Sean “Diddy” Combs has been arrested in Manhattan after a grand jury indicted the music mogul, Variety has confirmed.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo shared a statement with Variety regarding the rapper’s arrest in New York on Monday evening. The charges were not immediately clear.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” the statement reads. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. 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.”
Combs’ arrest comes amid an ongoing federal investigation and a wave of lawsuits alleging sexual assault. Most recently, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard filed a suit against Combs on Sept. 10, alleging verbal abuse, assault, sexual battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In May, CNN posted a 2016 video of Combs attacking his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura. The footage matches allegations made in a lawsuit filed by Ventura in November last year, which outlines an incident that occurred at the now-shuttered InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. (The two parties reached a settlement one day after the suit was filed on Nov. 16, 2023, in New York).
Combs apologized for his behavior in the video, saying on Instagram, “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that. I was fucked up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in this video. They’re disgusting. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought professional help. I’ve been 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 being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I am truly sorry.”
In March, properties owned by Combs located in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by Homeland Security as part of a sex trafficking investigation, with HSI confirming their search and seizure via a statement: “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer issued a statement regarding the searches, calling them an “unprecedented ambush” and a “witch hunt.”
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer said at the time. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”