Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested in New York after grand jury indictment: reports
(NewsNation) — Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested Monday in Manhattan following a grand jury indictment, multiple outlets are reporting.
Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, issued the following statement: "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 called Diddy an "imperfect person," adding: "To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts."
It's not clear which charges the rapper was arrested for, but he has several sexual misconduct and assault allegations spanning over 30 years. He has denied all allegations.
Two of the rapper's properties were searched in a raid by federal investigators months ago as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation, according to Nexstar's WPIX. Firearms and phones belonging to Combs were confiscated during that search.
Two sources familiar with the situation confirmed to NBC News that federal investigators presented evidence against Combs to a grand jury in the southern district of New York, though no connection to his reported arrest has been confirmed.
Formerly known as “Puff Daddy,” Combs faced backlash after the lawsuits, but he was once considered one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the last three decades.
The founder of Bad Boy Records has worked with artists such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112, and also created a fashion clothing line and a music-focused TV channel.
The first lawsuit against Combs came in November 2023, when his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura alleged in New York federal court that he beat, raped and abused her during their relationship. She was 19 when they began dating; he was 37.
A day later, the pair announced they'd settled the suit — but more allegations soon came to light.
In late November and early December 2023, Combs was accused of raping, sexually assaulting and attacking multiple women.
A music producer, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, filed a lawsuit in February, alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prositutes.
NewsNation's Cassie Buchman and Safia Samee Ali and The Associated Press contributed to this report.