Sean “Diddy” Combs, the iconic US rapper and media mogul, has been indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, following months of mounting legal battles.
The federal indictment was unsealed on Tuesday, just hours after Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested the 54-year-old at the Park Hyatt New York hotel.
The charges stem from multiple allegations brought forward by several women, including Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s former girlfriend, who filed a lawsuit in November 2023 accusing him of rape, abuse and human trafficking during their decade-long relationship.
The lawsuit painted Combs as a “serial domestic abuser,” claiming he frequently assaulted Ventura, leaving her with black eyes, bruises, and other injuries.
The case was settled out of court just a day after it was filed, though Diddy denied all accusations, branding them “offensive and outrageous” and accusing Ventura of extortion.
In addition to the allegations from Cassie, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer for Diddy, filed a separate lawsuit claiming that the rapper sexually harassed, drugged, and threatened him over a year.
The charges were compounded by a series of other incidents, including a 2024 default judgment in Michigan, where an inmate was awarded $100 million after filing a sexual assault lawsuit against Diddy.
The rapper has also faced public backlash over a 2016 video that surfaced earlier this year, showing him physically assaulting Cassie. Combs later issued an apology, admitting his actions were “inexcusable.”
In March 2024, the United States Department of Homeland Security raided two properties linked to Diddy as part of their investigation into the allegations. His recent arrest and indictment mark a significant turn in a case that has already dominated headlines.
Diddy, who has long denied the accusations, has yet to release a statement following his arrest on the sex trafficking and racketeering charges.