Federal Probe Raises Questions About Rapper’s Involvement.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by US Homeland Security officials on March 25. The raids are part of a federal sex trafficking investigation, although it’s not confirmed whether Combs himself is the focus. Several individuals were seen in handcuffs outside the properties, including two men.
Combs, a rapper and music mogul, has faced multiple sexual assault allegations in recent months. One lawsuit accused him of sexually assaulting a male music producer and forcing him to sleep with sex workers. Another lawsuit alleged that he gang-raped a 17-year-old girl in 2003. Combs vehemently denied all the accusations, calling them “sickening” and claiming they were looking for a quick payday.
In a separate lawsuit, Combs settled with R&B singer Cassie, who claimed she was trafficked, raped, and beaten by him over 10 years. Cassie alleged that the abuse began shortly after meeting Combs when she was 19, and that it continued until 2018 when he forced her into her Los Angeles home and raped her. Combs denied these accusations as well, stating that settling the lawsuit does not admit any wrongdoing.
The New York Adult Survivors Act (ASA) allowed survivors a one-year window to pursue civil litigation regardless of when the abuse occurred. Over 2,500 cases were filed under the ASA, including ones against Combs. Combs’s lawyer stated they have overwhelming proof that the claims against him are lies and that they will address the allegations in court.
Combs has vowed to fight for his name, his family, and the truth. His lawyers have called the events described in the lawsuits as “pure fiction” and stated that settling the lawsuit with Cassie does not undermine his denial of the claims.