Iconic American rapper and business mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in New York City on Monday on federal charges that remain unspecified.
The 54-year-old music legend was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street, where he had been staying.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, confirmed the arrest in a statement shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time,” Williams said, without elaborating on the specific charges.
Diddy has been at the center of a legal storm since November 2023, when multiple women, including his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, filed lawsuits against him, accusing the rapper of sexual assault.
One of the lawsuits was brought by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer for Diddy, who alleged that Combs had sexually harassed, drugged, and threatened him over the span of a year.
In March, the Department of Homeland Security raided two properties linked to the rapper, further heightening the scrutiny surrounding him. Then in May, a video from 2016 surfaced showing Diddy assaulting Cassie.
While Diddy initially denied her allegations, he later issued an apology, saying, “I am truly sorry, and I know my actions were inexcusable.”
Adding to Diddy’s legal woes, a Michigan inmate was recently awarded $100 million by default judgment in a separate sexual assault lawsuit involving the rapper.
As the federal charges loom over the hip-hop heavyweight, the public and legal battle surrounding Diddy continues to escalate.
Further details about the charges are expected to emerge once the indictment is unsealed.