Sean “Diddy” Combs arrested after grand jury indictment

(Reuters) – Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested by federal agents in Manhattan on Monday night on a sealed indictment, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said.

“We are disappointed by the U.S. Attorney's decision to pursue what we believe is an unjustified prosecution of Mr. Combs,” Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Combs, told Reuters.

Agnifilo said Combs voluntarily moved to New York in anticipation of the charges.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on Agnifilo's remarks.

Combs, 54, has been accused of sexual abuse on several occasions.

Last week, singer Dawn Richard filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York accusing Combs of sexual assault, battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and fraud. Combs denies the allegations.

That same month, Combs was ordered to pay $100 million to Derrick Lee Smith in a separate sexual assault case. Smith had accused Combs of drugging and sexually assaulting him at a party nearly 30 years ago. A lawyer for Combs said the rapper would seek to have the verdict thrown out.

R&B singer Casandra Ventura sued Combs in 2023, accusing him of repeated physical abuse, sexual slavery, and rape during a 10-year professional and romantic relationship. She agreed to an undisclosed settlement in November 2023, and Combs strongly denied the allegations.

Combs is one of the most influential producers and managers in hip hop and was a hugely successful artist.

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan; editing by Stephen Coates)