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Homes belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami had been raided by officers from US Homeland Security on Monday 25 March in connection to a federal intercourse trafficking investigation.
The sudden raids come because the rapper and music mogul – who’s credited with serving to launch the careers of artists together with Biggie Smalls, Mary J Blige and Usher – has confronted a string of various accusations over the previous six months, together with sexual assault.
Here’s the whole lot you must know:
Why had been Diddy’s homes raided?
The raids – on Diddy’s Los Angeles mansion is within the upmarket Holmby Hills space, close to Bel Air and Beverly Hills, and his Miami Beach residence on the unique Star Island – had been carried out “in connection with a federal sex trafficking investigation” in accordance with Fox 11.
In a press release, the Department of Homeland Security mentioned: “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.
“We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
NBC News cited an unnamed supply as saying that three ladies and a person had been interviewed by federal officers in Manhattan and that three different interviews had been scheduled regarding allegations of intercourse trafficking, sexual assault, and the solicitation and distribution of unlawful narcotics and firearms.
Federal brokers did discover firearms on Diddy’s properties in LA and Miami, in accordance with sources who spoke to NBC News. The kind of firearms allegedly discovered and the authorized house owners of the firearms are nonetheless unknown.
It stays unconfirmed whether or not Diddy himself is the main target of the investigation.
Fox 11 has additionally shared video footage of the raid taken from an overhead helicopter that exhibits a number of people in handcuffs exterior the property, together with Diddy’s two sons.
Diddy additionally has one other residence, bought in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003, that has sat vacant for a number of years. Recent pictures present the counters coated in mud and chandeliers coated in cobwebs. This property was not raided.
Where is Diddy?
Speculation as to Diddy’s whereabouts have circulated for the reason that raids.
Information a few non-public jet belonging to the rapper was faraway from a well-liked flight monitoring web site on Tuesday 26 March. The black, 20-seat black Gulfstream Aerospace GV-SP is registered to LoveAir LLC.
According to TMZ, the airplane was noticed on the bottom in Antigua, within the Caribbean, shortly after information of the raids broke. Diddy is just not believed to have been on board the jet on the time.
The outlet reported, based mostly on flight information, that the jet had travelled throughout California between Sunday 24 and Monday 25 March, taking off from Sacramento Executive Airport at round 5.30pm on Sunday night and touchdown at Palm Springs International Airport about an hour later. It later took off once more, stopping at Van Nuys Airport, simply north of Los Angeles. Some time later it left Van Nuys and landed in Antigua, in accordance with TMZ.
On Tuesday, flight information was not out there on-line. A press release on FlightAware.com learn: “This aircraft (N1969C) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.”
However, experiences point out the airplane returned on Wednesday morning and has remained parked on the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport ever since.
Diddy was noticed in public for the primary time following the raids on Thursday night time, when he went to Miami golf membership Top Golf together with his twin daughters.
What are the accusations towards Diddy?
The rapper and music mogul, 54, has confronted a string of sexual assault allegations in latest months.
In February, music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones accused Diddy of sexually assaulting him and forcing him to sleep with intercourse staff.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court docket in New York, accused the music mogul of repeated situations of unsolicited groping and sexual touching. It additionally mentioned that the person needed to work in a rest room whereas Diddy showered and walked round bare. Mr Jones additionally recognized Rapper 50 Cent‘s former girlfriend and the mother of one of his children as one of the alleged sex workers. She has denied the claims and said she is considering legal action.
Another lawsuit, filed in December, alleged that Diddy had gang-raped a 17-year-old girl in 2003.
The plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, accused Diddy of plying her with drugs and alcohol at his New York studio and then raping her along with two associates.
The suit accused Diddy of a “sex trafficking scheme,” in which Jane Doe was flown by private jet from her home in Michigan to New York.
Others in the media sphere have also come out against him, citing their negative experiences. Tanika Ray, a TV host and one-time backup singer for Diddy, said she had a “horrific” experience with the rapper. “I just knew to avoid him at all costs … Yes, I danced for him and kept my space. I interviewed him for his projects and kept my space. Nothing that is happening is surprising,” she wrote, per Page Six.
Meanwhile, a recently resurfaced video shows Diddy questioning a nervous Justin Bieber, who appears to be 16 years old, about why he had supposedly been keeping his distance.
Diddy has vehemently denied all accusations against him and has not been charged with a crime.
Lawsuit with Cassie
In November, Diddy and R&B singer Cassie, whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, settled a lawsuit after she claimed that she was trafficked, raped and beaten by the rapper on many occasions over 10 years.
Her lawsuit alleged that Diddy brought the singer into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not long after she met him, and signed her to his label when she was 19 and he was 37 in 2005.
Cassie said that the pattern of abuse began as soon as their relationship started and that, as she was trying to end it in 2018, he forced her into her Los Angeles home and raped her.
Her accusations against Diddy were brought through the New York Adult Survivors Act (ASA), which expired at midnight on 23 November 2023
The act provided survivors a one-year window to pursue civil litigation regardless of when the abuse occurred, meaning incidents from decades were finally brought to light.
Over 2,500 cases were filed under the ASA before its expiry at midnight on 23 November 2023, court data sent to The Independent showed. Survivors brought lawsuits against some of the state’s strongest males, together with main gamers in leisure, reminiscent of Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Axl Rose, and Diddy.
The go well with involving Cassie and Diddy was settled days later.
What has Diddy mentioned?
The music mogul has strongly denied all of the accusations towards him and vowed to “fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
On Tuesday, attorneys for the rapper launched a press release describing the actions of US Homeland Security throughout the property raids on Monday as a “gross overuse of military level force”.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated,” his lawyer mentioned.
“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Diddy is reportedly cancelling his plans and staying put within the US to combat towards any allegations that he was concerned in gun, drug, and intercourse trafficking.
Sources who spoke with the Los Angeles Times mentioned that Diddy was planning to depart for a spring break trip together with his daughters, however has since cancelled these plans. He reportedly nonetheless has his passport.
In a press release in December following the lawsuit introduced by Jane Doe, Diddy referred to as the claims “sickening” and mentioned his accusers had been “looking for a quick payday”.
“Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” he mentioned in a press release. “I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
Diddy’s lawyer, Shawn Holley, branded the occasions described within the lawsuit as “pure fiction”.
“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies,” he mentioned. “We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”
Following the settlement with Ventura, Ben Brafman, one other lawyer for Diddy, advised The Independent: “Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.
“Mr. Combs’s decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims.
“He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms Ventura the best.”
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