal indictment accuses Combs of running a “criminal enterprise” through his hip-hop business empire, allegedly engaging in various crimes, including sex trafficking, forced labor, and physical abuse of women and others. The indictment claims he used his businesses and employees to facilitate and cover up these abuses, maintaining control through violence and threats while attempting to avoid detection through intimidation and bribery.
He could face over 20 years in prison, and the indictment says the government intends to seize “any and all property, real and personal” from the alleged crimes, including an unspecified sum of money.
Combs’s lawyer said that Combs will plead not guilty in court today.
“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers,” Agnifilo said.
The post Diddy Arrested, Indicted on Federal Charges of Sex Trafficking and Racketeering appeared first on VICE.
The post Diddy Arrested, Indicted on Federal Charges of Sex Trafficking and Racketeering appeared first on VICE.
