Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyer has responded to law enforcement officers raiding the rapper’s properties, labelling it “a witch hunt” that was a “gross use of military-level force”.
On Monday (March 25), Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area were raided, seemingly in connection with a series of ongoing sex trafficking investigations.
The raids, led by the Department of Homeland Security, were in conjunction with investigations that span Los Angeles, Miami and New York. However, per reports from CNN, it has yet to be confirmed if Combs was a specific target of the raid, or if the searches of his properties are part of a larger investigation.
In response to the government action, Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer has described it as an “unprecedented ambush”.
Sean Combs aka Diddy attends the celebration for Diddy’s birthday and new album launch at LAVO on November 9, 2023 in London, England (CREDIT: Dave Benett/Getty Images for TAO Group Hospitality)
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” he wrote (via Variety). “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,” Dyer continued. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
The rapper, hip-hop producer and music executive is facing a number of allegations, including accusations of sex trafficking and sexual abuse. The lawsuit was filed last month by record producer Rodney Jones.
In his lawsuit, Jones claims that Diddy sexually assaulted him and also threw parties that were attended by sex workers and underage girls. He also alleged that Combs coerced him to solicit and sleep with prostitutes. Diddy has denied all accusations and labelled them as “pure fiction”.
In the filing, Combs is said to have drawn guests to his infamous parties through his associations with VIPs, with “celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians and international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry”.
In November of 2023, he was accused of rape and physical abuse in a lawsuit by his former partner Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Combs denied Ventura’s allegations at the time, however, and the lawsuit was quickly dropped as Combs and Ventura settled the suit the following day to “mutual satisfaction”.
A week after Ventura’s lawsuit, two new allegations by two different women also came out with one claiming that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her and the other alleging that Combs and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall took turns raping the plaintiff and her friend in 1990 or 1991 – with Diddy allegedly turning violent days later.
He denied those allegations in December, saying via a statement: “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.” That same month, he was also accused of the “gang rape” of a 17-year-old girl, which he denies. Hall did not immediately comment on the allegations.
Yesterday (March 26) Usher‘s comments about his experiences at Diddy‘s home in a resurfaced interview were reported as having gone viral.
He told Rolling Stone in 2004 that Combs introduced him to “a totally different set of shit — sex, specifically”. “Sex is so hot in the industry, man,” he continued, alleging that “there was always girls around. You’d open a door and see somebody doing it, or several people in a room having an orgy. You never knew what was going to happen.”
Usher’s representatives declined to comment to NME. NME reached out to Diddy for comment as well.
The post Diddy’s attorney says home raids were “gross use of military-level force” appeared first on NME.