Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested in Manhattan on Monday following a grand jury indictment, his lawyer confirmed to Business Insider.
The charges in the indictment were not immediately known.
“Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement posted on X. “We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”
USA Damian Williams: Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) September 17, 2024
Diddy, for months, has been embroiled in controversy following numerous sexual and physical abuse allegations from his former romantic and creative partners. The music mogul’s Los Angeles and Miami mansions were the target of a Department of Homeland Security raid in March.
Authorities at the time did not provide additional details regarding the raid, but The New York Times reported an official described the inquiry as related to a human trafficking investigation.
Combs has vehemently denied the allegations against him.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office,” Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lawyer, said in a statement published by multiple outlets.
Agnifilo said his client “is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal. ” He described Combs as “nothing but cooperative with this investigation,” having voluntarily relocated to New York last week “in anticipation of these charges.”
“Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,”Agnifilo’s statement said. “These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Agnifilo previously told BI that sex-trafficking allegations by Combs’ former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, were the spark for the investigation by prosecutors for the Southern District of New York.
Ventura first took her allegations public in November of 2023 in a lawsuit. The suit was settled for undisclosed terms. In May, CNN published 2016 video which depicted Combs shoving, dragging, and kicking Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel, prompting further scrutiny.
The ongoing legal turmoil has taken a toll on Combs’ business ventures, with Combs selling his entire stake in Revolt, the media company he founded, in June.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
