Combs' lawyers said Monday that Combs is “cooperative with this investigation” and “looks forward to vindicating himself in court.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the rap mogul whose popularity has plummeted amid a string of human trafficking accusations and assault lawsuits, was arrested by federal agents in Manhattan late Monday, a federal judge said.
Damien Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that the arrests were based on a sealed indictment filed by his office.
“We're planning on unsealing the indictment tomorrow morning and will have more to say at that time,” he said, without providing further details about the charges.
Related article: Sean “Diddy” Combs accused of sexually assaulting model in new lawsuit
Diddy's lawyer, Mark Anifilo, said in a statement provided to AFP that Combs had voluntarily moved to New York in anticipation of the indictment.
Combs' lawyer said his team was “disappointed by the U.S. Attorney's Office's decision to pursue what we believe to be an unjustified charge against Mr. Combs.”
The rapper is the subject of multiple civil lawsuits alleging he is a violent sex offender who used alcohol and drugs to subjugate his victims.
Federal agents searched Combs' home in March in a highly publicized bicoastal investigation that signaled a growing federal investigation and possible criminal charges against Combs.
Armed agents raided his sprawling luxury estates in Miami and Los Angeles, symbolizing the rapid fall of the music industry titan who has struggled in recent years to reinvent himself as “Brother Love.”
Related article: Shocking video of Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting his partner
Combs' lawyers said Monday that he is “cooperative with this investigation” and “looks forward to vindicating himself in court.”
Bomb Suit
The artist, who has performed variously under the aliases of Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, is widely credited with playing a pivotal role in moving hip hop from the streets to bottle service clubs.
Over the decades, he has amassed vast wealth through his forays into the liquor industry.
But despite his efforts to craft an image of a slick party leader and businessman, a series of lawsuits have portrayed Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity status to prey on women.
The artist denied all the accusations against him.
He has no serious convictions but has a long history of physical assault allegations dating back to the 1990s.
Related article: Diddy's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura accuses him of sex trafficking and rape – Report
The series of allegations began late last year when singer Cassie (real name Cassandra Ventura) alleged that Combs physically assaulted and drugged her for more than a decade, and also raped her in 2018.
The two met when Ventura was 19 and he was 37, after which he signed her to his record label and the two became romantically involved.
That shocking lawsuit was quickly settled out of court, but it was followed by a wave of equally sensational sexual assault allegations, including one in December by a woman who said she was gang-raped by Combs and others when she was 17.
Then in May, shocking surveillance footage surfaced showing Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend, Ventura, corroborating allegations made by Ventura in a now-settled case.
Diddy's global fame and dark side
Born Sean John Combs on November 4, 1969 in Harlem, the artist started in the industry as an intern at Uptown Records in 1990, eventually becoming a talent director.
He gained a reputation as a party planner, which became central to his brand as his fame grew.
In 1991, he was promoting a celebrity basketball game and concert at the City University of New York when a stampede left nine people dead.
The event was over capacity by thousands and led to a series of lawsuits, with Combs accused of hiring inadequate security guards.
He was fired from Uptown and started his own label, Bad Boy Records.
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Thus began his rapid rise to the top of East Coast hip hop alongside his protégé, the late The Notorious BIG.
Combs has worked on numerous signings and producing collaborations with big name artists, including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.
He was also a Grammy-winning rapper, whose debut album, No Way Out, and chart-topping single “Can't Nobody Hold Me Down” were both huge successes.
He was a big-time producer who built an image of himself as a bold hustler with an unabashed attitude, and who had ventured into Hollywood, reality TV and the fashion industry, and was romantically linked to celebrities like Jennifer Lopez.
But a dark history of violence and serious misconduct has long plagued his reputation and now it appears to be fading.
