Diddy is in federal custody in New York City. According to TMZ, the Bad Boy mogul was taken into the FBI field office in Manhattan. The Hollywood Reporter notes a grand jury indictment, but the charges are unknown.
The feds reportedly arrested Diddy in association with the criminal investigation of alleged sex trafficking and possible additional crimes that led to searches of his Miami and Beverly Hills homes. Diddy was arrested at a midtown NYC hotel on Monday. The arrest was originally scheduled for Tuesday but was moved up due to unstated reasons.
“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,” Diddy’s attorney, March Agnifio, said to TMZ. “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.
“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.”
Just last week, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team responded to a recent lawsuit filed against him by singer-songwriter Dawn Richard, alleging physical abuse and sexual assault. In a statement to Complex, Diddy is “shocked and disappointed” by the lawsuit, describing it as a “manufactured series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a payday.”
The lawsuit, reported by TMZ, accuses Diddy of harassment and sexual abuse. Richard, a former member of Danity Kane and Diddy-Dirty Money, alleges a pattern of abusive behavior between 2009 and 2011. She claims he once forced her to rehearse for 48 hours straight, resulting in severe weight loss, fatigue, and dehydration. Richard also recalled an instance when, during a visit to Diddy’s Miami home, he greeted her wearing only his underwear and refused to dress.
The accusations extend further. Richard alleged Diddy forcibly entered her dressing room and groped her. In another incident, she claims he locked her in a car and was only released her after her father traveled from Baltimore to New York to confront Diddy. During the confrontation, Richard says Diddy warned her father, “Think about your daughter and think about your daughter’s career.”
The lawsuit also references an incident involving Cassie, in which Richard claims she witnessed Diddy violently throwing Cassie against a wall, choking her, and dragging her upstairs at his Los Angeles home while under the influence of drugs. She also alleges an incident when Diddy threw a hot pan of eggs at Cassie.
Richard claims that when she and her Diddy – Dirty Money bandmate Kalenna Harper advised Cassie to leave Diddy, he retaliated. Allegedly, he told them, “Y’all bitches don’t get in my relationship … Just make money and shut the fuck up,” and threatened their lives, stating, “I shelve careers … You could be missing … You bitches want to die today.”
READ MORE: Sean “Diddy” Combs Lists Lavish Holmby Hills Mansion for $61.5 Million
Diddy’s legal team released a full statement to Complex:
“Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour. If Ms. Richard had such a negative experience with Making the Band and Danity Kane, she would not have chosen to continue working directly with Mr. Combs for Dirty Money, nor would she have returned for the Making the Band reboot in 2020 or agreed to be featured on The Love Album last year. It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”
The post Diddy Taken into Federal Custody in New York first appeared on The Source.
The post Diddy Taken into Federal Custody in New York appeared first on The Source.
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