Already facing a whirlwind year of civil lawsuits, Sean “Diddy” Combs has been arrested by federal authorities in New York on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
“Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” said Damian Williams Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, on Monday.
The 14-page indictment against the 54-year-old entertainment mogul includes one count each of racketeering, sex trafficking, and fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
“The indictment alleges that between at least 2008 and the present, Combs abused, threatened, and coerced victims to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” Williams added during a livestreamed press conference before the arraignment.
“As alleged in the indictment, to carry out this conduct, Sean Combs led and participated in a racketeering conspiracy that used the business empire he controlled to carry out criminal activity, including sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and the obstruction of justice.”
The internationally known businessman and artist has been the subject of an ongoing federal probe since at least March 2024, when the Department of Homeland Security raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami—seizing mobile devices, equipment, and weapons. Combs was not detained at the time, though two of his sons in California were, before being released the same day at his home in Southern California.
Since 2017, Combs has faced numerous allegations of misconduct dating back to the 1980s, including a case filed by his former personal chef that ended in a settlement in 2019. A lawsuit came last year from his former girlfriend and Bad Boy Records artist Cassie Ventura, whose physical assault by Combs was caught on camera in 2016. Her claims of rape, trafficking, and physical abuse led to a settlement immediately after the filing in November.
That same month, two additional women brought suits against Combs with similar complaints, as well as revenge porn and gang rape. An additional two cases came in December, including from former business associate Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who alleged drug-facilitated sexual assault.
This year brought four more lawsuits, including from former employee Grace O’Marcaigh, April Lampos, adult film star Adria English, and Combs’ fellow Black Catholic in former Bad Boy artist Dawn Richard (of Danity Kane fame).
Several of the cases stem from Combs’ hosting of alleged sex trafficking parties, in which men and women were coerced into sexual activity with sex workers and party attendees. Among the revelers and associates are said to have been a number of public figures—including Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, Prince Harry, actor Cuba Gooding Jr., and Combs’ son Justin.
Justin and another son, Christian “King” Combs, have been named in at least one of the lawsuits and have denied the allegations against them, with King defending Combs in a song released in May. As to whether others could soon be indicted on federal charges along with Combs, U.S. Attorney Williams says he is “not taking anything off the table.”
Combs himself, who apologized via an Instagram video in May for assaulting Ventura during their relationship from 2007 to 2018, has denied the allegations in other lawsuits, which total at least 11 since last year. (He had also denied Ventura's accusations before security camera footage of the 2016 beating was released earlier this year.)
In a statement released on Monday after Combs’ arrest, his lawyer—former Manhattan district attorney Marc Agnifilio—lamented that a federal case is proceeding despite Combs being “an innocent man.”
“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… He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal.”
Agnifilio has previously been involved with a number of high-profile cases in New York, including a sexual assault case against former International Monetary Fund director Dominique Strauss-Kahn in 2011, and the fraud case against pharmaceutical entrepreneur Martin Shkreli in 2017. Combs’ former legal team of more than two decades dropped him as a client in June.
Once pegged as a billionaire and known as one of the most successful music entrepreneurs of all time, Combs currently faces a $100M default judgment awarded this month in a sex assault case from Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, a Michigan inmate known for his serial litigation against various parties. Combs has since filed an emergency motion to overturn the judgment, which resulted from his failure to attend a virtual hearing last week.
It is just one of several financial setbacks faced by Combs since the flurry of lawsuits against him began last year, including the end of his Sean John clothing brand’s partnership with the Macy’s retail chain. A slew of Black-owned companies affiliated with his Empower Global e-commerce firm cut ties in November, and a planned reality series for Hulu on his family was canned the next month.
This summer, a number of Combs’ honors were rescinded following the release of footage depicting his attack on Ventura. These included an honorary doctorate awarded by his alma mater Howard University, keys to the City of New York bestowed in September, and a Sean “Diddy” Combs Day established in Miami Beach, Florida, in 2016.
Combs is expected to appear late Tuesday morning at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan to be arraigned on the charges he faces, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. His lawyer, who is seeking Combs' release from federal custody, says he will plead not guilty.
The Department of Justice encourages anyone with information pertaining to the investigation of Combs’ operation to call 1-877-447-4847.
Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.
