Why was Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrested? His return to New York, explained

Music mogul, rapper, and businessman Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been in hot water for the better part of a year. What started out as lawsuit after lawsuit has finally culminated into an official arrest. 

The charges against him range from sexual assault and harassment, to sex and drug trafficking. These have led to a federal raid, a hefty settlement, and an arrest seems to be the icing on the justice cake. Diddy was previously alleged to be in Bali, a country famous for its difficult extradition process, and home to another disgraced mogul, Russell Simmons.

Why was Sean Combs arrested?

After nearly a year of allegations, investigations, and lawsuits, Combs was arrested in New York on the night of Monday, Sept. 16. He was apprehended at the Park Hyatt Hotel on West 57th Street by Homeland Security Investigations, and was taken into custody that night. Homeland Security has been investigating Combs for some time now and the arrest was preceded by multiple sexual assault lawsuits, a human trafficking probe, and two home raids earlier this year.

The specific charges for his arrest are still unclear, especially since the grand jury indictment is still sealed. Damian Williams, the Southern District Attorney for New York, said in a statement that the indictment will likely be unsealed by Tuesday morning. One of Combs’ attorneys, Marc Agnifilo, expressed his feelings on CNN about the arrest and explained why Combs was in New York after being speculated to have fled to Bali earlier this year. Agnifilo claims that Combs had, “voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges,” because he has “nothing to hide.” He added, “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney’s Office.”

The lawsuits against Sean Combs

By far the most publicized suit against Diddy was the one filed by Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. In her federal complaint, she accused Combs of sexual assault, sex trafficking, battery, and many more damning actions. Ventura’s case was surprisingly settled just a day later outside of court, which already made Combs look extremely guilty. His guilt was further proved earlier this year in a video from 2016 released by CNN which showed Combs physically assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway. 

Ventura filed her suit in November 2023, just as the New York Adult Survivor’s Act deadline was approaching. Two other victims, Lisa Gardner and Joie Dickerson, filed just a day before the deadline. Gardner’s suit alleged that Combs and fellow musician Aaron Hall sexually assaulted her when she was 16, while Dickerson accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting her, and recording the assault without her consent. 

Another ongoing suit was filed in February 2024 by Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, a producer who claimed that Combs hired him to make music, but instead had him running drugs and soliciting sex workers. He also claimed to have video and audio evidence of Combs drugging and assaulting numerous women.

Other lawsuits against Combs have been filed by April Lampros, Crystal McKinney, and two Jane Does, accusing him of varying degrees of sexual assault, drugging, trafficking, harassment, physical assault, and more. One of Comb’s sons. Christian Combs, was also sued by Grace O’Marcaigh for sexual assault and battery. 

CNN reported that most plaintiffs who have filed suits against Combs have been interviewed and might be brought forward to testify in front of a grand jury.