By Michael Balsamo and Colleen Lengthy, The Related Press
Two properties belonging to music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami had been searched March 25 by federal Homeland Safety Investigations brokers and different legislation enforcement as a part of an ongoing intercourse trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, two legislation enforcement officers instructed The Related Press.
It’s not clear whether or not Combs was the goal of the investigation. The officers weren’t licensed to publicly talk about particulars of the investigation and spoke to the AP on situation of anonymity.
In a press release, Homeland Safety Investigations mentioned it “executed legislation enforcement actions as a part of an ongoing investigation, with help from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our native legislation enforcement companions.”
A spokesperson for the U.S. lawyer’s workplace in Manhattan declined to remark.
Messages to Combs’ legal professionals and different representatives looking for remark weren’t instantly returned.
A police line was arrange across the Los Angeles home within the rich Holmby Hills neighborhood close to Beverly Hills. Helicopter video from KABC-TV confirmed a bunch of brokers with vests that indicated they had been from Homeland Safety Investigations gathered within the dwelling’s yard close to the pool. A command put up was arrange exterior the home and brokers had been nonetheless getting into and leaving hours after the search started.
There have been a number of sexual assault lawsuits filed towards Combs in current months.
In February a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have intercourse with them. Combs’ lawyer Shawn Holley has mentioned of these allegations that “we’ve got overwhelming, indeniable proof that his claims are full lies.”
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, together with rape. The lawsuit mentioned he compelled her to have intercourse with male prostitutes whereas he filmed them. The swimsuit was settled the day after it was filed.
One other of Combs’ accusers was a lady who mentioned the rap producer raped her twenty years in the past when she was 17.
The Related Press doesn’t sometimes identify individuals who say they’ve been sexually abused except they arrive ahead publicly as Cassie did.
Combs had mentioned in a December assertion, “I didn’t do any of the terrible issues being alleged.”
Douglas Wigdor, an lawyer who represents Cassie and one other girl who sued Combs, mentioned in a press release Monday, “Hopefully, that is the start of a course of that may maintain Mr. Combs chargeable for his wicked conduct.”
It isn’t clear whether or not the search is said to any of the allegations raised within the lawsuits.
Combs is among the many most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the previous three a long time. Previously generally known as Puff Daddy, he constructed one in all hip-hop’s greatest empires, blazing a path with a number of entities connected to his well-known identify. He’s the founding father of Dangerous Boy Data and a three-time Grammy winner who has labored with a slew of top-tier artists together with Infamous B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Religion Evans and 112.
Combs created the style clothes line Sean John, launched the Revolt TV channel with a give attention to music, and produced the fact present “Making the Band” for MTV.
His newest album, “The Love Album – Off the Grid,” was launched final 12 months days after Combs was honored on the MTV VMAs. It was nominated for finest progressive R&B album at February’s Grammy Awards, which the rapper-mogul didn’t attend.
The leisure trade has been beset with a gradual stream of career-ending sexual misconduct allegations within the years since tales about film mogul Harvey Weinstein spawned the #MeToo motion in 2017. Weinstein and “That ’70s Present” star Danny Masterson are every serving jail sentences after rape convictions. Dozens of civil lawsuits have been filed towards distinguished figures.
The music trade has not confronted a reckoning to the identical diploma, however singer and producer R. Kelly is serving a jail sentence for sexually abusing younger followers, seven ladies have sued hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons alleging he raped them and two ladies have sued Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler alleging sexual assault.
Weinstein, Masterson and Kelly are interesting their convictions, and Simmons has denied the entire allegations towards him. One lawsuit towards Tyler has been dismissed and he’s contesting the opposite.
AP Leisure Author Andrew Dalton contributed from Los Angeles. This text was initially printed by The Related Press.
