Rapper turned music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, 54, has been arrested in New York following a federal investigation. Combs was detained by officers at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, according to his representative. While the exact charges remain unclear, the arrest is linked to a sealed indictment, as revealed by Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
Combs’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, expressed disappointment over the charges, calling the prosecution “unjust.” He emphasized that Combs has been fully cooperative throughout the investigation, even voluntarily relocating to New York in anticipation of the charges. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court,” Agnifilo stated.
The arrest is linked to a larger federal investigation into allegations of sexual assault, sex trafficking, and the distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms, which surfaced earlier this year. In March, federal agents executed search warrants at Combs’s properties in Los Angeles and Miami, interviewing several people as part of the ongoing probe.
Among the most high-profile lawsuits against Combs was one filed by R&B singer Cassie (Casandra Ventura), accusing the rapper of years of abuse, including physical assault and rape. Though the case was settled, additional lawsuits soon followed, with other women alleging sexual misconduct and a music producer accusing Combs of coercion and solicitation of prostitutes.
Lawyers representing Combs’s accusers called the arrest a “long-awaited step toward justice,” asserting that the evidence against the mogul is overwhelming.
Combs, who rose to fame in the 1990s as Puff Daddy, was a key figure in the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop feud and a close associate of the late Notorious B.I.G. Despite his success as a producer and executive, his career has been marred by legal controversies and public scandals.
As the indictment is unsealed, more details about the charges are expected to emerge, keeping both fans and critics on edge as Combs prepares to defend his name in court.
