Who is Jacob the Jeweler? Diddy accused of trafficking and grooming in new lawsuit filed against the rap mogul 

Renowned American jewelry designer Jacob Arabo aka Jacob the Jeweler is named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs on Wednesday, July 3. Arabo is the founder and chairman of the jewelry and wristwatch retailer Jacob &Co.

The 59-year-old has been an artist-favorite jeweler in the Hip-Hop community, designing customized statement pieces for Drake, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Big Sean, and many others.

Sean "Diddy" Combs faces new trafficking lawsuit. (Image via X/@tvanita)

In the trafficking and grooming lawsuit filed by former adult film star Adria English, the plaintiff alleged Combs coerced her into sleeping with Arabo during one of his famous ‘white parties’ celebrating the Labor Day weekend. English claimed she was paid an additional $1,000 for the “forced s**ual intercourse” with the jeweler.

Jacob Arabo found his fascination with watches in his early teens and began working part-time as an assistant to a watchmaker. After his family moved to New York City, Arabo started his job for a traditional jewelry manufacturer while working on his own craftsmanship at night.

His influence among the hip-hop community led to his name being mentioned in several songs by rappers like Kanye West and Drake. Arabo had a cameo in the Toronto rapper’s music video for “When to Say When & Chicago Freestyle”.

However, following Adria English's lawsuit against Diddy, several media outlets have reached out to Jacob the Jeweler's representatives and are yet to receive a response.

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Former adult film star accuses Diddy of forcing her to consume narcotics

According to the court documents, Adria worked as a “go-go” dancer at one of Diddy’s parties thrown during the Labor Day Weekend in the Hamptons in 2004. The plaintiff said she took the job to help her aspiring model boyfriend land a gig for Sean John.

English said Diddy forced her boyfriend and another model to perform sex acts on him to get the job. Her boyfriend refused but was eventually offered the job by another associate of the record producer. However, the condition was English had to continue working as a “go-go dancer” at Combs’ upcoming white party.

Adria English and her boyfriend agreed to the deal and she subsequently worked at other parties of Combs where she was coaxed into consuming alcohol laced with ecstasy and other narcotics. The former adult film star claimed she was further encouraged to engage in flirtatious conversations with guests.

Sean Combs accused of trafficking and grooming in lawsuit. (Image via Facebook/Trill Magnolia)

English alleged she initially did not agree to sleep with the guests, but Combs eventually “groomed” her into sex trafficking. She said after her intimate encounter with Jacob Arabo, she took a photo with the jeweler and Diddy congratulated her for doing the job as directed.

The plaintiff claimed things got worse after that incident as she was forced to engage in intimate activities with other people at Combs’ parties, who sexually assaulted her. Adria English accused a woman named Tamiko Thomas of facilitating the rap mogul’s trafficking operation.

Adria English further claimed in the filing that Diddy promised to help advance her career in the music business. However, the plaintiff said she was blackmailed by aggressive demands and threats of getting blackballed from the industry unless she complied with Combs’ conditions.

English said she eventually escaped in 2009 and returned to California. She claimed to have suffered emotional trauma and bore painful memories of the time, including intimacy issues.

Attorney Steven Metcalf, Esq., and Ariel Mitchell-Kidd, Esq. filed the documents on behalf of the plaintiff on Wednesday. The court filing states:

"Despite being forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol and consume illicit narcotics, the encounters Plaintiff was forced to endure were so excruciating that Plaintiff remembers them as they still haunt her to this day."

However, Diddy’s attorney Jonathan Davis issued a statement and denied the allegations:

"No matter how many lawsuits are filed it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone...We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason and without any proof. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail against these and other baseless claims in court."

Diddy was previously sued by several individuals including, music producer Lil Rod, Crystal McKinney, Liza Gardner, April Lampros, and Joi Dickerson-Neal. The emergence of these lawsuits was set in motion after Combs’ ex Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against him in November last year.