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Roughly six months after federal authorities conducted multiple raids at Diddy's mansions in Miami and Los Angeles over suspicions stemming from "s*x trafficking" allegations, the rapper was arrested in Manhattan post a grand jury indictment.
On Monday night, Sean Combs was arrested on charges of “federal s*x trafficking and racketeering,” which were unsealed on September 17 and reported by the Associated Press. Seemingly the indictment against Diddy lists several allegations of "s*xual crimes," with a few even going back to 2008.
The indictment also accuses Diddy of hosting "coerced" s*xual performances dubbed "Freak Offs" and describes Sean as the "head of a criminal enterprise" that engages in several crimes and offenses which include forced labor, trafficking, drugs, kidnapping, bribery, extortion, and obstruction of justice.
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During the raids at the Bad Boy mansions, earlier in the year, law enforcement reportedly seized several illegal and suspicious contraband which included narcotics, over 1000 bottles of baby oil and lubricants, explicit videos, ammunition, and loaded firearms with defaced serial numbers.
Convicted on all three charges from the 14-page indictment, Sean P. Diddy might face a minimum of 15 years in prison, with the possibility of a life sentence.
Timeline of allegations made against Sean 'Diddy' Combs and the Aftermath
With the announcement of a reported Discovery docuseries chronicling the "Rise & Fall of Sean 'Diddy' Combs" in the works, every allegation, rumor, and alleged interaction, concerning the rapper's ongoing trial is being heavily televised.
Combs has spent the majority of the past two decades building a massive music empire with Bad Boy Records, and various other side businesses, becoming one of the few rappers in modern hip-hop to be featured on Forbes' list of billionaires.
Diddy's legacy took a severe hit after Cassie Ventura dropped a "Bombshell Lawsuit," in which she claimed the award-winning record producer of "years of s*xual misconduct and abuse" during their relationship. Below is a complete timeline of events that led to Sean Combs' arrest on September 16, 2024.
01. Cassie Ventura files lawsuit against Diddy
On November 16, 2023, Cassie Ventura filed a major lawsuit against Sean Combs, who she had been in an intimate public relationship with since 2007, before breaking up in 2018. The lawsuit came almost two months after the rapper was honored with the Global Icon Award at the MTV Video Music Awards.
In the lawsuit, Ventura claimed that she suffered years of physical and mental abuse, with one alleged instance of r*pe, while engaged in her relationship with the rapper.
As per the complaint, the Me & U singer cited an instance from 2018 where she attempted to distance herself from Combs due to his egregious behavior. This allegedly led Sean to break into Cassie's house and s*xually force himself onto her.
02. Sean and Cassie settle the lawsuit
A day after the lawsuit was filed, on November 17, Sean and Cassie reportedly entered into a "settlement deal," with terms and details kept under wraps, for an undisclosed amount of money.
"I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support." - Cassie's statement issued by her attorney Douglas Wigdor.
03. Two more lawsuits are filed against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
On November 23, 2023, one day before the New York State Adult Survivors Act expired, Sean Combs was hit with two more lawsuits that contained allegations of "s*xual assault".
Although one of the lawsuits was filed by an anonymous party, the other was submitted by a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal, who accused the rapper of "drugging" and "assaulting" her, in 1991, while she was still in college.
The lawsuit also claimed the rapper had allegedly recorded and distributed explicit film recordings of Neal to figures and peers in the music industry.
04. Sean Combs resigns as Revolt's chairman
Given that the rapper had received three lawsuits alleging acts of violence and s*xual assault, Sean Combs decided to step down as the chairman of Revolt, a magazine and multi-platform media company he founded in October 2013.
"While Mr. Combs has previously no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps ensure that Revolt remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora" - Revolt's public statement.
The rapper then reportedly sold all his shares in Revolt TV to an anonymous buyer, for an undisclosed amount, in March 2024. Billboard reported that an insider source confirmed that Revolt will continue to remain a "Black-owned" organization.
05. Diddy addresses allegations after fourth lawsuit is filed
On December 06, 2023, Sean Combs received his fourth lawsuit from an unnamed woman who claimed she was s*x trafficked and gangr*ped in 2003 while she was "only 17 years old".
The complaint cited that Sean, former Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre, and another individual had engaged in forced s*xual performances with the unnamed party while they were still underage.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Diddy responded to the growing criticism and comments online as well as addressing the several lawsuits that were filed against him. The rapper cites why these claims and allegations are targetted attacks against his character, legacy, and reputation when he stated:
"For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth."
06. Hulu scraps Diddy reality show and brands sever ties with the mogul
Following the fourth lawsuit, on December 10, 2023, eighteen companies decided to sever their professional relationship and association with the music industry mogul and his E-Commerce brand, Empower Global.
"While this decision was difficult due [to] the reverence we once held for Mr. Combs as a leader in business and entertainment, it was clearly the correct choice" - Lenard Grier, co-founder of No One Clothiers stated.
Three days later, sources from Hulu confirmed to Billboard that the reported Sean Combs reality show titled "Diddy+7," which would follow the day-to-day life of Diddy and his family, had been canned and was no longer in production.
Diddy+7 was only in its early stages of development and was reportedly being produced for Hulu via James Corden's Fulwell 73 production company.
07. Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. files lawsuit against Sean Combs
On February 26, 2024, producer Rodney Jones Jr., better known as Lil Rod, filed a lawsuit against the Bad Boy CEO accusing the mogul of s*xual misconduct, assault, and harassment.
The producer accused Diddy of "groping and touching" him and cited instances of alleged grooming and s*xual coercion. The complaint also claims that Jones was seemingly drugged in 2023, with a report that claims he woke up "naked, dizzy and confused" in Combs' Miami mansion next to the rapper and two escorts.
The rapper's attorney Shawn Holley denied the claims and allegations brought forward in the lawsuit filed by Lil Rod when she stated:
"We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them."
08. Sean Combs' L.A. and Miami mansions get raided
Almost a month later, on March 25, 2024, the Department of Homeland Security Investigations New York issued and executed search warrants for Sean Combs' Los Angeles and Miami homes.
"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. We will provide further information as it becomes available" - Department of Homeland Security's public statement.
Federal agents reportedly raided the mogul's homes "in connection" with an ongoing s*xual trafficking investigation and other criminal allegations from his lawsuits, with prosecutors from the Southern District of New York leading the case.
Sean Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, issued a public statement against the raids conducted on the rapper's homes, calling them a "gross overuse of military-level force" and vowing to end the "witch hunt" against his client.
"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" - Aaron Dyer stated.
09. Sean Combs requests judge to dismiss "r*pe claim"
Two months later, Sean requested a federal judge to dismiss his fourth lawsuit filed by the unnamed woman who alleged several members from the Bad Boy Record label had trafficked and gangr*ped her while she was underage.
The proposal, made on May 10, requests for the case to be "dismissed now, with prejudice" to prevent further "reputational injury" to the music mogul.
"Mr. Combs and his companies categorically deny Plaintiff’s decades-old tale against them... Plaintiff cannot allege what day or time of year the alleged incident occurred, but miraculously remembers other salacious details, despite her alleged incapacitated condition." - The court filing read.
10. "Hotel Assault" video surfaces on social media
On May 17, CNN reportedly obtained CCTV footage that finds Diddy physically assaulting Cassie Ventura during a hotel stay in 2016. In the clip, Combs, wearing a white towel, can be seen chasing Ventura before pushing her to the ground and repeatedly kicking the singer several times.
The incident seen in the 2016 footage closely resembles the allegations brought forward in Ventura's now-settled November lawsuit. This was further alluded to by her attorney Douglas Wigdor, in a public statement to Billboard, when he stated:
The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Not long after the "Hotel Assault" video went viral across social media platforms, Cassie's husband, Alex Fine, took to Instagram to share a self-written screenshot of his notes app.
The fitness entrepreneur began his statement with "Men who hit women aren’t men" before expressing his support for survivors of domestic abuse. Alex also included the hotline number for domestic violence victims, "(800) 799-7233," in his post's caption.
"Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men. As men violence against women shouldn’t be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends, and your family … To all the women and children, I’m sorry you live in a world where you’re not protected, and you don’t feel equal." - Alex Fine's message read.
11. Combs issues public apology for the "Hotel Assault" video
The same day as the "Hotel Assault" video was circulating online, the office of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón issued a public statement on Instagram, which stated:
"We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch. If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted."
Two days later, on May 19, Sean Combs took to Instagram to release a self-filmed 70-second apology video where he addressed his actions in the "Hotel Assault" video.
"It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f--ked 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 that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now." - Sean Combs stated.
12. NYC Mayor considers revoking Diddy's "Key To The City"
A day after Diddy released his now-deleted apology video, on May 20, New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed his intention to rescind the music mogul's "Key To The City".
Adams announced during an interview with PIX11 that he and his associates were discussing the procedure for revoking the Key that was bestowed upon Sean Combs in September 2023. The mounting lawsuits as well as the 2016 assault clip led Mayor Eric to state:
"I think all of us were deeply disturbed by watching that chilling video of the young lady being assaulted by him, and the committee and the team — we’ve never rescinded a key before, but we are now sitting down to see what the next steps forward are going to be."
13. Crystal McKinney files a s*xual assault lawsuit against Diddy
On May 21, former model Crystal McKinney filed a s*xual assault lawsuit against Sean Combs, alleging that in 2003 the Bad Boy CEO had coerced her into performing s*xual acts on him in the bathroom of a New York City recording studio.
McKinney's complaint also includes claims of her being given laced alcohol and marijuana, citing that after the alleged instance took place she "awakened in shock," seated in a taxi cab, leaving the studio.
The lawsuit lists Bad Boy Records, Universal Music Group, and Sean John Clothing, as defendants in the case claiming these organizations were aware of the rapper posing a risk of "s*xual assault" but continued to maintain him in a "position of power".
14. Cassie Ventura releases public statement
Almost a week after the "Hotel Assault" video went viral online, Cassie Ventura took to Instagram to issue her first public statement, having previously only spoken about the allegations and lawsuits via her attorneys.
"Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning. Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become." - Cassie Ventura stated.
15. Diddy arrested in Manhattan
On September 16, 2024, Sean 'Diddy' Combs' arrest in Manhattan was announced by one of the mogul's lawyers, Marc Agnifilo. The attorney confirmed to several news media outlets, including CNN and NBC news, that the rapper was being held in custody, when he stated:
"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."
Although the details behind the grand jury's indictment were initially kept under wraps, federal prosecutors unveiled the filing the morning after Diddy's arrest.
The unsealed document reveals that Sean Combs is being charged with running a racketeering conspiracy, which includes other offenses like assault, trafficking, abuse, bribery, and more.
"For decades, Sean Combs abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his s*xual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct. To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and the influence of his multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled." - read the court documents obtained by Billboard magazine.
Hours after Diddy's indictment was unsealed, on September 17, a magistrate judge denied the rapper bail, labeling the Bad Boy CEO as a "potential flight risk" and confirming that Sean Combs will remain behind bars until his trial.
16. Diddy denied Bail for a second time
Yesterday (Sept. 18), Diddy was denied bail once again after the matter was presented before federal Judge Andrew L. Carter at a hearing in the Manhattan Federal Court.
Sean's lawyers requested for the court to confine the music mogul to house arrest in his Miami mansion, while awaiting the commencement of his trial, offering to pay a 50 million dollar bond and adhere to any other strict requirements.
Judge Andrew L. Carter ruled against them, stating that Sean Combs must remain in custody at a Brooklyn federal prison, citing concerns that the well-connected executive could potentially pose a threat to witnesses in turn obstructing the government's case.
As announced yesterday, Discovery is working on a docuseries that will recount Sean 'Diddy' Combs rise to success as well as instances and alleged methods the rap mogul employed to abuse his power.
The series will reportedly include archival footage, commentary, and testimonies, from people who've accused the record producer over the past year. Discovery has teamed up with Maxine Productions to assist with creating the series alongside IPC and Rolling Stone Films.
