P. Diddy’s homes raided by US Homeland Security amid sex trafficking investigation
The 54-year-old rap artist’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided by federal agents on Monday
WARNING: This article includes accounts and imagery of sexual and domestic violence and may be distressing for some readers. Resources for support are listed at the end of this article
Two residences owned by P. Diddy, aka Sean Combs, were raided by federal agents on Monday (March 25), amid ongoing investigations into sex trafficking, reports The Associated Press.
Agents entered the homes in Miami and Los Angeles on behalf of the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), though it is yet to be confirmed if Combs is the subject of their investigation.
HSI confirmed in a statement seen by Sky News, that it "executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners."
Fox 11 reports that several people were detained at Combs’ LA home however, Combs was not present — with TMZ publishing images of Combs walking around Miami while the raids took place.
NBC News has reported that several phones were seized from Combs in Miami before he was scheduled to depart on a trip to the Bahamas.
Diddy was accused of physical abuse, rape and sex trafficking in a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend Cassie in November last year. Combs denied the claim in a statement, insisting “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth."
Both parties reached a private settlement within 24 hours of the lawsuit being filed.
Following this, more women have come forward accusing the rapper of rape, sex trafficking, battery, and revenge porn among other claims. In December, he was accused of the “gang rape” of a 17-year-old girl, which Combs has denied.
Many of the lawsuits filed were under New York’s Adult Survivors Act, with most incidents allegedly taking place in the early 1990s.
Last month, producer Rodney Jones best known as Lil Rod, also filed a lawsuit against Combs accusing him of sexual assault, harassment and not compensating him for work on his 2023 GRAMMY-nominated album ‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’.
P. Diddy has denied the claims levelled by Jones, and the two parties are yet to reach a settlement.
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Becky Buckle is Mixmag's Multimedia Editor, follow her on Twitter