An attorney for Sean “Diddy” Combs denounced federal authorities’ raids on the homes of the megastar rapper and record producer as an “unprecedented ambush” in a statement to Newsweek.
Investigators with the Department of Homeland Security on Monday executed search warrants at properties belonging to Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner, in the Holmby Hills neighborhood of West Los Angeles, California, and Miami, Florida.
In recent months, Combs has faced several legal battles, with lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and trafficking. The raids were reportedly tied to sex-trafficking allegations leveled by different plaintiffs, the Associated Press reported, citing law enforcement sources.
In response to the raids and subsequent media coverage, Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer told Newsweek in an email on Tuesday that the Homeland Security searches were an “excessive show of force.”
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” Dyer said. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush—paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence— leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Newsweek on Tuesday reached out via email to Homeland Security for comment and an update.
GIORGIO VIERA / AFP/Getty
Last month, a music producer filed a lawsuit accusing the 54-year-old music mogul of coercing him to solicit prostitutes and have sex with them. The producer, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, alleges in the suit that he was sexually harassed, drugged and threatened by Combs for more than a year. Jones produced several tracks on Combs’ The Love Album: Off the Grid and seeks $30 million in damages.
Combs’ attorney has disputed the allegations, previously telling Newsweek that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
In 2023, three lawsuits alleging sexual assault were filed against Combs under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which expired at midnight November 23.
A woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a suit accusing Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting her. The suit alleged that the rapper filmed the incident and showed the footage to others in an act described as “revenge porn.” The complaint came days after Combs settled a suit with Cassie Ventura, who accused him of raping, sex trafficking and physically abusing her for roughly a decade.
In December, Combs was hit with another lawsuit over allegations that he trafficked and sexually abused a woman identified as Jane Doe. The suit accuses him of gang rape and sex trafficking.
Combs’ lawyer also previously denied these claims in a statement shared with Newsweek, which read in part: “These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute. This is nothing but a money grab.”
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, please call the RAINN national helpline for support at 800-656-HOPE (4673).
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.