A lawyer for Sean “Diddy” Combs, pictured in 2018, mentioned the leisure mogul is the topic of “a witch hunt primarily based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
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Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
A lawyer for Sean “Diddy” Combs, pictured in 2018, mentioned the leisure mogul is the topic of “a witch hunt primarily based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP
Legal professionals for Sean “Diddy” Combs mentioned Homeland Safety Investigation officers used extreme drive in an “unprecedented ambush” because the company swept by Los Angeles and Miami properties linked to the rapper on Monday, gathering proof in an ongoing investigation. “Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level drive as search warrants had been executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Combs’ legal professional Aaron Dryer mentioned in an emailed assertion on Tuesday. “There isn’t a excuse for the extreme present of drive and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way in which his youngsters and staff had been handled.” Video footage captured by Fox 11 in Los Angeles, confirmed that two folks had been quickly handcuffed exterior of the mansion that has been cited as Combs’ residence in authorized paperwork. The 2 folks had been later recognized because the hip-hop mogul’s sons, Justin and Christian “King” Combs, in accordance with Fox 11.
Dryer additionally addressed an alternate between Combs and officers at an airport within the Miami space on Monday afternoon. The 54-year-old was noticed pacing exterior of Miami-Opa Locka Government Airport the place he was accompanied by some relations, the New York Instances reported. The outlet mentioned Combs was stopped by federal brokers who “took a lot of digital gadgets” from him. Dryer mentioned Combs was not detained in the course of the alternate and that he cooperated with authorities. The lawyer famous that neither Combs “nor any of his relations have been arrested nor has their means to journey been restricted in any means.” Homeland Safety Investigations authorities have disclosed little details about the raids and the broader investigation, or if Combs is the goal of the endeavor, saying solely that HSI New York “executed legislation enforcement actions as a part of an ongoing investigation with help from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our native legislation enforcement companions.” Dyer mentioned legislation enforcement’s actions result in “a untimely rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing greater than a witch hunt primarily based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.” He added: “There was no discovering of felony or civil legal responsibility with any of those allegations. Mr. Combs is harmless and can proceed to battle each single day to clear his identify.”
The raids come amid a number of civil lawsuits filed in current months, accusing Combs and others inside his internal circle of intercourse trafficking, sexual assault, together with rape, and home violence. The newest of these fits, by producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who labored on Combs’ newest launch, was up to date on Monday, to incorporate actor Cuba Gooding Jr. as a defendant. Gooding Jr. didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Within the go well with, Jones alleges Combs groped Jones repeatedly in the course of the making of the album, and that the rapper pressured Jones to solicit intercourse staff, take unlawful medication and extra. Jones added that he was additionally sexually harassed and assaulted by Gooding. In a separate civil lawsuit from November 2023, singer Cassie Ventura, who had signed a 10-album cope with Combs’ Dangerous Boy Leisure when she was 19, accused Combs of years of sexual misconduct, harassment, intercourse trafficking and rape. The go well with was settled the day after it was filed. Combs has not been criminally charged with any of the allegations.