After months of accusations of sexual abuse and other crimes against hip hop mogul Sean Combs, better known under the pseudonym Diddy, indictments were brought today on three counts: participation in organized crime; sex trafficking with the use of force, fraud or coercion; and facilitating prostitution, Variety reports.
Combs is expected to appear before a judge today, where the charges will be read to him.
His lawyer, Mark Agnifilo, told TMZ outside court that he will “fight like hell” to get his client released on bail, claiming that the rapper is Nevin.
Combs and his company were accused of a "persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse against women and other individuals." According to the indictment, Combs "punched, kicked, threw objects at and dragged the victims, sometimes by the hair."
The indictment alleges that Combs and his associates threatened and forced the victims to participate in multi-day sex events called "freak offs."
"Freak offs were elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs organized, directed, masturbated during, and often filmed," the indictment states.
According to the indictment, the rapper hired male sex workers, sometimes arranging to transport them across national or international borders. At a press conference, Damian Williams, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the women were given ketamine, ecstasy and GHB.
During searches of Combs' facilities in March, investigators seized "freak-off paraphernalia," including drugs and more than 1000 bottles of baby oil and other lubricants, the indictment said.
Combs is also accused of controlling victims using violence, as well as promises of financial reward or punishment. The rapper and his security guard carried firearms, and Combs sometimes pulled out a gun to threaten victims and witnesses, according to the indictment. The searches turned up multiple AR-15 rifles with altered serial numbers, as well as ammunition, the indictment states.
Combs also used videos of "freak offs" to ensure victims did not speak up about the abuse, the indictment alleges.
In the second and third counts, Combs is accused of causing the unnamed victim to “engage in commercial sexual acts” and “knowingly transporting a person across state and international borders with the intent that the person engage in prostitution,” among other allegations.
Combs was arrested Monday night in New York.
"We are disappointed in the decision to continue what we believe to be an injustice against Mr. Combs by the United States Attorney's Office," Combs' attorney, Mark Agnifilo, said in a statement.
He added that Combs went to New York last Sunday in anticipation of the indictment being filed. "He is an imperfect man, but he is not a criminal," Agnifilo said.
The federal investigation against Combs was revealed when agents conducted simultaneous searches and raids on Combs' Los Angeles and Miami mansions on March 25.
A day after the search, his attorney, Aron Dyer, called the search a brutal use of military force, said the charges were baseless and that Combs was innocent and would continue to fight to clear his name.
Since then, his career has been plagued by sexual harassment lawsuits and a federal investigation.
Combs was once one of the most successful rappers in the US, with a string of hits such as "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "I'll Be Missing You" and "Shake Ya Tailfeather". His production company, Bad Boy Records, was home to popular artists such as Notorious BIG and Mase, and he has also found success with other business ventures such as clothing brand Sean John and vodka brand Cîroc.
However, the allegations, which he denied, damaged his reputation.
Last November, his ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual assault. The legal representatives of the rapper and the singer settled the next day, but the consequences of the lawsuit lasted much longer. Three more women soon came forward with allegations against Combs, including human trafficking and gang rape.
In May, CNN aired video footage of Combs punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her to the floor in a hotel hallway.
In June, the prestigious Howard University announced that it had severed all ties with Combs and withdrawn all honors and privileges associated with the honorary degree it had awarded him. Combs also had to return the ceremonial "Key to the City of New York" at the request of Mayor Eric Adams.
In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging that Combs forced him to hire prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. A second lawsuit against Combs was filed by an unnamed woman who said the rapper raped her two decades ago when she was 17.
Combs and his lawyers have denied the allegations.
Last week, a man who accused Combs of sexual assault won a $100 million judgment after the music producer pleaded no contest to the allegations in a Michigan civil court.
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