Sean Combs, widely known as P Diddy or Puff Daddy, the rapper and music mogul credited with launching numerous successful careers, has recently faced a series of legal challenges. Combs was arrested on Monday, September 16, by federal agents in New York following months of civil lawsuits accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and rape.
Currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Combs has been denied bail twice. A newly unsealed indictment from federal prosecutors outlines accusations of coercing and abusing women for sexual purposes, including forcing victims into recorded sexual acts he allegedly referred to as “Freak Outs.”
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has defended him, calling him “an innocent man” and expressing disappointment at what he described as an unjust prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The Southern District of New York has charged Combs with three major offenses:
1. **Racketeering conspiracy**
2. **Sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion**
3. **Transportation to engage in prostitution**
The indictment alleges that Combs has, since at least 2008, abused and coerced women and others to fulfill his sexual desires, using his employees and resources to run a “criminal enterprise” involved in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
Here’s a breakdown of the key allegations:
1. Casandra “Cassie” Ventura
R&B singer Casandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, sued Combs in 2023, accusing him of a decade-long pattern of trafficking, rape, and physical abuse. Surveillance footage from 2016 reportedly shows Combs chasing and assaulting Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel. The lawsuit was settled swiftly, with Cassie stating she preferred to resolve the matter amicably.
2. Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith
Cardello-Smith, an inmate, accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a party three decades ago. When Combs failed to attend a virtual hearing, a $100 million default judgment was issued in favor of Cardello-Smith in September 2024.
3. Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones
A lawsuit filed in February 2024 by music producer Rodney Jones alleges that Combs subjected him to sexual harassment, intimidation, and exploitation while forcing him into encounters with sex workers hired by Combs.
4. Joie Dickerson-Neal
In November 2023, Dickerson-Neal accused Combs of drugging, sexually assaulting, and secretly recording the assault while she was a college student in 1991.
5. Crystal McKinney
Following the release of CCTV footage showing Combs attacking Cassie, former model Crystal McKinney filed a lawsuit in May 2024, claiming Combs sexually assaulted her in his New York recording studio in 2003.
6. April Lampros
Lampros came forward in May 2024, alleging Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times between 1995 and the early 2000s, following their initial meeting while she was a student.
7. Dawn Richard
Richard, a former bandmate, accused Combs of years of physical and sexual abuse starting in 2009, including withholding payment, groping, physical violence, and enabling the sexual exploitation of underage girls.
Despite the numerous allegations, Combs has consistently denied all accusations and pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyer emphasized that Combs has been fully cooperative with the investigation and has voluntarily relocated to New York in anticipation of the charges. “Diddy is not criminal,” his lawyer stated, urging the public to withhold judgment until all the facts are presented in court.
