(New York) American rapper and powerful hip-hop producer Sean “Diddy” Combs was taken into custody Tuesday, accused by federal prosecutors in New York of using his “empire” to fuel a violent sex trafficking scheme.
Arrested Monday evening in Manhattan, the artist, who has been the target of multiple complaints of sexual assault for several months, appeared in Manhattan court, where he pleaded “not guilty” to charges of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation and extortion.
Judge Robyn Tarnofsky then ordered him remanded in custody pending trial, noting her concerns about a repeat of such “crimes that take place behind closed doors.” Combs’ attorney said an appeal hearing on the detention would be held Wednesday afternoon.
An artist with multiple nicknames and roles in the music and business worlds, P. Diddy, 54, is described by his alleged victims as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to gain their submission.
“For decades,” Sean Combs, aka “Puff Daddy,” “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his actions,” charges the indictment unsealed Tuesday by the Manhattan federal prosecutor’s office.
Federal prosecutor Damian Williams described a system based on “violence” to force women to have “long sexual relations with sex workers”, scenes that he “recorded” and during which the victims took substances such as ecstasy, GHB (the date rape drug) or ketamine.
“Forced labor”
“When Combs didn’t get what he wanted, he was violent. […] kicking and dragging his victims, sometimes by the hair,” he added.
According to the indictment, the rapper relied on his employees, “the resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire he directed and controlled to create a criminal enterprise whose members engaged in […] to trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced labor, kidnapping, obstruction of justice.”
“He is innocent,” his lawyer replied. According to him, his client wants to cooperate with the investigation.
The rapper’s luxury homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided in March in a high-profile operation that raised concerns that a federal investigation and criminal case were looming against Combs.
According to the prosecutor, weapons, including AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, were seized.
Hip-hop figure
Under the nicknames Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or Diddy, he established himself as a figure in East Coast hip-hop, both on the microphone and in production.
He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, a prelude to his rise to the top. He notably produced the late Notorious B.I.G., a New York rap legend who was assassinated in 1997, and Mary J. Blige. His album No Way Out received the Grammy for Best Rap Album in 1997.
He has accumulated immense wealth over the decades, also thanks to his activities in the alcohol industry.
However, despite his efforts to cultivate the image of a business tycoon, a series of complaints portray Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity to prey on women.
The rapper has been the target of a complaint since early July from a former porn actress, Adria English. She accuses Sean Combs of using her “as a sexual pawn for the pleasure and financial benefit of others” during parties in the Hamptons, New York, and Florida, between 2004 and 2009.
In total, nine complaints have been filed against the rapper since November 2023.
“Inexcusable”
In one of them, filed in November, his former partner “Cassie” Ventura accuses him of having had “violent” and “deviant” behavior for a decade.
In a video from 2016, P. Diddy lashes out at her.
The rapper can be seen catching up with her in a hotel corridor, grabbing her roughly and throwing her violently to the ground, before kicking her several times.
“My behavior in this video is inexcusable,” the billionaire said on Instagram.
The case was settled “amicably” under a confidential agreement.
The man who has been trying to restore his image in recent years with yet another nickname, “Brother Love”, has amassed a substantial fortune in more than three decades in the music industry with an image bling blingshowing off diamonds, yachts and custom-made suits.
Combs has been the subject of allegations of abuse since the 1990s, although he has never received any major convictions.