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The Department of Homeland Security conducted a raid on a property in Holmby Hills, linked to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, the renowned rapper and music executive. The operation is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of sex trafficking. The residence, registered to Bad Boy Films, a division of Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment, is also associated with one of Combs’ daughters.
Law enforcement swiftly surrounded the area on Monday, with reports of at least 30 vehicles and three armored units on the scene. Eyewitnesses observed several individuals being detained outside the home, though their identities and the nature of their involvement remain unclear.
BREAKING: Homeland Security raids Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Los Angeles home amid sex trafficking investigation
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 25, 2024
Officers, heavily armed, were seen entering the premises through a side gate and conducting a thorough search of the property, including the garage area in video shown from Fox 11 (KTTV). At least three people present in the home at the time of the raid were taken into custody, though it has not been confirmed if they are under arrest or merely being questioned.
WATCH:
“Earlier today, 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 Department of Homeland Security announced in a press statement.
On Monday, Attorney Douglas Wigdor, representing Cassie Ventura, made a statement saying, “We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”
The New York Times reported:
Combs, 54, known as Puff Daddy and Diddy, played an integral role in the transformation of hip-hop into a global commercial force, yet has been dogged for decades by accusations of violence. In November, he was sued for sexual assault by Casandra Ventura, his former girlfriend, who was also signed to his label, Bad Boy, as the performing artist Cassie.
In her suit, Ms. Ventura accused Mr. Combs of forcing her to engage in sexual activity with male prostitutes over a period of years. The suit said that as a result of those encounters, which took place in a number of cities across the United States, Ms. Ventura was a victim of sex trafficking.
Ms. Ventura’s civil suit was settled in just one day, with her and Mr. Combs saying their dispute had been resolved “amicably.”
But her suit was followed by several more cases, each accusing Mr. Combs of sexual assault. In one case filed last month, a music producer, Rodney Jones, said that Mr. Combs had made unwanted sexual contact with him, and forced him to hire prostitutes and participate in sex acts with them.
Mr. Combs has denied the accusations against him. In December, after an anonymous woman filed a suit accusing Mr. Combs and two other men of raping her in a New York recording studio in 2003, when she was 17, the music mogul said: “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
As the investigation continues, authorities have yet to provide detailed information regarding the specifics of the allegations or the targets of their probe. Notably, Diddy himself was not seen at the property during the raid.
