Diddy has been arrested by federal agents in New York after being indicted by a grand jury.
The Bad Boy boss, who has been hit with a growing number of sexual assault lawsuits since last year, was taken into federal custody by Homeland Security at a Manhattan hotel on Monday night (September 16), according to The New York Times.
The indictment, filed by the Southern District of New York, is sealed so the exact charges are currently unclear, but they appear to relate to the sex trafficking investigation into Diddy (real name Sean Combs) that saw two of his properties raided earlier this year.
Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement posted on social media late Monday that “we expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.”
Diddy is also expected to be arraigned on Tuesday morning (September 17).
His lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to the press: “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.
“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.”
Agnifilo added: “He is an imperfect person but is not 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.”
Diddy’s legal troubles began last November when his ex-girlfriend Cassie filed a bombshell lawsuit accusing him of sexual assault, sex trafficking and gender-motivated violence, among other crimes, throughout their decade-long relationship.
The former couple settled the suit within a day, although the terms of the agreement were undisclosed.
Several other lawsuits followed in the ensuing months from former employees and collaborators, with the allegations ranging from gang-rape and sexual harassment to assault, drugging and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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Diddy has repeatedly maintained his innocence, dismissing the lawsuits as “sickening allegations … made by individuals looking for a quick payday” in a statement posted online in December.
However, his tone shifted in May when a video of him brutally attacking Cassie in a hotel in 2016 emerged, after which he apologized and described his behaviour as “inexcusable.”
Federal authorities became involved in March when Homeland Security raided Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of an investigation into sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms, among other crimes.
The mogul recently listed the former property for a reported $61 million.