Sean Combs, also known as P. Diddy or Puff Daddy, the rapper and music mogul credited with launching numerous major stars, has recently made headlines due to legal issues.
On Monday, September 16, Combs was arrested by federal agents in New York after facing months of civil lawsuits accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and rape.
Denied bail twice, Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
According to The Independent, a newly unsealed indictment by federal prosecutors accuses Combs and his associates of coercing and abusing women to satisfy his sexual desires, including forcing victims into recorded sexual activities, referred to as “Freak Outs.”
Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, maintained his innocence, stating: “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.”
Sky News reports the charges include sex trafficking, drug possession, and firearms offenses, with the Southern District of New York citing three primary charges: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The indictment, as reported by Sky News, includes the following allegations:
Combs is accused of abusing, threatening, and coercing women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his actions, dating back to at least 2008. The 54-year-old is alleged to have used his employees, resources, and industry influence to establish a “criminal enterprise” involved in crimes like sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Combs is further accused of coercing female victims and male sex workers into drug-fueled sexual acts, which he allegedly called “Freak Offs.” According to the legal document, these events were elaborate, staged sexual performances that Combs directed, participated in, and often recorded.
Prosecutors claim that controlled substances were administered to victims, keeping them “obedient and compliant” during events that could last for days, with Combs allegedly subjecting them to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse to ensure their involvement.
Additionally, the indictment asserts that Combs and his associates engaged in violence, threats of harm, and verbal abuse, including acts of kidnapping and arson, particularly when individuals challenged his authority or reputation. These accusations were first widely publicized when singer and dancer Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former partner, sued him on November 16, 2023, alleging years of abuse.
Allegations
Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura
In 2023, R&B singer Cassie filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of subjecting her to a decade-long pattern of trafficking, rape, and physical abuse. Surveillance footage from 2016, obtained by CNN in May 2024, appeared to support her claims, showing Combs chasing and violently assaulting her in a Los Angeles hotel corridor. Cassie settled the lawsuit for an undisclosed amount one day after filing, stating she preferred to resolve the matter amicably.
Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith
Inmate Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a party three decades ago. Due to Combs’ failure to attend a virtual hearing, a $100 million default judgment was issued in Cardello-Smith’s favor in September 2024.
Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones
In February 2024, music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of a prolonged campaign of sexual harassment, intimidation, and exploitation during his employment with Combs from September 2022 to November 2023. Jones claimed he was forced into encounters with sex workers hired by Combs.
Joie Dickerson-Neal
In November 2023, Joie Dickerson-Neal sued Combs, alleging he drugged, sexually assaulted, and secretly recorded the assault without her consent in 1991 while she was a college student.
Crystal McKinney
Following the release of CCTV footage showing Combs attacking Cassie, former model Crystal McKinney filed a lawsuit in May 2024, alleging that Combs sexually assaulted her at his New York recording studio in 2003.
April Lampros
Shortly after McKinney’s lawsuit, April Lampros alleged that Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times between 1995 and the early 2000s, following their initial meeting when she was a student.
Dawn Richard
Dawn Richard, a former bandmate, sued Combs in federal court, accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse beginning in 2009. Richard also alleged that Combs withheld payment, groped her, made lewd comments, and threatened her life.
Combs has denied all allegations, pleading not guilty to the charges. His lawyer defended him, stating: “Diddy is an imperfect person but not a criminal.”
He added that Combs had fully cooperated with the investigation, voluntarily relocating to New York in anticipation of the charges, and urged the public to withhold judgment until all facts are presented in court.
