Federal agents have cast a wide net around Sean “Diddy” Combs and individuals believed to be involved with, or knowledgeable of, mounting claims against the embattled star.
With multiple cases accusing him of sexual misconduct and operating under illicit business pretenses, several electronics were seized from his Los Angeles and Miami homes, and reportedly directly from the 54-year-old himself, during simultaneous raids of residences and an encounter with law enforcement at a Florida airport on March 25. It’s speculated officials were searching for incriminating evidence in association with the numerous lawsuits presented against the rapper.
Droves of Homeland Security personnel and local police gained entry into the disgraced mogul’s Holmbly Hills and Star Island estates, where items were retrieved as part of an ongoing investigation into sex trafficking allegations laid out in four different lawsuits filed in the Southern District of New York.
The agency released the following statement to the media: “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
As his homes were being raided as part of a search warrant execution, Diddy encountered law enforcement who seized his phones at the Miami-Opa-Locka Executive Airport, according to multiple reports. TMZ reports that he and his travel companions were stopped on the tarmac as they prepared to board a private flight for spring break.
Now it’s not Diddy do it, it’s Diddy done 🤷🏽♂️they don’t come like that unless they got a case. • https://t.co/jnbpt4Vpb3 pic.twitter.com/xqqKVITWv6
— 50cent (@50cent) March 25, 2024
The raids allegedly blindsided Diddy and his team. His sons Justin Combs and Christian Combs had reportedly been detained at the rapper’s L.A. mansion as the raid took place.
At least one of the former billionaire’s associates, Brendan Paul, was arrested at the same airport that day for possession of cocaine and marijuana. The Miami Herald reports Paul was freed on a $2,500 bond after being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Paul is also labeled as an alleged “drug mule” for Diddy in a lawsuit filed by music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. It is unclear at this time if Paul’s arrest is connected to the federal investigation.
CNN confirmed with law enforcement that Homeland Security Investigators were included in the pry into the entertainer’s homes due to the nature of the investigation. The agency has a specialized branch that deals with efforts to counter human trafficking.
As news of the egregious and illegal claims of nefarious behavior was broadcast by the media with live streams of helicopters flown over the homes, Rolling Stone published a bombshell report that three women and one man had spoken with New York investigators. Additional interviews are forthcoming.
Individuals willing to speak out against the “Act Bad” proprietor include Ethiopia Habtemariam, former chairwoman and CEO of Motown Records. The industry veteran was listed among the defendants in producer Lil Rod’s case, which also named Justin and Kristina Khorram, chief of staff at Combs Enterprises. According to court documents, her legal team submitted a declaration on her behalf on March 21.
It states, in part: “I have personal knowledge of the facts set forth herein, which are known by me to be true and correct, and, if called upon to testify as a witness, I could and would competently testify thereto.”
Diddy’s Chief of Staff, Ethiopia Habtemariam is prepared to testify AGAINST the now disgraced hip-hop mogul as Lil Rod & Cassie continue cooperating with the feds.
— Mílagro (@MobzWorld) March 26, 2024
Prior to Ethiopia declaring that she'd testify against Diddy, she was included in Lil Rod's complaint. She has… pic.twitter.com/QZ2CGa6Op0
Attorney Douglas Wigdor, who represented singer and Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in her civil case in mid-November 2023 for years of alleged abuse, issued the following statement regarding the raid to Rolling Stone: “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”
Cassie’s case was settled within 24 hours of her filing, though Diddy vehemently denied her claims. Wigdor is currently representing a Jane Doe who has come forward accusing the music executive of similar crimes.
Thus far, charges have not been filed against the “Bad Boy for Life” rapper, nor have the identities of those who have been interviewed been revealed. As it pertains to known facts about his legal woes, here is a look at the cases launched against Diddy:
Producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Accused Diddy of Running a RICO Enterprise and Engaging in Illicit Behavior.
Lil Rod filed a $30 million lawsuit in the Southern District of New York with a litany of accusations, including claims he was the target of Diddy’s unwanted sexual advances and that he was possibly drugged and forced to sleep with prostitutes from September 2022 through November 2003.
During that time, Lil Rod was working on the entertainer’s latest project, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” for which he claims he is owed publishing, royalties, and additional payments for at least eight records on the album.
Allegations that Diddy may be in possession of damning proof that could substantiate Lil Rod’s claims could possibly be the reason federal agents confiscated electronics from the mogul’s residences during the March 25 raid. In the 75-page complaint: “Mr. Combs possesses compromising footage of every person that has attended his freak off parties, and his house parties” and that “upon information and belief, due to this treasure trove of evidence he has in his possession, Mr. Combs believes that he is above the law and is untouchable.”
Included in the filing are several screenshots from countless recordings of Diddy, his staff, and party guests engaging in alleged illegal acts, including individuals believed to be minors and sex workers at his New York, Los Angeles, and Miami homes, as well as a yacht in the U.S. Virgin Islands, all of which Lil Rod claims he lived at while working on the album.
The producer further alleged that the embattled celebrity, members of his inner circle, and his son, Justin Combs, were tied to a Sept. 12 shooting at the Chalice Recording Studios, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Joie Dickerson Neal Claims She was Drugged, Raped, and Subjected to Revenge Porn.
The former Syracuse University student filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court under the New York Adult Survivors Act in November 2023, asserting that she was drugged and raped on Jan. 3, 1991.
Dickerson-Neal recounted in her complaint that she went to dinner with the Bad Boy Records executive, accompanied him as he ran errands, and then to a studio. She believes her drink was spiked by Diddy at a Harlem restaurant, rendering her unable to walk and lacking “the physical ability or mental capacity to fend Combs off.”
The alleged victim of #Diddy #joidickersonneal was in an Uptown Records video called “Straight From The Soul” and allegedly was recorded and #jodeci member Devante alerted her that he saw it and others #SurvivingDiddy #opinionatedtruthspodcast #nbc #tmz pic.twitter.com/eB1v3BPW7H
— OPINIONATED_TRUTHS_PODCAST™️ (@O_Truths) November 24, 2023
Days after the alleged sexual assault, singer DeVanté Swing, of the famed group Jodeci, confided to her that he and others were shown a video of the encounter between her and Diddy. She claims he did not speak out to condemn Diddy out of fear of retaliation.
The woman stated that she suffered from severe depression and suicidal ideation, which led to her being hospitalized for a time and ultimately dropping out of college.
“For 32 years, the only people I have been able to confide in were my close friends and therapists. I’m feeling as if the darkness has been lifted and I can freely move forward in achieving my full potential,” she said in a statement after the lawsuit was filed.
Diddy’s legal team hit back, calling her recollection of events not credible and nothing more than a money grab, according to NBC News.
Liza Gardner Alleges She and a Friend Were Raped by Diddy and Singer Aaron Hall at a Party.
The woman alleges that a night of partying at MCA Records offices began to go awry when she and a friend were
“While at Hall’s apartment, Liza Gardner was offered more drinks and was coerced into having sex with Combs,” states the complaint. “After Combs finished doing his business, Liza Gardner laid in bed, shocked and traumatized.” Some time later, while trying to redress, she claimed that Hall entered the room, pinned her down, and forcibly had sex with her.
Damn!! If Aaron Hall was involved I believe it because that's all he brags about … Diddy, it's a wrap for you son! Cassie opened the flood gates to hell 👀✌🏾 #Diddy #cassie #aaronhall pic.twitter.com/zpso17WlC3
— Sheba Ⓥ 🌱 🇪🇸 (@BabeeSheba) November 24, 2023
According to the filing, “Upon information and belief, when Combs finished with Liza Gardner, he and Hall switched, and they commenced assaulting Liza Gardner’s friend.” The friend is not listed as a plaintiff in the original complaint or its amended version, which was submitted on March 12.
New details in the updated version include Gardner stating she was 16 at the time the alleged encounter occurred, as well as information about her attire and the fact that she was invited to New York and introduced to the artist by a close friend.
Jane Doe Alleges She was Sex Trafficked at the Age of 17 in Chilling Lawsuit
A woman came forward following the settlement of Cassie’s case to tell her own story of allegedly being “sex trafficked” and “gang raped” by Diddy, Harvey Pierre, former President of Bad Boy Entertainment Holding, Inc., and a third male assailant in 2003. At the time, the purported victim was 17 years old.
In her lawsuit, which was filed in New York on Dec. 6, she claims she was assaulted by Pierre in the bathroom of a Detroit club before being lured to board a private flight back to the city to meet Diddy.
Upon arriving in NYC, she recalled being transported to Daddy’s House Recording Studio and piled with alcohol and drugs to the point she would have been unable to consent to intercourse. Diddy, then 34 years old, is accused of removing her clothing and raping her.
In the complaint, she included photos of herself at the studio and sitting on the artist’s lap. The legal matter prompted him to issue his only public acknowledgment of the claims against him.
The same lawyers who represented Cassie in her quickly settled lawsuit against Diddy have sued him again, this time on behalf of a woman who's staying anonymous.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 6, 2023
This complaint has a "trigger warning" on the front page, too, just like Cassie's did. pic.twitter.com/AJJXFNnrD3
In part, he wrote, “I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick pay day… 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. Sean Diddy Combs,” in an Instagram post.
In late February, a judge ruled in his favor when it was decided that the woman could no longer pursue legal action under the pseudonym Jane Doe.
