Diddy Accused of Sex Trafficking: What You Need to Know

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul embroiled in multiple legal battles over allegations of physical and sexual abuse, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of human trafficking, racketeering and transporting persons for the purpose of prostitution.

Combs was arrested Monday night in New York, and the federal indictment was unsealed Tuesday. The indictment alleges that Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.” It accuses Combs of “operating a criminal enterprise” that included sex trafficking, forced labor, and kidnapping.

Combs was arraigned in a federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, and a federal judge ordered that he be held without bail pending trial. Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said outside court after the arraignment that his team was scheduled to appear in court the following day to appeal the decision.

“Mr. Combs is a fighter. He’s going to fight this to the end. He’s innocent. He came to New York to prove his innocence,” Agnifilo told reporters outside the courthouse after the judge’s decision Tuesday. “He’s not afraid of the charges.”

Combs allegedly manipulated and coerced women into engaging in sexual activity with male sex workers in what he called “Freak Offs,” according to the indictment. The indictment details several incidents of alleged abuse dating back to 2008, including an apparent reference to an attack on his ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Combs’ arrest came after federal agents searched his homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March as part of the investigation, officials confirmed Tuesday.

The suit follows multiple allegations of abuse by Combs detailed in several lawsuits, including one filed by Cassie, born Casandra Ventura. Ventura and Combs reached a settlement in November, just a day after she filed her lawsuit, though Combs denied the allegations at the time. But in May, CNN released CCTV footage that appeared to show Combs punching and kicking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016, prompting Combs to post a video statement on Instagram in which he admitted to assaulting Ventura.

Two other women filed lawsuits in November, accusing the music mogul of sexual abuse, assault and forced drug use in the early 1990s. Another woman sued Combs in December, alleging he and two other men raped her in 2003 when she was 17.

At a news conference Tuesday, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said his office, which brought the case against Combs, was “not done yet.” He added that the investigation is ongoing and encouraged people with information to come forward.

“This office is committed to investigating and prosecuting anyone who engages in sex trafficking, no matter how powerful, wealthy or famous,” Williams said. “A year ago, Sean Combs stood in Times Square and was handed a key to New York City. Today, he has been indicted and will appear in court in the Southern District of New York.” (Combs returned his key to the city in June, at the request of Mayor Eric Adams.)

The indictment does not list the total number of people allegedly victimized by Combs or how many people were involved, and Williams declined to provide that information during the news conference. But in court documents, prosecutors said officials have interviewed more than 50 victims and witnesses so far.

Below is a summary of the allegations contained in the indictment.

‘Freak-offs’‘

The indictment repeatedly refers to the “Combs Enterprise,” allegedly run by Combs himself and including members of his security staff, housekeepers, personal assistants, high-level supervisors and other close associates. While the enterprise operated to support Combs’ media and entertainment business, it also protected Combs through violence, coercion and abuse, the indictment alleges. The indictment accuses the enterprise of “fulfilling Combs’ personal desires, particularly those related to Combs’ sexual gratification through the exploitation of women and the use of commercial sex workers.”

The indictment alleges that Combs — and others acting under his authority — used his “power and prestige” to intimidate and lure women into his employment, “often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.” He would then use force, threats and coercion to force the women to participate, with male sex workers, in what the music mogul called “Freak Offs,” which were “elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during and often electronically recorded,” the indictment alleges. These “Freak Offs” could last for several days. On some occasions, Combs and his associates would fly women and sex workers across state lines and internationally, the indictment alleges.

The indictment accuses Combs’ associates of helping to facilitate the incidents by arranging travel, booking hotel rooms and providing them with supplies, including medications, baby oil, lubricant and extra linens. When federal agents searched Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March, they seized supplies used in the “Freak Offs,” including more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, the indictment says.

Drug use

During the “Freak Offs,” Combs gave the women drugs to keep them “compliant and obedient,” the indictment alleges. Williams said during his press conference that the drugs included ketamine, ecstasy and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB). According to the indictment, federal agents seized narcotics during their search of Combs’ homes in March.

Combs and victims were often given IVs after these meetings “to recover from the physical exertion and drug use,” the complaint states.

Coercive tactics

The indictment accuses Combs of using a variety of tactics to control the women, including promising career advancement opportunities, threatening to withhold financial support, tracking their locations, monitoring their medical records and regulating their housing.

“Victims believed they could not refuse Combs’ demands without jeopardizing their financial or job security or without repercussions in the form of physical or emotional abuse,” the lawsuit alleges. “Combs also used the sensitive, embarrassing and incriminating recordings he made during Freak Offs as collateral to ensure victims’ continued compliance and silence.” At times, the women were unaware that Combs kept videos of the activities, the lawsuit alleges.

Physical violence and threats

Combs and his associates also used physical force or threats of force to control victims, the indictment alleges. The indictment alleges that Combs had a history of assaulting women by “hitting, punching, dragging, throwing objects at them and kicking them,” referring to the 2016 incident with Ventura that was caught on camera. The indictment alleges that Combs attempted to bribe a member of the hotel’s security staff who intervened in that incident.

Combs repeatedly attempted to intimidate or threaten victims and witnesses by brandishing firearms, the indictment alleges. When federal authorities searched the music mogul’s homes in March, they found firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers and a drum magazine, the indictment alleges.

In some cases, members of the so-called Combs Enterprise helped conceal Combs’ abuse by forcing victims into hiding, sometimes for several days, to recover from injuries inflicted by the music mogul, the lawsuit alleges. When people threatened Combs’ authority or reputation, he and his associates retaliated with violence, including kidnapping and arson, or threats, the lawsuit alleges. (During Tuesday’s press conference, Williams declined to reveal further details about the arson allegations.)

According to the indictment, Combs and his associates allegedly pressured and attempted to bribe witnesses and victims into remaining silent about the “Freak Offs” in late 2023 after allegations of abuse became public.