Source: Mike Coppola / Getty
Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing sex trafficking and racketeering charges, the latest bomb to drop as the hip-hop mogul fights to clear his name from several sexual assault lawsuits filed over the last year.
According to the Associated Press, on Sept. 17, Combs, 54, was indicted by a federal grand jury on sex trafficking and racketeering charges shortly after his arrest on Sept.16 in New York. The indictment, released on Tuesday, outlines a series of alarming allegations against the Bad Boy Records founder. It accuses him of engaging in a “persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals,” which he allegedly used to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his misconduct.
After the indictment was unsealed, Diddy and his defense attorneys offered to post a $50 million bond to be released from custody. But a judge denied his bail offer once Combs pleaded not guilty to three federal charges connected to alleged sex abuse, according to NBC News.
The indictment describes Combs as leading a criminal enterprise involved in a wide range of illegal activities, including sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice. He is accused of repeatedly striking, punching, and dragging women, throwing objects at them, and enlisting personal assistants, security, and household staff to help cover up his actions.
Additionally, Combs is charged with coercing female victims and male sex workers into participating in drug-fueled sexual performances known as “Freak Offs,” which allegedly lasted for days. He reportedly arranged for the women’s travel, provided drugs, controlled their careers, and used intimidation and violence to ensure their participation.
The indictment details how Combs and his victims would receive IV fluids to recover from the physical and drug-related strains of these events. His employees were said to facilitate these “Freak Offs” by handling travel arrangements, booking hotels, stocking rooms with supplies like drugs and lubricants, scheduling IV fluid deliveries, and cleaning up afterward.
The indictment also alleges that Combs maintained videos of his victims engaging in sexual acts, which he reportedly used as “collateral” to safeguard himself and ensure their silence. Additionally, he is accused of exerting control over his victims by promising career opportunities, providing and threatening to withhold financial support, dictating their appearance, monitoring their health records, and controlling their living arrangements.
Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for the former Revolt TV CEO, said that the hip-hip icon relocated to New York in anticipation of the pending charges and will cooperate as authorities investigate the case.
“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,” Agnifilo said in a statement. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
How did Sean “Diddy” Combs transition from being a celebrated figure in hip-hop to facing multiple charges of sex trafficking and racketeering? Here is a timeline of the mounting allegations against the entertainment icon.
1. Nov. 16, 2023: Cassie files a lawsuit against Combs.
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On Nov.16, 2023, singer Cassie — real name Cassandra Ventura — filed a lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan federal court alleging that the hip-hop star “lured” her into an “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” shortly after she met him and signed to his iconic record label, Bad Boy Records, in 2005. The “Official Girl” artist claimed that she was 19 when she met the music icon.
According to the suit, the Grammy Award-winner and Cassie dated on and off for nearly a decade before they split in 2018. Throughout their relationship, Cassie alleged that the “Last Night” rapper forced her into having sex with multiple male prostitutes and filmed her “sexual encounters.” When she tried to end their relationship in 2018, the R&B hitmaker claimed that Combs broke into her home and raped her.
Combs vehemently denied the allegations, but he privately settled with the singer one day after the lawsuit was filed on Nov. 17, 2023. The former pair reportedly settled on “amicable” terms.
2. Nov. 23, 2023: Woman files lawsuit claiming she was raped by Combs.
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On Nov. 23, Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan Supreme Court, just before the New York State Survivors Act was set to expire. In her complaint, Dickerson-Neal accused Combs of sexually assaulting her in 1991 while she was a student at Syracuse University. She alleged that after a dinner in Harlem, Combs deliberately drugged her and then drove her to a recording studio, where she was physically incapacitated. The lawsuit claims that Combs took her to his home, where she was sexually assaulted and recorded.
Her attorney, Jonathan Goldhirsch, has stated that the incident had a severe impact on her reputation, career, and emotional well-being. Combs has denied these allegations.
3. Nov. 28, 2023: Combs steps down from Revolt TV.
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In late November, the hip-hop titan announced that he would be temporarily stepping down from his chairman role at Revolt TV, the American music-oriented digital cable television network and media company he founded and launched in 2013, as part of a larger agreement with Comcast.
In a since-deleted Instagram post published Dec. 6, Combs maintained his innocence. He vowed to “fight” for “the truth” and claimed that his accusers were “looking for a quick payday.”
He added, “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
4. Dec. 10, 2023: Over a dozen brands cut ties with Combs’ Global Empower Project.
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In mid-December, 18 brands previously associated with Combs’ Empower Global platform cut ties with the e-commerce venture. Launched in July, Empower Global was a digital marketplace that promoted and supported Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs.
Brands that worked with Empower Global were required to pay a $35 monthly subscription to house their products on the platform for “a 10 percent cut of sales” in return “as a marketplace fee,” Rolling Stone noted.
The exodus of brands began shortly after Cassie filed her troubling sexual assault lawsuit against Combs in November. Haby Barry — founder of jewelry brand Fulaba and a former member of the platform— said the decision was a no-brainer.
“Fulaba is all about empowering women and girls,” Barry told Rolling Stone. “We will not associate with anything or anyone that is counter to our values.”
5. Feb. 26, 2024: Lil Rod files a lawsuit against Combs with shocking allegations.
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In late February, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a $30 million lawsuit against Combs, alleging that from September 2022 to November 2023, he lived and traveled with the Grammy-winner, during which he recorded extensive video and audio evidence of alleged illegal activities involving Combs, his staff, and others, as reported by the Huffington Post.
The lawsuit includes screenshots from parties hosted by Combs, which Jones claims featured sex workers and underage girls. He alleges that Combs instructed his staff to drug the drinks given to these individuals. Furthermore, Jones accused Combs of pressuring him to procure sex workers and engage in unwanted sexual acts, including an alleged incident on February 2, 2023, where he claimed to have woken up naked, disoriented, and in bed with Combs and two sex workers, alleging that he had been drugged.
6. March 25, 2024: Federal agents raid Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami residences
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On March 25, federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted coordinated raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami. The shocking search was part of a broader federal investigation into sex trafficking allegations against the mogul.
According to the indictment released Tuesday, during searches of Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles this year, law enforcement officials confiscated a range of items including narcotics, videos documenting the “Freak Offs,” and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. Additionally, agents seized firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers—two of which were found disassembled in his bedroom closet in Miami.
The raids were led by prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and involved Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, with support from HSI Los Angeles and HSI Miami, as well as local law enforcement agencies.
7. March 25, 2024: Combs’ alleged drug mule arrested.
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On March 25, Brendan Paul, who was accused of being Combs’ drug mule, was arrested at Opa-Locka Airport. Paul was mentioned in Lil Rod’s February lawsuit, where Jones alleged that Paul assisted Combs in distributing and acquiring drugs and firearms, according to People.
Rolling Stone reported that Paul was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana. Further investigation by online sleuths revealed that Paul is a former NCAA basketball player who competed for Syracuse University from 2018 to 2020.
8. May 16, 2024: CNN obtains startling 2016 video of Cassie being dragged by Diddy.
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In mid-May CNN obtained a starling 2016 surveillance video showing Diddy grabbing, shoving, dragging, and kicking Cassie at the now-defunct InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. Combs apologized for his “inexcusable” behavior in an Instagram video posted shortly after the footage surfaced.
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” the “I”ll Be Missing You” rapper said in his since-deleted video. “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he added. “I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
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