Sean "Diddy" Combs taken into federal custody in New York

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Sean "Diddy" Combs has been taken into custody by federal authorities in New York, CBS News confirmed Monday night.

In recent months, the hip-hop mogul has faced multiple accusations of sexual abuse and physical violence. In March, Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officers due to a possible ongoing sex trafficking investigation, U.S. officials said at the time, but no charges were filed then.

Details of the charges against Combs on Monday were not immediately known. Homeland Security Investigations declined to comment.

Combs has faced a number of lawsuits in recent months involving allegations of sexual misconduct and violence. Combs and his representatives have denied all the accusations.

In May, Combs apologized for a security video aired by CNN that appeared to show him attacking the singer Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. He said his behavior was "inexcusable" and that he took "full responsibility" for his actions.

In November 2023, she filed a lawsuit accusing him rape and abuse during their relationship, He denied the accusations. They reached a settlement the following day.

Music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was arrested yesterday at the Park Hyatt hotel on West 57th Street, a representative said.

In a federal indictment unsealed today, Combs was charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

An attorney for Combs said today he plans to plead not guilty and "will fight this with all of his energy."

Combs allegedly used his powers to abuse, coerce and 'fulfill his sexual desires
The charges against Combs allege he "threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires" for years, federal prosecutors said.

Combs created "a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in" various crimes, such as "sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice," court documents said.


Federal prosecutors seeking to seize assets
The U.S. government is seeking to recover significant financial assets from the famed music mogul through this prosecution, court documents revealed.

Combs could be on the hook for "any and all property, real and personal" and an undetermined "sum of money" involved in these alleged crimes, according to the indictment.

The court document did not specifically list any assets or amount of money it would be seeking to take from Combs.

Combs' business empire key to crimes, prosecutors say
At the height of his power, Combs was more than just a musician: He controlled a vast business empire — including record labels and alcohol and clothing brands — that made him a billionaire.

Now, prosecutors are alleging that Combs' commercial enterprise was a key component of his criminal enterprise. The mogul used his businesses and several of his employees "to carry out, facilitate, and cover up his abuse and commercial sex," according to the indictment unsealed this morning.

"Those employees — including security staff, household staff, personal assistants, and high-ranking supervisors — and other close associates acted as COMBS’ intermediaries, and their conduct was facilitated and assisted by COMBS’ control of the Combs Business," prosecutors added

1,000 bottles of baby oil, lubricants seized in raid of Combs' homes
Federal agents raided Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March and came away with supplies allegedly used in sexual assaults, court documents showed.

At the time of the raids, federal officials would only say they “executed law enforcement actions” in New York as part of an ongoing investigation, along with teams in Los Angeles and Miami.

In court papers made public today, government officials revealed that they took supplies Combs allegedly used in "Freak Off" sexual assaults.

Agents "seized various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant."

Criminal acts date back to 2008, prosecutors say
The three-count indictment against Combs include alleged criminal acts going back 16 years, court documents said.

The racketeering count covers acts allegedly committed by the defendant starting in 2008, while sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution started in 2009, court papers showed.

Federal prosecutors want bail denied to keep Combs locked up until trial
The U.S. government doesn't want Combs released on bail, saying there's a "presumption of detention" in this case.

"So we will be seeking detention," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams told reporters. "There is a presumption of detention in a case like this, and we think that's warranted."

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the spotlight-adoring music impresario who helped launch the careers of some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B, was denied bail and sent to jail Tuesday after being accused in a three-count federal indictment of having used his sprawling business empire to abuse, threaten and traffic women in order to “fulfill his sexual desires” and protect his reputation.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing dozens of new allegations of sexual assault in a series of civil lawsuits set to be filed.

At a press conference held on Tuesday, Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he is representing 120 accusers with allegations against the entertainment mogul that occurred over 20 years.

“We will expose the enablers who enabled this conduct behind closed doors. We will pursue this matter no matter who the evidence implicates,” Buzbee said during the press conference

Many powerful people ... many dirty secrets,” the lawyer said of the allegations. He added that his team has “collected pictures, video, texts.”

Buzbee added that the allegations will include: “violent sexual assault or rape, facilitated sex with a controlled substance, dissemination of video recordings, sexual abuse of minors.”

“It’s a long list already, but because of the nature of this case, we are going to make sure damn sure we are right before we do that," Buzbee continued. “These names will shock you.”

Buzbee said he’s had more than 3,000 individuals come forward to his office with accusations against Combs and that he plans to begin filing lawsuits in various states within the next 30 days. He added that they will name the other defendants at a later date.

Among this new group of accusers, Buzbee said, 62 % identify as African American, and they hail from more than 25 states, with the majority from New York, California, Georgia and Florida. Buzbee said that 25 of the accusers were minors at the time of the incidents occurring as early as 1991.

Since Ventura’s lawsuit, multiple other civil lawsuits have been filed against Combs — most recently one from Dawn Richard, a former member of the girl group Danity Kane who alleged that Combs groped, assaulted, imprisoned and threatened her life.

Combs has denied all claims against him, calling them “sickening allegations” from people looking for “a quick payday.”

Many of the lawsuits against Combs were filed in New York City, which has the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law allowing people to file lawsuits alleging sexual abuse even after the statute of limitations had passed.