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Sean “Diddy” Combs faces federal charges in New York, his lawyer says.
The background: Details of the charges weren’t immediately announced by prosecutors.
Criminal charges would be a major but not unexpected takedown of one of the most prominent producers and most famous names in the history of hip-hop.
The federal investigation of the 58-year-old Combs was revealed when US Homeland Security Investigations agents served simultaneous search warrants and raided Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami on 25 March.
The next day, Combs’ defence lawyer Aaron Dyer called the raids “a gross use of military-level force” and said the allegations were “meritless”. He said Combs was “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name.
In November 2023, Combs’ former protégé and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual abuse.
Cassie’s lawsuit was followed by at least a half-dozen others in the ensuing months.
While authorities did not publicly say that the lawsuits set off the criminal investigation, Dyer said when the warrants were served that the case was based on “meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits”.
The key quote: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office.” — Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo.
He added that Combs had gone to New York last week in anticipation of the charges being brought.
“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo said.
What else to know: As the founder of Bad Boy Records, Combs became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past 30 years. Along with the Notorious BIG, he worked with a range of top-tier artists including Mary J Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
Combs’ roles in his businesses beyond music — including alcohol, a media company and the Sean John fashion line — took major hits when the allegations arose.