Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested following raids, human trafficking investigation
Fox News’ CB Cotton reports on Cassie Ventura's response to the 2016 assault video as model Crystal McKinney files a lawsuit claiming the rapper sexually assaulted her in 2003.
Join Fox News for access to this content You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Please enter a valid email address. By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News' Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. Having trouble? Click here.Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested Monday in New York, Fox News Digital confirmed. It's unclear what charges Diddy faces.
"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," Marc Agnifilo, Combs' lawyer said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
"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 is an imperfect person but he Is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he 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."
On March 25, the music mogul’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided in connection to a federal human trafficking investigation, officials confirmed to Fox News Digital at the time.
FEDS TRACKING DOWN ‘PEOPLE’ SEEN IN VIDEO TAKEN INSIDE SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS MANSIONS: REPORT
Sean Combs was accused of multiple sexual assaults in addition to a federal investigation. (Getty Images)
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," Homeland Security Investigations said in a statement. "We will provide further information as it becomes available."
Combs, 51, still faces potential litigation in a handful of civil suits and one criminal lawsuit.
Sean Combs' LA home was raided by Homeland Security officials in March. (Getty Images)
Cassiefiled a sexual abuse suit against Diddy in November, which was settled one day later. (Getty Images)
In November, Cassie, legally known as Casandra Ventura, accused Combs of raping her in her own home, enduring "over a decade" of his "violent behavior and disturbed demands" and forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he watched and filmed.
One day after she filed the claim, Combs and Cassie came to an amicable resolution, and she dropped the lawsuit. In May, a clip obtained exclusively by CNN from 2016 showed the rapper running down a hotel hallway wearing a towel. Moments before, Cassie (Cassandra Ventura) had walked down the same hallway with bags in her hand toward the elevators.
Once Combs reached the elevators, he grabbed Cassie by the neck and threw her to the ground. Combs then kicked her twice, picked up her bags and dragged her back down the hallway before she returned to the same area to use a phone.
WATCH: SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS ASSAULTS CASSIE IN 2016 LOS ANGELES HOTEL INCIDENT
VideoDays later, Combs issued an apology on Instagram. "It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f---ed up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses," Combs said. "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video."
Combs admitted, "I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry."
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Three more women came forward with claims just before New York's Adult Survivors Act expired in December. Joi Dickerson-Neal and Liza Gardner each accused the "It’s All About the Benjamins" musician of sexual assault in separate filings.
Jane Doe alleged that she had been sexually assaulted by Combs and the president of his entertainment company, Harve Pierre, along with a third individual, when she was 17 years old, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Diddy denied the claim, saying in a statement shared with Fox News Digital: "Enough is enough. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy."
Sean Combs faces multiple sexual assault lawsuits. (Getty Images)
A music producer, Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, who sued Combs for sexual assault in February, also added actor Cuba Gooding Jr. to his complaint. Jones, who produced "The Love Album: Off the Grid," claimed that he had lived with Combs for extended periods of time and accused the "I'll Be Missing You" singer of sexual assault and forcing him to perform sex acts with prostitutes.
Combs' legal team slammed Jones' accusations as "complete lies," and claimed the producer was "nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday," Combs' attorney Shawn Holley told Fox News Digital at the time.
In May, two more accusers came forward with accusations in lawsuits filed against the Bad Boy Records founder. Model Crystal McKinney claimed she was attacked and forced to "perform oral sex" on Diddy at his recording studio in 2003.
Crystal McKinney filed a suit against Diddy on May 22 for an alleged sexual assault which occurred in 2003. (Getty Images)
Diddy and Kim Porter dated for nearly 13 years. The late supermodel died in 2018 at the age of 47. (Christopher Polk)
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Former Arista records intern April Lampros said her friendship with Combs in the '90s quickly "manifested into an aggressive, coercive, and abusive relationship based on sex," in documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
Lampros recalled "four terrifying sexual encounters" with Combs, one of which was from 1996 when Combs "forced" Kim Porter and Lampros to take ecstasy and then "demanded Kim Porter to have sexual intercourse with Ms. Lampros."
Combs and Porter dated for nearly 13 years and have three children together. Porter died in November 2018. She was 47.
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Tracy Wright is an entertainment reporter for Fox News Digital. Send story tips to Tracy.Wright@fox.com.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested following raids, human trafficking investigation
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested following raids, human trafficking investigation
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested following raids, human trafficking investigation
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested following raids, human trafficking investigation
Sean 'Diddy' Combs arrested following raids, human trafficking investigation
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