'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Federal authorities arrested music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs on Monday, September 16, 2024, in New York. According to an X post by the United States Attorney's Office, New York, the rapper is facing charges of racketeering, s*x trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Trigger warning: The following article contains references to mature content. Reader discretion is advised.
Per Time, citing Diddy's unsealed indictment reported, Combs, ran a "criminal enterprise" that forced women to engage in s*xual activity with male prostitutes at his "Freak Off" parties. During these parties, he would often give women drugs to keep them "obedient and compliant." These include ketamine, ecstasy, and GHB.
According to WebMD, GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate, is a chemical that is found in the human brain and is synthetically produced. The drug is a Schedule I controlled substance, which means that it currently has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse.
Trending
In rare cases, GHB is prescribed for treating excessive daytime sleepiness (narcolepsy), alcohol and opioid withdrawals, depression, and other conditions. However, there is no scientific evidence to support these uses.
Per the Better Health website, GHB is frequently used as a party drug as it produces feelings of euphoria, relaxation, confidence, and sociability. It also slows down the activity of the brain and other parts of the central nervous system, like alcohol and heroin. One of its effects is that it can cause someone to black out; hence, it is often called the date r*pe drug.
Diddy's arrest stems from a federal s*x trafficking investigation that saw two of his properties being raided
Diddy's arrest stems from a federal s*x trafficking investigation that saw his homes in Los Angeles and Miami being raided in March. In a press conference on Tuesday, US attorney Damien Williams, whose office found the indictment, revealed that authorities found multiple AR-15 guns, large capacity magazines, and over a thousand bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
According to El Paso Times citing the indictment, federal prosecutors claimed Diddy "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others" to "fulfill his se*ual desires" in a "recurrent and widely known" pattern of abuse. This included physical, emotional, verbal, and s*xual abuse.
The publication explained that many times Diddy or those acting under his authority would lure women under the pretense of a romantic relationship. He would later force them to participate in the "freak offs," which were often recorded and lasted several days.
In addition to drugging the women, Diddy also "threatened to cut off financial support," used intimidation and violence, and controlled their careers. Per Time, the indictment stated:
"Victims believed they could not refuse Combs’ demands without risking their financial or job security or without repercussions in the form of physical or emotional abuse."
It continued:
"(He) also used the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings that he made during Freak Offs as collateral to ensure the continued obedience and silence of the victims."
The publication explained that sometimes the victims were forced to stay in hiding for multiple days to recover from injuries inflicted by the rapper.
The I'll Be Missing You hitmaker's legal troubles began last year after his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura sued him for r*pe and abuse. While the rapper settled the case a day later, several other women came forward with similar lawsuits.
In a statement made to USA Today on Monday, Diddy's lawyer Marc Agnifilo stated that his client's prosecution was "unjust." He added:
"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."
The 14-page document does not specify the total number of victims, but prosecutors suggest they interviewed more than 50 victims and witnesses. No other developments have been observed at the time of this writing.
