Sean “Diddy” Combs was once one of the most in-demand artists and producers in the industry, with a roster of major acts leading his label Bad Boys Records.
Through profitable music and business ventures, Diddy achieved billionaire status in 2022, according to Forbes.
However, her life in the spotlight hasn't always been so bright. On Monday, two of Combs' residences in Los Angeles and Miami were raided as part of a federal human trafficking investigation.
The music mogul declared his innocence in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, but legal experts warned that “the damage to his reputation could be irreparable” even if the investigation does not lead to his arrest or prosecution. criminal charges.
SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS DECLAIMS INNOCENCE AFTER FEDERAL AGENTS RAID HIS HOUSES
Sean Combs has a long history of legal problems. (Getty Images)
Monday's investigation is also not Combs' first run-in with the law.
In April 1999, Combs was arrested and initially charged with second-degree assault and criminal mischief after attacking music manager Steve Stoute following a dispute over music video footage involving his client, Nas. Combs later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of harassment and allegedly paid Stoute $500,000 in an out-of-court settlement.
Nine months later, Combs, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and rapper Shyne were at a New York nightclub when gunfire broke out, injuring three people, including a woman who was shot in the face. Lopez and Combs fled in his Lincoln and were later arrested by New York police for running a red light.
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A gun was found in the vehicle and Jennifer and Sean were arrested. Lopez was released, but Combs and Shyne were each charged with multiple offenses. While Combs was found not guilty at trial, Shyne was found guilty of five of eight counts and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Lopez and Combs separated in 2001 after two years of dating.
Combs was arrested in 1999 following a shooting at a New York nightclub. (Getty Images)
Sean and Jennifer dated for two years before breaking up in 2001. (Vince Bucci)
Television host Roger Mills sued Combs in 2001 and accused him of assault, false imprisonment and destruction of property, claiming that Combs attacked him during an interview when he asked the rapper if he was involved in the death of Notorious B.I.G. Years later, a court ruled in favor. in favor of “Diddy”.
Gerard Recchnitzer claimed that Combs punched him and pushed his girlfriend outside the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in a lawsuit filed in 2007. Combs settled the suit a year later and the terms of the regulations had not been disclosed.
In 2015, Combs was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon following an altercation with a coach at his son's college.
Sean allegedly threw a kettlebell at a UCLA assistant football coach after the coach yelled at his oldest son, Justin, now 30. “The various accounts of the event and the accusations reported are completely inaccurate,” said Nathalie Moar, a representative for Combs Enterprises. , said at the time in a statement to The Associated Press. “What we can say now is that any actions Mr. Combs took were solely defensive in nature to protect himself and his son.”
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Cindy Rueda, the former personal chef of “Diddy,” filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Combs in 2017 and claimed she was “regularly summoned by Mr. Combs to prepare and serve food and appetizers at him and his guests while Mr. Combs and/or his guests were engaged in or immediately after sexual activity.
The lawsuit was settled in 2019.
Sean “Diddy” Combs had several of his homes searched by Homeland Security on March 25. (Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs)
By 2023, Combs would face multiple lawsuits. In November, Cassie, legally known as Casandra Ventura, accused “Diddy” of raping her in her own home, enduring “more than a decade” of his “violent behavior and disturbed demands” and forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he watched and filmed .
Combs denied Cassie's claims in a statement provided to Fox News Digital at the time.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura's persistent demand for $30 million, under threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally dismissed as blatant blackmail,” his lawyer said. “Even though she has withdrawn her initial threat, Ms. Ventura is now resorting to a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aimed at tarnishing Mr. Combs' reputation and obtaining payback.”
A day after filing the suit, Sean and Cassie reached an amicable resolution and she dropped the lawsuit. “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably, as I have some control. I would like to thank my family, fans, and attorneys for their continued support,” Cassie wrote. Combs said in his own statement that the decision was agreed to by both parties and that he held no ill will toward the singer.
Three other women filed suit just before New York's Adult Survivors Act expired, each claiming they were victims of sexual abuse by Combs in separate incidents.
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A music producer who filed a complaint “Diddy” for sexual assault in February, actor Cuba Gooding Jr. was added to his complaint on Monday. Jones claimed he lived with the “I'll Be Missing You” singer for extended periods of time and accused Combs of groping and unwanted sexual touching.
Cassie claimed she endured more than a decade of abuse from Sean “Diddy” Combs. (Getty Images)
Homeland Security officials searched Combs' Los Angeles home on Monday. (Getty Images)
A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the searches at Diddy's home on Monday were linked to a federal human trafficking investigation. It is unclear whether the rapper is the target of federal agents' investigation.
Criminal defense attorney Donna Rotunno said that with HSI appearing at Diddy's doorstep, it was “just the beginning” of what could happen next for the three-time Grammy Award-winning rapper who not only found his own success in the business, but also helped cultivate the careers of award-winning artists including Notorious BIG, Mary J. Blige, R&B singer Usher, Faith Evans, Mase and Lil Kim.
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“They're looking for digital evidence, documents…financial records. Those are the kinds of things they would take out of the house,” Rotunno told Fox News Digital. “Logs of any type of documents that would help find the information they're looking for. It's a serious thing. Traffic could mean a lot of different things when it comes to… we don't know the age of the ” We don't really know the allegations at this point. “
HSI officials also searched his Miami home on Monday. (Getty Images)
Judie Saunders, a partner at ASK LLP, noted that Combs' “freedom, business, personal reputation and legacy are at stake and may be subject to immediate demise.”
She told Fox News Digital: “The search of his residences by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations' Transnational Organized Crime Division is a clear indication of the seriousness of the government's investigation and the possible charges Combs could face in the near future.”
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On Tuesday, Combs declared his innocence and denied the “unfounded accusations” against him as he spoke for the first time after the searches.
“Yesterday, there was an excessive use of military force when search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs' home,” his attorney, Aaron Dyer, said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “There is no excuse for the excessive display of force and hostility shown by authorities or for the manner in which his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never arrested but spoke and cooperated with the authorities.
“Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any member of his family have been arrested and their ability to travel has not been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush – coupled with an advanced media presence and coordinated – leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on unfounded accusations made in civil suits,” he added. .
“None of these allegations have resulted in criminal or civil charges. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every day to clear his name.”
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