Sean “Diddy” Combs has broken his silence to deny all wrongdoing after federal agents raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation.
In a statement through his lawyer, Diddy called the raids a “gross overuse of military-level force” for which there was “no excuse” and insisted he is innocent.
“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” attorney Aaron Dyers said. “Mr Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
The raids come after Diddy has faced accusations of sexual abuse from multiple alleged victims in a series of lawsuits in recent months.
Also this week, a man police have described as Diddy’s “drug mule” – Brendan Paul, 25 – was arrested by federal agents in a Miami airport while he was allegedly carrying “contraband inside of his personal travel bags”. His arrest came the same day as the searched on Diddy’s homes. Mr Paul was named in a lawsuit in February brought by music producer Rodney Jones, alleging that Diddy sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes.
WATCH: Police bodycam footage Diddy associate Brendan Paul’s arrest in Miami
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 19:46
50 Cent reacts to lawsuit naming his ex-girlfriend as Diddy’s ‘sex worker’
The lawsuit, filed in February by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, names Daphne Joy as “a sex worker” who allegedly sold her services to Combs. She dated 50 Cent — real name Curtis Jackson — between 2011 and 2012.
“I didn’t know you was a sex worker, [eye emojis] you little sex worker. LOL Yo this s*** is a movie,” the rapper wrote on social media. He did not address Ms Joy directly in his statement.
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 18:50
Diddy’s private jet back in Florida
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ private jet has landed back in Florida after it left the country on the day his LA and Miami homes were raided by Homeland Security.
The jet flew to Antigua and Barbuda on the day the feds raided the rapper’s home.
The plane returned on Wednesday morning and has remained parked at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport ever since.
Diddy has not made a public appearance since the federal raids.
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 18:20
WATCH: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ mansion completely trashed after being raided by feds.
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 17:50
Here are all the allegations made against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Sean “Diddy” Combs, a rapper and music mogul credited with helping launch the careers of some of the biggest stars in recent years, is now facing multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual abuse and rape.
Combs, formerly known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and a host of other names, has undergone a myriad of reinventions since the start of his career – but has since entered a new and unwelcome “era.”
Federal agents with US Homeland Security raided two of the rapper’s houses in Los Angeles and Miami on 25 March as he faces a string of varying accusations.
Combs, 54, has strongly denied all of the allegations against him. His attorneys have branded the lawsuits and their accusations as money grabs, “baseless” or “sickening.”
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 17:15
WATCH: Months before P Diddy’s homes were raided, Katt Williams hinted at his wrongdoings
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 15:30
Prince Harry named in $30m Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sexual assault lawsuit
Combs, who faces a litany of sexual assault allegations, is said to have drawn guests to his infamous parties through his VIP associations with “celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians and international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry”, according to the legal notice.
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 15:00
A swimming pool, chandeliers and dusty fireplaces: Inside Diddy’s abandoned Atlanta mansion
The kitchen counters are covered in dust; a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, coated in cobwebs. Around the huge rooms, furniture and pieces of decor sit in various states of disrepair.
The Bad Boy Entertainment founder bought the eight-bedroom, 16-bathroom home – which was built in 1987 – for $2.6m (£2m) from HJ Newton in 2003, and has never spoken about why he left it empty for so many years.
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 14:30
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ homes have been raided by US law enforcement. Here’s what we know
Here’s everything you need to know:
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 14:00
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs breaks silence after home raids: ‘A gross overuse of military-level force’
Lawyers for the rapper and music mogul said there was “no excuse” for the “hostility” shown by authorities towards Combs’ children and staff members at the two properties.
The raids occurred on Monday at the hip-hop star’s mansion in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, and his Miami Beach home on Star Island, in Florida.
Graig Graziosi28 March 2024 13:30
