US Edition
Federal agents raid homes of rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Law enforcement officials search rapper’s properties as part of sex trafficking probe
Two properties belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs have been raided by federal agents as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation.
The music mogul’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami were searched by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents and other law enforcement officers on Monday.
Combs, a three-time Grammy-winning rapper and producer, has been accused of sexual assault and sex trafficking in multiple civil lawsuits in the past few months.
They include a suit brought in November by his ex-girlfriend, the former R&B singer Cassie, accusing him of rape and years of physical abuse.
Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, brought the case in Manhattan under a New York law allowing alleged victims of sexual abuse to file civil suits after the statute of limitations.
Combs vehemently denied the allegations. The suit was settled in just one day after the pair came to an out-of-court agreement.
But it was followed by several more sexual assault cases against Combs, including by a male music producer, Rodney Jones, alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.
At the time, Shawn Holley, a lawyer for the rapper, said: “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
Another involved an unnamed woman who accused Combs and two other men of raping her in a New York recording studio two decades ago, when she was 17.
In response, Combs, 54, said: “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.”
US officials said the raids on Combs’ properties on Monday were connected to a sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York.
It is not clear whether Combs was the target of the investigation.
In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Following the raids, Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ms Ventura and the anonymous woman who has sued Combs, said: “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law.
“Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”
Combs is one of the most influential and successful hip-hop producers and rappers of the last few decades.
Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of the genre’s biggest empires through his company Bad Boy Records. His proteges included the late Notorious BIG and Mary J Blige.
His net worth has been estimated to be as high as $1 billion, in part from his other business ventures, including in the spirits industry and a clothing line.