Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Properties Raided by Homeland Security as Part of Sex Trafficking Investigation
Properties owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs located in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by Homeland Security on Monday afternoon.
NBC News cited an unnamed source as saying that three women and a man have been interviewed by federal officials in Manhattan and three other interviews are scheduled in relation to allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms; however, it remains unconfirmed whether Combs himself is the focus of the investigation, although multiple sexual misconduct claims have been levied against him in recent months.The raids were first reported by Fox 11 News.
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In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations confirmed, “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.” It was unclear at the time of this article’s publication whether Combs’ New York properties are a part of this raid.
FOX11 has also shared video footage of the raid taken from an overhead helicopter that shows several individuals in handcuffs outside the property, including two men who some outlets claimed were Combs’ sons, Justin and King Combs, although this information was not confirmed.
Representatives for Combs did not immediately return Variety‘s request for comment.
The artist and entrepreneur faced a number of lawsuits stemming from sexual assault charges that started last year with accusations from R&B singer Cassie, who dated Combs for years, in a suit filed on Nov. 16. The suit claimed Combs had been combative towards her throughout their relationship. She described him as a “serial domestic abuser, who would regularly beat and kick Ms. Ventura.” The following day, the two parties settled the lawsuits on what they described as amicable terms.
Following those allegations, Combs issued his resignation as chairman of Revolt and his Hulu reality show was subsequently cancelled.
Another lawsuit, filed in December, alleged that Combs had gang-raped a 17-year-old girl in 2003. The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, accused Combs of plying her with drugs and alcohol at his New York studio and then raping her along with two associates. The suit accused Combs of a “sex trafficking scheme,” in which Jane Doe was flown by private jet from her home in Michigan to New York.
Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Cassie and Jane Doe, responded to reports of a search warrant issued on Sean Combs, writing, “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.”
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