On Monday, September 16, American rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was arrested in Manhattan following several allegations of sex trafficking and abuse. The criminal investigation related to the lawsuits resulted in the issuance of search warrants. Consequently, searches were conducted at his homes in Miami and Beverly Hills. The arrest follows a grand jury indictment stemming from a series of assault and trafficking allegations. The specific charges against the rapper have not yet been announced.

According to a TMZ report, Diddy was taken into custody at a midtown hotel in Manhattan where he was staying. Homeland Security arrived at the hotel late Monday night to make the arrest. Diddy was then transported to the FBI field office in the borough.

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On November 16, 2023, Diddy came under scrutiny when his ex-girlfriend, Cassie, filed a federal lawsuit. She accused him of rape and a decade of abuse, which allegedly began when she was just 19. Cassie, who was previously signed to Diddy’s label, claimed that he exerted complete control over her life. This included her apartment, clothing, medical records, and car. The lawsuit also alleged that Diddy targeted rapper Kid Cudi, who had a brief relationship with Cassie during a tumultuous period with Diddy.

Just a day after the lawsuit was filed, Cassie and Diddy reached an out-of-court settlement, though the allegations persisted. On May 17, surveillance footage obtained by CNN showed Diddy physically assaulting Cassie at a hotel in 2016. Two days later, the rapper issued an apology on Instagram.

Following the arrest, Diddy’s attorney, Macr Agnifilo, issued a statement. He said, “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. Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community.”

He continued, “He is an imperfect person but is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. 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.”