Sean “Diddy” Combs was taken into custody in New York; his lawyer

 According to the producer’s lawyer, Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul who has been the subject of numerous sexual assault cases and a federal investigation into human trafficking in the past year, has been taken into custody.

Combs, who has been in New York City since last week, was detained by Homeland Security Investigations on Monday at the Park Hyatt Hotel on 57th Street in Manhattan, according to a person close with the discussions who spoke with CNN at around 8:15 p.m.

According to a statement from Damian Williams, US attorney for the Southern District of New York, the arrest was made in response to an indictment that is anticipated to be unsealed on Tuesday morning.

Right now, it’s unknown what Combs is being charged with and the specifics of the case.

The source claims that the sealed indictment was voted on Monday, and that negotiations for the Combs’ surrender had been continuing.

Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo told CNN, “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe to be an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

According to Combs’ legal representative, the musician “voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges” and has been participating with the investigation that resulted in the indictment. According to his team, he is innocent and has “nothing to hide.”

“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a self-made entrepreneur, music star, devoted family guy, and established philanthropist who has dedicated the last thirty years to creating an empire, raising his children, and promoting the Black community. Agnifilo told CNN, “He is not a criminal; he is an imperfect person.”

“Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts,” Agnifolo pleaded with the public. These actions are those of an innocent man who has nothing to conceal and is eager to have his reputation cleared in court.

The Homeland Security Investigations department began a months-long investigation into Combs’ involvement in  trafficking earlier this year. The result was the spectacular searches of the musician’s houses in Miami and Los Angeles in March.

A major step up in the government’s investigation, CNN’s exclusive story in May revealed that federal investigators were getting ready to call Combs’ accusers before a federal grand jury for testimony.

This suggested the Justice Department was getting closer to possibly pursuing an indictment of the rapper and businessman.

Combs has previously refuted every accusation of misconduct made in the different lawsuits. But after CNN obtained exclusive security footage earlier this year showing Combs viciously beating his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016, the man apologized in public.

Lil Rod, April Lampros, and Grace O’Marcaigh, three of Combs’ accusers, had an attorney who referred to the arrest as “long-awaited.”

The criminal portion of this case is left in the hands of the people and the legal system, according to a statement released by attorney Tyrone Blackburn on Monday night. Regarding the civil matters, we’ll wait for the facts to come to light and fight for the justice that our clients are due.

According to Blackburn, more claimed victims should come forward.

“We were anticipating this. It was just a question of time, and the proof is abundantly evident. For my clients as well as the other victims of Mr. Combs, this is a critical step toward justice. Justice will win out, Blackburn continued.

Combs faces a slew of civil lawsuits

The singer is facing numerous civil claims that were filed in the past year, even though it is unclear what proof and accusations led to Combs’ arrest.

Even as recently as last week, Dawn Richard, a former Danity Kane member,

In the case, Richard further claimed to have seen Combs “brutally beat” his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who in November 2023 launched and swiftly resolved her own lawsuit against Combs.

In a statement to CNN, one of Combs’s lawyers, Erica Wolff, refuted Richard’s claims and charged Richard with having a financial motivation.

Aubrey O’Day, a different former member of Danity Kane, responded to the news of Combs’ arrest on X on Monday night.

“Justice exists to provide an end and give us the opportunity to start a new chapter in our lives. Women are incapable of understanding this. I felt proven right. Not just for me, but for women everywhere, today is a victory. Finally, things are shifting, according to O’Day.

Following the raids on the music mogul’s residences in Miami and Los Angeles in March—which occurred just weeks after Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a lawsuit against him—the public’s scrutiny of the music mogul has grown.

According to a complaint filed in New York federal court, Jones, who worked with Combs as a producer and cinematographer, accusations “grooming” and claims to have video and audio recording of the musician and his crew “engaging in serious illegal activity.”

Jones says, among other things, that Combs intimidated him, made him get drugs, and gave house party visitors alcohol that was tainted with drugs.

In a statement to CNN, Combs’ lawyer Shawn Holley refuted the claims and labeled Jones as “a liar.”

The public’s scrutiny of the music entrepreneur has increased since the raids on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March, which happened only a few weeks after Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a lawsuit against him.

In a complaint submitted to a federal court in New York, Jones—a producer and cinematographer who collaborated with Combs—alleges that he was “grooming” the rapper and his crew and claims to have audio and video evidence of them “engaging in serious illegal activity.”

Among other things, Jones claims that Combs fed visitors to his home parties alcohol that had been laced with drugs, bullied him, and forced him to obtain drugs.

Shawn Holley, Combs’ attorney, denied the allegations and called Jones “a liar” in a statement to CNN.