Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested after grand jury indictment in New York City – Essence

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested Monday night at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan after a grand jury indicted him, authorities said. Combs, who has faced multiple sexual assault lawsuits and a federal human trafficking investigation over the past year, was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents, CNN reports.

The specific charges against the music mogul are still unclear, but the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, confirmed the arrest in a statement. “This evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs on a sealed indictment from the SDNY,” he said. “We expect to be able to unseal the indictment tomorrow morning and will have more to say then.”

Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, criticized the decision to file charges, calling the prosecution “unjust.” According to the report, Agnifilo said, “We are disappointed in the U.S. Attorney’s decision to pursue what we believe is an unjustified prosecution of Mr. Combs. Sean “Diddy” Combs is a music icon, a self-made entrepreneur, a loving family man, and a proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and advocating for the advancement of the black community.”

Agnifilo continued to stress his client’s cooperation with investigators, adding, “To Mr. Combs’ credit, he has been consistently cooperative in this investigation and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve judgment until you know all the facts. These are the actions of an innocent man who has nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Combs, 54, has been under intense scrutiny in recent months, and this arrest is the latest in a series of legal challenges he has faced. The federal investigations include a sex trafficking probe and a number of sexual assault claims. In one of the most recent cases, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit on Sept. 10 accusing Combs of verbal abuse, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Earlier this year, Department of Homeland Security agents conducted raids on Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of the human trafficking investigation. HSI confirmed the searches in a statement, saying, “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York conducted law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation with the assistance of HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.”

Additionally, Combs came into the public spotlight when CNN released a video in May showing him physically assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, in 2016. The footage matched allegations in a lawsuit Ventura filed in November 2023. Although the lawsuit was settled a day after it was filed, it was another example of the growing list of legal issues facing the entrepreneur.