Sean “Diddy” Combs Arrested in New York After Grand Jury Indictment

Late Monday night, federal authorities arrested rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs in Manhattan after a federal grand jury indicted him. The indictment follows a series of sexual assault allegations against the music mogul, which he has consistently denied.

The specific charges against Combs have not been disclosed. Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, informed news outlets that the arrest was made based on a “sealed indictment” filed by his office. Williams indicated that the indictment is expected to be unsealed on Tuesday morning, with further details to be provided at that time.

In response, Combs’ lawyer issued a statement expressing disappointment with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for what they characterized as an “unjust prosecution” of Combs. The lawyer described Combs as a “music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist.” The statement emphasized that Combs has been “fully cooperative with the investigation” and had “voluntarily relocated to New York last week” in anticipation of the charges.

The statement from Combs’ lawyer further noted: “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.”

Background Information:

Combs has been confronted with several civil lawsuits over the past year accusing him of sexual assault or trafficking, allegations he strongly denies. In March, Homeland Security agents conducted searches of his homes in Florida and California as part of a federal sex trafficking investigation. The first lawsuit against Combs was filed by his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in November, which was settled out of court within a day. At that time, Combs’ attorney stated that the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing,” while Combs continued to deny all allegations. Earlier this year, CNN released surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura in a hotel, which seemed to support some of the claims in her lawsuit. Combs responded by expressing remorse, calling the footage “disgusting” and attributing it to “one of the darkest times” in his life. Ventura’s suit was followed by additional lawsuits alleging similar misconduct.