‘Witch hunt’: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyer responds to raids on Florida, California homes
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Video above shows federal raids at Diddy’s Miami mansion
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyer has broken his silence after federal agents conducted a raid on the music mogul’s homes in Florida and California on Monday.
In a statement to NewsNation’s Brian Entin Tuesday, Diddy’s lawyer, Aaron Dyer, denounced rumors and other speculation caused by the raids, calling them a “witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
Entin posted Dyer’s statement on X, formerly known as Twitter:
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. 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. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Federal agents raid Diddy’s Florida mansion as part of sex trafficking probe: reports
Homeland Security executed search warrants at the rapper’s homes as part of an “ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York,” the Associated Press reported. However, it’s unclear if Diddy was the target of the investigation.
Diddy’s two sons were seen in handcuffs during the raid at his California home, but no one in his family was arrested, according to Dyer.
The video below shows aerial footage of agents raiding Diddy’s California mansion.
Rumors also began to fly that Diddy had left the country as flight tracker data showed that the rapper’s jet traveled to Antigua, but it’s unknown if Diddy was on the flight.
According to People, the private plane departed from the Sacramento Executive Airport around 5:30 p.m. PDT on Sunday and landed at Palm Springs International Airport about an hour later. The plane left Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles at 9 a.m. on Monday and landed in the Caribbean.
On Tuesday, the Miami Herald reported that his plane is no longer traceable on FlightAware. A spokesperson for the flight tracking site told the Herald that it’s not uncommon for a plane owner to ask for their activity to be blocked.
What we know about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ location during federal raids
Although Diddy’s location remains unclear, TMX obtained video that reportedly shows the rapper walking around at the Miami-Opa locka Executive Airport just hours after the raids began.
The raids come amid several civil lawsuits accusing Diddy of sexual harassment and human trafficking, claims he’s denied.
In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of those allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie did.
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Combs had said in a December statement, “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
Combs is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
Combs created the fashion clothing line Sean John, launched the Revolt TV channel with a focus on music, and produced the reality show “Making the Band” for MTV.
His latest album, “The Love Album – Off the Grid,” was released last year days after Combs was honored at the MTV VMAs. It was nominated for best progressive R&B album at February’s Grammy Awards, which the rapper-mogul did not attend.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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