11 Things to Know About Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Trafficking Investigation

Sean "Diddy" Combs has been through a lot of legal headaches as of late, but the sexual assault accusations and lawsuits only emerged in November 2023 when his ex Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit in New York.

They were in an on-again, off-again relationship from 2007 to 2018.

In the filing, Cassie accused the "Coming Home" rapper, 54, of abusing and s-- trafficking her for years, including a rape incident in 2018.

"After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships," said Cassie. "With the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life."

Meanwhile, Combs' lawyer, Ben Brafman, called the allegations "offensive and outrageous."

"Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. Ms. Ventura's demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail," Brafman noted in a statement to People. "Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs' reputation, and seeking a pay day."

Combs and Cassie settled the lawsuit one day after the filing.

A few days after Cassie's lawsuit, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal submitted her own filing in which she accused Combs of drugging and raping her when she was studying at Syracuse University in 1991. Per the alleged victim's attorneys, she was a victim of "revenge p---" as the record producer took a video of the reported incident and shared it with others.

Once again, the "I'll Be Missing You" hitmaker denied the claims and called the story "fabricated."

Another woman, who went by the name Jane Doe in the filing, shared a similar story in the lawsuit filed in New York County Supreme Court. She alleged Combs and Aaron Hall took turns sexually abusing her and a friend more than 30 years ago.

A spokesperson for Combs denied the story again and said it was only "a money grab."

A fourth woman submitted her own filing in New York and included the names of Harve Pierre and a third individual called "Third Assailant." The alleged victim said the s-- trafficking and gang rape happened when she was 17.

After the series of accusations, Combs wrote a statement to address the claims made by people who "tried to destroy" his reputation.

The Department of Homeland Security agents conducted simultaneous raids at Combs' properties in Los Angeles and Miami on March 25. WPIX confirmed it was part of an ongoing s-- trafficking investigation.

"Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available," the HIS said in a statement to multiple news outlets.

Following the searches, Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, insisted the "It's All About the Benjamins" rapper's innocence and slammed the authorities for the raid.

"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," Dyer shared.

Following the raids, rumors about Combs getting arrested by the FBI surfaced. Several TikTok videos made the claims, saying the arrest was made following his legal battles over the years.

However, it was later revealed that Combs was at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport at the time of the searches.

In an interview with NewsNation, one of R. Kelly's prosecutors Nadia Shihata said charges might be served soon.

"They clearly have probable cause to believe that a federal crime has been committed and that evidence of that crime or multiple crimes would be found in the two locations that they searched. This is big news, and if I'm P. Diddy or his lawyers, I'd be very concerned at this point," Shihata explained.

TMZ tracked Combs' jet after he was spotted at an airport and found out the vehicle was in Antigua, though it was not confirmed whether he was in the area.

"Antigua, as we know, is an extradition country, so probably not the best place to flee to if Diddy was indeed on that plane, if that's where he is," former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told NewsNation host Ashleigh Banfield.

Combs has since returned to social media after the feds' searches and greeted everyone during Easter Sunday, sharing a photo of his daughter Love.

On Monday, September 16, Diddy was taken into police custody in New York after a grand jury voted to indict him on three counts — racketeering conspiracy; s-- trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Following the arrest, his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said he was "disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office."

"He is an imperfect person but is not criminal," he continued. "To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."

The music producer appeared in a New York courtroom and pleaded not guilty to all charges on Tuesday, September 17.

Despite his legal team's request for him to be released to in-home detention with a $50 million bond, the judge denied the request, citing him as a flight risk.

The following day, at an appeal hearing, Diddy was denied bail for the second time. He is expected to remain behind bars until his trial.