(NewsNation) — The federal investigation against Sean “Diddy” Combs has turned up several disturbing allegations against the music mogul, who is currently sitting in a New York City jail awaiting his day in court.
A May 5 trial date was set on Oct. 10 for him to face sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
The music producer was indicted last week on three felony charges after months of speculation surrounding a possible federal investigation that could be connected to a slew of civil lawsuits that allege abuse and sexual assault by multiple victims spanning over 30 years.
Since the indictment, several high-profile voices have spoken out against Combs, and another alleged victim has come forward, bringing the 11th lawsuit filed against him.
Combs was arrested Monday, September 16, and his grand jury indictment unsealed the next day. Combs has denied all the allegations. Combs is being held in custody after being denied bail thrice.
Following his arrest, Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, issued a statement asking the public to reserve judgment until all the facts are in and noting that Combs has cooperated with the investigation.
“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” he said.
Diddy’s indictment
Combs was indicted by a grand jury in New York on three counts of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution on September 17th.
He appeared in court to hear the charges against him.
Prosecutors allege Combs used the resources of his music empire to create “a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
They characterized Combs as having a pattern of abusing women and detailed allegations of assault, abuse and prostitution. They also accuse him of having used his employees to help him engage in these activities.
The indictment alleges Combs would often lure women in with promises of a romantic relationship before using intimidation and threats to get them to engage in prostitution.
Those acts allegedly include what are termed “Freak Offs,” produced performances where victims would be drugged and directed to engage in sex acts with male sex workers for an extended period of time, during which they were filmed. Combs allegedly kept some of the videos, sometimes without the victims’ knowledge.
According to the indictment, Combs and the victims often required IV fluids afterward due to physical exertion.
Diddy sent to New York City jail
A New York judge denied bail for Combs, remanding him to custody pending trial at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which has been plagued by rampant violence and horrific conditions.
“There has been significant violence and weapons around. Also, coercion of witnesses, even gentle coercion, can be effective,” the judge told NewsNation. “The type of behavior we’re talking about happens behind closed doors. … I cannot release him.”
Lawyers for Combs then offered a new judge a $50 million bail package — using his mansion as collateral — in exchange for releasing him to home detention with GPS monitoring.
However, U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter ruled that Combs’ plan — which also included strict limitations on visitors — was “insufficient” to ensure the safety of the community and the integrity of his case.
Carter, agreeing with prosecutors who fought to keep Combs in jail, found that “no condition or set of conditions” governing his release could guard against the risk of him threatening or harming witnesses — a central charge in his case.
On October 1, Combs’ legal team filed a notice of appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York asking that Carter’s bail ruling be overturned.
Carter is now off the case and has been replaced by U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian.
He wants Combs to move from the Brooklyn lockup to a jail in New Jersey. Carter said decisions on placement are entirely up to the federal Bureau of Prisons.
Combs is being held in custody after being denied bail thrice.
11th civil suit filed against Diddy
One week after his indictment, Combs was named in a lawsuit by Thalia Graves, who says the music mogul, along with his bodyguard, Joseph “Big Joe” Sherman, “viciously raped her” at the Bad Boy Records studio in the summer of 2001, according to court documents obtained by NewsNation local affiliate KTLA.
Attorney Gloria Allred and Graves allege the assault was filmed and then shared without the victim’s consent — including selling it as pornography.
What will Diddy’s defense be?
NewsNation legal contributor Jesse Weber and criminal defense lawyer Mark Eiglarsh joined “Dan Abrams Live” to weigh in on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ potential defense in court, including whether the hip-hop mogul will actually take the witness stand.
The pair agreed that Diddy’s team will have to attack the alleged victims to have any sort of defense.
“They’re going to attack the indictment. They’re going to say there was no coercion. It was voluntary. Everybody wanted to be there,” Eiglarsh said.
They also agreed the hip-hop mogul won’t take the stand, with Eiglarsh calling that move a “last resort” in “desperate times.”
Several celebs spoke out on Diddy after indictment
Suge Knight, co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records, told NewsNation’s “CUOMO” that he sees Combs’ current situation as a product of a corrupt industry.
Knight, who has been serving a 28-year prison sentence in California for voluntary manslaughter, tells NewsNation Combs “was taught from people before him, and he did it to the younger people after him.”
“Because this been going on in the industry for a whole bunch of years, for decades and at the same time. You know, nobody wanted to be true, and it shouldn’t have to be true,” Knight said.
Combs’ contemporary rapper LL Cool J told Sky News that he feels for Combs’ children.
“The rest, I can’t speak on. That’s what we got a court system for. But I feel for his kids,” he said.
Damon Dash, who co-founded The Roc-A-Fella Records, said that Combs’ arrest was “sad” and “shocking” on his Instagram Live, reported People.
“People will sit there and watch people do things that could be immoral, but until they get caught, no one says anything. Whether it’s illegal or immoral for me I just break out, I don’t wait for people to get busted. I don’t wait for someone else to say that they’re doing something wrong,” Dash said.
Singer Ray J told NewsNation’s “CUOMO” that “we’ve all been around him, at least in my era, and have looked up to him.”
“And this situation is super unfortunate, but it’s important to learn a lesson right now and ensure the next generation understands how to move differently with transparency and integrity.”
Diddy tapes allegedly offered around
A young A-list celebrity who was secretly videoed having sex at one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ “freakoffs” is “horrified” at the possibility that the video may become public, the New York Post first reported.
Two members of this male celebrity’s inner circle told the Post the footage is being shopped around to media outlets.
An attorney who represents one of Combs’ accusers tells NewsNation’s “Banfield” one or two major news networks are in a “bidding war” for the footage.
Ariel Mitchell-Kidd says she’s been contacted regarding the “sale of one of the Diddy tapes.”
Mitchell-Kidd would not reveal who was in the video but said Combs and someone “more high-profile” could be seen in the pornographic tape.
“There already have been tapes leaking around Hollywood being shopped around, but one particular person contacted me to shop a particular video,” Mitchell-Kidd said Friday on “Banfield.”
“I can tell the video was pornographic. This was in his Atlanta home, and it does seem like the person isn’t looking into the video. To me, it doesn’t seem like that person knows they’re being videotaped.”
Accuser list grows
LaTroya Grayson is the latest alleged victim to come forward, filing a lawsuit on Dec. 20 alleging Diddy drugged and sexually assaulted her at a party in 2006.
She gave an exclusive interview on “Banfield” saying she won a nationwide radio contest for an all-expenses-paid trip to New York and an invitation to a “black party” hosted by Diddy. The morning after the party, she said she woke up in the hospital and received a call from a woman who told her not to say anything.
Another woman accuses Diddy of assault
Mitchell-Kidd also revealed horrific details about an alleged rape that happened between Combs and one of her new clients in 2018. According to Mitchell-Kidd, her client did file a police report at the time.
“She reached out to me a few weeks ago. She called me and told me about her assault and her escape,” Mitchell-Kidd said. “She was at a friend’s house who had industry ties, and Diddy decided to come to the house.”
Mitchell-Kidd said her client learned that Combs was planning on sex trafficking her once he arrived.
“It led to her being served a drink. She started to feel woozy. Combs sexually assaulted her with an inanimate object. … And then directed another gentleman to sexually assault her while he watched and pleasured himself,” Mitchell-Kidd said.
Mitchell-Kidd said her client was able to escape, running to the streets. A neighbor reportedly witnessed the escape.
Diddy adds two more attorneys
On September 30, NewsNation learned Combs added two new additions to his legal team: powerhouse attorneys Anthony Ricco and Alexandra Shapiro.
Further, Combs’ legal team has filed an appeal contesting a federal judge’s decision to deny him bail, a third attempt to release the rapper from incarceration.
Tupac Shakur’s family to probe possible Diddy connection to murder
The family of Tupac Shakur has hired an attorney to investigate a possible link between his 1996 murder and Combs. Duane “Keffe D” Davis was arrested last year and charged with the murder. Davis had previously accused Combs of being involved in the planning, and claimed that Combs allegedly offered $1 million for Shakur’s murder.
Davis has made allegations against Combs for over 15 years, but he has not been named in any investigation connected to Shakur’s killing
Court papers filed in the case against Davis include several interviews of Davis conducted by law enforcement in the last two decades. Prosecutors included a transcript of a “Surreptitiously Recorded Interview” with Davis by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police in 2009 where he repeated his claims about Combs’ alleged connection to the murder. The agency has said that Combs has never been considered a suspect in Shakur’s death.
Diddy accuser Adria English loses legal representation
Ariel Mitchell-Kidd, ex-attorney for Combs accuser Adria English, explained on “Banfield” why she requested to withdraw from her client’s case.
“We agreed that she would stop undermining me,” Mitchell-Kidd said on “Banfield.” “Then she went behind my back and violated it again. So fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. That’s where we are.”
Former adult film actress Adria English alleged that from 2004 and 2009, the music mogul forced her to take drugs and have sex with guests at his New York and Miami mansions.
Diddy’s mom: ‘My son is not the monster they have painted him to be’
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ mother, Janice Smalls Combs, condemned the allegations against her son, likening the investigation to a “public lynching” rooted in “lies” for “financial gain.”
Smalls Combs acknowledged a video showing her son assaulting his former girlfriend in a hotel in 2016. Combs admitted to the assault in May, calling his actions “inexcusable.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs files bail appeal again
Combs filed his third appeal, asking to be released on bond in his sex abuse case as he awaits trial.
In new legal documents, obtained by NewsNation, Combs’ legal team argues the music mogul poses “no conceivable flight risk.”
Combs is being held in custody after being denied bail thrice.
Diddy’s attorneys blame DHS for leaks
In motion filed last Wednesday, Oct. 9, Combs lawyer accused the Department of Homeland Security of being behind “unlawful leaks that resulted in prejudicial pre-trial publicity” that they say will damage Combs’ ability to get a fair trial. And they want a judge to suppress any leaked evidence, including the infamous 2016 tape showing Diddy assaulting his former girlfriend.
Lawyer says 120 more people will come forward
Tony Buzbee, a lawyer from Houston, says he is representing 120 people who plan on filing lawsuits saying they have experienced sexual misconduct from Combs, including 25 minors.
Erica Wolff, Combs’ lawyer, said in a statement to NewsNation that the rap mogul “emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors.”
Six more lawsuits filed
The first six of 120 lawsuits Buzbee said would be coming are filed in New York federal court. Among the allegations detailed in the filings are one saying Combs sexually assaulted a 16-year-old.
Attorneys for Combs told NewsNation the rap mogul “has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”
“The press conference and 1-800 number that preceded today’s barrage of filings were clear attempts to garner publicity. Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail,” they said.
Combs accused of raping 13-year-old: Lawsuit
Seven new lawsuits were filed against Sean “Diddy” Combs, including one alleging the rape of a 13-year-old girl.
The lawsuit filed Sunday alleges that a 13-year-old girl, who was invited to a party by a limousine driver after the Video Music Awards in Manhattan in September 2000, was raped by a “male celebrity” and then by Combs as individuals identified only as “Celebrity A,” a male, and “Celebrity B,” a female, watched.
Combs accused of raping 10-year-old boy: Lawsuit
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy, according to a new complaint filed Monday, Variety reported.
It’s one of two lawsuits filed in New York on Monday. In the second suit, a male accuser said he was sexually assaulted by Combs in 2008 while auditioning for “Making the Band” at 17 years old.
Court witness says he saw 8 sex tapes with at least 2 celeb minors
Courtney Burgess, a Sean “Diddy” Combs investigation court witness, exclusively told NewsNation’s “Banfield” he was given 11 flash drives containing at least eight sex tapes involving eight celebrities.
Burgess testified before the Combs grand jury in the Southern District of New York on Thursday, Oct. 31. Among the eight celebrities who were Combs’ “victims,” “two to three” were minors, according to Burgess.
Criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos, whose daughter Teny represents Combs, said he’s “Not buying” Burgess’ allegations.
“I think the prosecutors think he failed the smell test, and I suspect the prosecutors brought him in front of the grand jury because I don’t think anyone is buying what he’s selling,” Gergaso said on “CUOMO.”
Combs court witness Courtney Burgess asked to return to grand jury
Courtney Burgess has been asked to return to the grand jury on Nov. 12 in the Southern District of New York to testify a second time, according to his lawyer.
Mitchell, Burgess’ attorney, said her client believes that the purpose of the gag order request was to silence Burgess. “We truly believe that Combs is aware that the things that Courtney has talked about and the things on the flash drive were definitely real events. That’s the last thing that Combs would like out about him.”
Combs sued for 1996 assault outside NYC club
In another lawsuit, Sean “Diddy” Combs and his security team have been accused of physically assaulting an Atlanta man outside a New York City club in 1996.
DeWitt Gilmore, a writer who goes by the pen name Relentless Aaron, exclusively told NewsNation’s Ashleigh Banfield on Monday that he and two friends were leaving an NYC nightclub when Combs, driven by his bodyguard, pulled up and began ridiculing him.
Shots were allegedly fired, with Gilmore and his friends fleeing the scene.
Combs accuser: Children dressed as ‘Harajuku Barbies’ at ‘Freak Off’ party
A woman told TMZ she attended a Diddy “Freak Off” party in 2018 where children were present. Tanea Wallace, an aspiring singer-songwriter, spoke with TMZ as part of their new documentary, “TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: Inside the Freak Offs.”
She said she was invited to Combs’ party by a Saudi prince who flew her from L.A. to Miami. Combs’ legal team denies Wallace’s claims.
5 new lawsuits, including alleged teen sexual assault
Five new lawsuits accusing Sean “Diddy” Combs of sexual abuse were filed on Nov. 19 by Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee, according to court documents obtained by NewsNation.
One woman alleges that at 18 years old, she was drugged and coerced into performing oral sex on Combs and his bodyguard outside a Halloween party at a New York City nightclub in 2001.
Another woman says that at 17 years old, she attended a Fourth of July party in 2004 where Combs sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious, according to the lawsuit.
Anonymous Diddy accuser revealed as ex-wife of NHL player
The ex-wife of an NHL hockey player has come forward revealing herself as one of the anonymous accusers who filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Anna Kane amended her lawsuit with her full name after previously filing as a “Jane Doe,” reported TMZ.
Kane, who was married to NHL player Evander Kane until 2021, said Combs’ lawyer demanded in legal filings that she use her name which forced her to go public, the outlet reported.
“I had hoped to use a pseudonym in pursuing justice for what happened to me as a teenager. Defendants’ demand that I use my name was an attempt to intimidate me, but I am not intimidated. I am prepared to proceed and hold accountable those who have harmed me,” she said in a statement to TMZ.
Kane filed a federal lawsuit in December 2023 alleging Combs, Bad Boy Records executive Harvey Pierre and a third “assailant” gang-raped her when she was 17 after trafficking her across state lines in 2003.
Jay-Z accused of raping 13-year-old in 2000 with Diddy
Rap mogul and entrepreneur Jay-Z, born Shawn Carter, is accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000, alongside Diddy.
The victim, identified as “Jane Doe,” alleges that the pair of stars assaulted her at an MTV Video Music Awards afterparty, NBC News first reported. She was invited by a limousine driver after the Video Music Awards in Manhattan in September 2000.
Originally filed in October 2024, the suit named only Diddy. Sunday’s amended complaint identifies Jay-Z as “Celebrity A,” who was accused of raping the 13-year-old while “Celebrity B,” a female, watched.
Court documents also accuse Jay-Z of being present during “many such instances.”
“He believes he is above the law. He is not,” the filing reads. “His close friend Shawn Carter has been with Combs during many such instances described herein. Both perpetrators must face justice.”
The record executive released a lengthy statement in response to the complaint. In it, Jay-Z claims the lawyer behind the 13-year-old accuser’s suit attempted to blackmail him.
Lawyer Tony Buzbee responded to Jay-Z’s statement in a post on X, accusing the rapper of bullying and harassing both him and his plaintiff.
Buzbee posted that he will “let the filing speak for itself and will litigate the facts in court, not in the media.”