Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs relaxes in Central Park and snaps selfies with fans in Manhattan before arrest in NYC – as cops finally swoop on disgraced rapper amid sex trafficking probe

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was pictured kicking back in Central Park before walking the streets of New York City with his son Christian Combs just hours before he was arrested in a Manhattan hotel room late last night. 

The rapper, clad in a long black coat over a black t-shirt with gray sweatpants and grey sneakers, was seen flashing smiles and posing for selfies with several adoring fans as he wandered the streets of midtown Manhattan, seemingly unbothered by the looming arrest and ensuing legal woes.

Christian, Combs’ 26-year-old son who performs under the moniker ‘King Combs’, was clad in a plush gray sweat suit with a grey t-shirt and white sneakers and spent quality time with his father before the rapper was arrested by Homeland Security officials on Monday evening. 

Earlier in the day, a video shared on social media showed Diddy flicking through his phone and enjoying the sunshine as he sat in Central Park, wearing a baggy black vest. 

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Combs, 54, was apprehended in connection with a Southern District of New York-issued sealed indictment – but federal officials said they will ask a judge to unseal the indictment today. 

Combs, also known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, has been in the limelight for most of the past year after he settled a lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November of 2023, in which she claimed he engaged in sex trafficking and abused her.

A video of him attacking her in 2016 in a Los Angeles hotel room circulated this past May, leading him to say that he’d ‘hit rock bottom’ and made ‘no excuses’ for his ‘inexcusable’ conduct depicted in the clip, adding that he takes ‘full responsibility.’

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, 45, was pictured hours before his arrest on a walk in midtown Manhattan with his son Christian Combs, 26, Monday 

Prior to being taken into custody following an indictment from a grand jury, Combs smiled and posed for selfies with fans, seemingly unaware of the looming legal woes coming later in the evening

Prior to being taken into custody following an indictment from a grand jury, Combs smiled and posed for selfies with fans, seemingly unaware of the looming legal woes coming later in the evening 

The musical artist was seen making a prayer gesture while chatting with fans before he was arrested

The musical artist was seen making a prayer gesture while chatting with fans before he was arrested 

Sean 'Diddy' Combs was spotted hanging out in Central Park the day before his arrest

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was spotted hanging out in Central Park the day before his arrest

The rapper, 54, appeared relaxed, sitting on a knoll while park goers meandered in the sun, seemingly unbothered by the swirling controversy

The rapper, 54, appeared relaxed, sitting on a knoll while park goers meandered in the sun, seemingly unbothered by the swirling controversy

Monday evening's indictment comes less than six months after the music mogul's homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal authorities March 25

Monday evening’s indictment comes less than six months after the music mogul’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal authorities March 25

Combs was arrested by Homeland Security officials at a midtown Manhattan hotel late Monday, law enforcement sources told TMZ, and transported to the FBI’s Manhattan field office.

Authorities had planned on arresting Combs on Tuesday, but ‘something happened’ that caused federal officials to take him into custody earlier than planned, an official told the outlet.

Singer and reality TV star Aubrey O’Day, Combs’ one-time protégé, was one of the notable names to comment on the arrest.

‘The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated,’ O’Day, 40, said.

‘Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing.’

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing one of the people suing Combs, issued the following statement Monday: ‘Given the brutal beating of Sean Combs’ girlfriend caught on video and the eight people who have now accused him of abuse in court filings, including my brave client Dawn Richard, this arrest seems long overdue.

‘It’s a big, moving day for victims, but an arrest is only the beginning. May justice be delivered to Mr. Combs. We implore other accusers to come forward in solidarity and join us in this fight.’

Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo released a statement to DailyMail.com which read: ‘We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

‘Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. 

‘He is an imperfect person but he [is] not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. 

Agnifilo added: ‘Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.’

Combs' one-time protégé Aubrey O'Day was one of the notable names to comment on the arrest

Combs’ one-time protégé Aubrey O’Day was one of the notable names to comment on the arrest 

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing one of the people suing Combs, issued the following statement Monday, saying the arrest was 'long overdue'

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing one of the people suing Combs, issued the following statement Monday, saying the arrest was ‘long overdue’

CNN alum Don Lemon also commented on Monday evening's developments

CNN alum Don Lemon also commented on Monday evening’s developments 

Combs, who has also been known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, was smiling as he posed with fans

Combs, who has also been known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, was smiling as he posed with fans

Diddy has been in the limelight for most of the past year, after he swiftly settled a lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November of 2023, in which she claimed he engaged in sex trafficking and abused her

Diddy has been in the limelight for most of the past year, after he swiftly settled a lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November of 2023, in which she claimed he engaged in sex trafficking and abused her

Monday evening’s indictment comes less than six months after the music mogul’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal authorities March 25. 

Federal officials also conducted a thorough search of the hotel room in which they apprehended Combs, according to TMZ.

Combs, then known as Puff Daddy, was at the center of the East Coast-West Coast hip-hop battles of the 1990s as the partner and producer of the Notorious B.I.G., who was shot and killed in 1997. 

But like many of those who survived the era, his public image had softened with age into a genteel host of parties in Hollywood and the Hamptons, a fashion-forward businessman, and a doting father who spoiled his kids, some of whom lost their mother in 2018.

But a different image began emerging in November, when his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, became the first of several people to sue him for sexual abuse with stories of a steady stream of sex workers in drug-fueled settings where some of those involved were coerced or cajoled into sex.

A Beverly Hills mansion owned by the musical mogul was raided nearly six months back

A Beverly Hills mansion owned by the musical mogul was raided nearly six months back

A video of him attacking Cassie in 2016 in a Los Angeles hotel room circulated this past May

A video of him attacking Cassie in 2016 in a Los Angeles hotel room circulated this past May 

He said after the release of the clip that he'd 'hit rock bottom' and made 'no excuses' for his 'inexcusable' conduct depicted in the clip, adding that he takes 'full responsibility'

He said after the release of the clip that he’d ‘hit rock bottom’ and made ‘no excuses’ for his ‘inexcusable’ conduct depicted in the clip, adding that he takes ‘full responsibility’

In her November lawsuit, Cassie alleged years of abuse, including beatings and rape. 

Her suit also alleged Combs engaged in sex trafficking by ‘requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts in multiple jurisdictions’ and by engaging in ‘harboring and transportation of Plaintiff for purposes of sex induced by force, fraud, or coercion.’ 

It also said he compelled her to help him traffic male sex workers Combs would force Cassie to have sex with while he filmed.

The lawsuit was settled with staggering speed – within 24 hours. 

The terms of the agreement were kept confidential, with Combs declaring in a statement: ‘We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.’ 

But just days later, two more women accused Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. 

The lawsuits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, alleged acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community. 

The allegations caused Combs to lose lingering allies and supporters.

Combs posted a social media video apologizing, saying 'I was disgusted when I did it' and 'I'm disgusted now'

Combs posted a social media video apologizing, saying ‘I was disgusted when I did it’ and ‘I’m disgusted now’

Cassie’s lawsuit was followed by at least a half-dozen others in the ensuing months.

In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

One woman who filed a lawsuit, April Lampos, said she was a college student in 1994 when she met Combs and a series of ‘terrifying sexual encounters’ with the rapper and those around him began that lasted for years.

Combs and his attorneys have denied nearly all of the lawsuits’ allegations.

But the rapper’s legal woes compounded in March when Homeland Security Investigations served search warrants in early morning raids on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami in a sex-trafficking investigation. 

Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were also handcuffed during the search. 

The music mogul lost lingering allies, supporters and those reserving judgment when CNN in May aired a leaked video of him punching Cassie, kicking her and throwing her on the floor in a hotel hallway.

That video prompted Combs’ first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the stream of allegations began. 

He posted a social media video apologizing for beating Cassie, saying ‘I was disgusted when I did it’ and ‘I’m disgusted now.’

Prior to his fall from grace, the musical artist was pictured at the 2023 VMAs

Prior to his fall from grace, the musical artist was pictured at the 2023 VMAs 

Combs had been presented with the Global Icon Award at the event in Newark, New Jersey

Combs had been presented with the Global Icon Award at the event in Newark, New Jersey 

Combs pictured at the Met Gala in May of 2023 in NYC

Combs pictured at the Met Gala in May of 2023 in NYC 

Combs' roles in his businesses beyond music - including lucrative private-label spirits, a media company and the Sean John Fashion line - took major hits when the allegations arose. Pictured in Atlanta in August of 2023

Combs’ roles in his businesses beyond music – including lucrative private-label spirits, a media company and the Sean John Fashion line – took major hits when the allegations arose. Pictured in Atlanta in August of 2023 

As the founder of Bad Boy Records, Combs became one of the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. 

Along with the Notorious B.I.G. he worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.

Combs’ roles in his businesses beyond music — including lucrative private-label spirits, a media company and the Sean John Fashion line — took major hits when the allegations arose.

The consequences were even greater when the leaked beating video emerged.

Howard University cut ties with him, and he returned his key to the city of New York at the request of the mayor.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs arrest and abuse allegations: A timeline of key events

November 16, 2023

Cassie says in a lawsuit that Combs subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape. Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, signed to Combs’ label in 2005, and the two were on-again-off-again romantic partners for more than a decade starting in 2007. The lawsuit filed in federal court says Combs was ‘prone to uncontrollable rage’ and subjected her to ‘savage’ beatings. It says he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs, through his attorney, ‘vehemently denies’ the accusations.

November 17, 2023

With staggering speed, Ventura’s lawsuit is settled the day after it is filed. The terms of the agreement are kept confidential. ‘We have decided to resolve this matter amicably,’ Combs says in a statement. ‘I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.’

November 23, 2023

Two more women accuse Combs of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed on the eve of the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law permitting victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to file civil action regardless of the statute of limitations. The lawsuits, filed by Joi Dickerson and another woman who was not named, allege acts of sexual assault, beatings and forced drugging in the early 1990s by Combs, then a talent director, party promoter and rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community. Combs’ attorneys call the allegations false.

November 28, 2023

Combs temporarily steps down as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, because of the wave of sexual abuse allegations. It would be one of several business setbacks for Combs brought on by the lawsuits.

December 6, 2023

A woman alleges in another lawsuit that in 2003 when she was 17, Combs and two other men raped her. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Manhattan says she was living in a Detroit suburb and was flown to a New York studio, where she was given drugs and alcohol that made her incapable of consenting to sex, and the men took turns raping her.

The same day, Combs posts a statement on Instagram broadly denying all the allegations in the mounting series of lawsuits. ‘I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,’ the post says. ‘I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.’

February 26, 2024

A music producer files a lawsuit alleging Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The lawsuit gives a long list of potentially illegal activities dealing with drugs and sex that the producer says he witnessed. A lawyer for Combs calls the allegations ‘pure fiction.’

March 25, 2024

Homeland Security Investigations serves search warrants in early morning raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in what officials tell The Associated Press is a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs was at one of his homes in Miami at the time. His two sons, at his home in Los Angeles, were handcuffed during the search, Combs’ attorneys said. Officials did not say whether the raids were prompted by the civil lawsuits, but Combs’ attorneys said they believed they were.

March 26, 2024

Combs’ lawyer calls the raids ‘a gross use of military-level force’ and says Combs is ‘innocent and will continue to fight’ to clear his name. The attorney, Aaron Dyer, says there is ‘no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.’

April 4, 2024

A lawsuit that names Combs as a co-defendant alleges that his son Christian ‘King’ Combs sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court says Sean Combs created the circumstances that led to the assault and paid to cover it up afterward. An attorney for the two men calls the allegations ‘outrageous.’

April 26, 2024

In the first major piece of legal pushback from Combs and his team, they file a motion to dismiss several elements of Dickerson’s lawsuit because they were not illegal in 1991 when the alleged incidents occurred. While the legal objections are procedural, the filing also slams the ‘numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations’ in the lawsuit.

May 10, 2024

Combs asks a federal judge to dismiss the Dec. 6 lawsuit that alleged he and two co-defendants raped a 17-year-old girl from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Again, the objections are procedural – alleging the lawsuit was filed too late under the law – but the court document calls its claims ‘false and hideous.’

May 17, 2024

CNN airs video that shows Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video closely mirrors an assault described in her lawsuit, which said Combs had already punched her that night, and she was trying to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he woke and came after her. In the footage, a man who appears to be Diddy, wearing only a towel, punches Ventura, kicks her, and throws her on to the floor. The lawsuit alleges Combs paid $50,000 to take away the video at the time. Combs’ representatives had no immediate comment.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office says it cannot prosecute Combs for the attack shown in the video due to statute of limitation, noting that no case had been presented to prosecutors.

May 19, 2024

Combs posts a video on Instagram and Facebook apologizing for the assault on Ventura. It’s his first real acknowledgement of wrongdoing since the recent stream of allegations began.

‘My behavior on that video is inexcusable,’ Combs says. ‘I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.’

June 10, 2024

At the request of New York Mayor Eric Adams, Combs returns a key to the city. Adams sent letters to Combs rescinding the honor as part of the fallout of the leak of the video of Combs beating Cassie. Adams says he was ‘deeply disturbed’ by the video. Adams awarded Combs with the key at a ceremony in 2023.

A day earlier, Howard University announced it had rescinded an honorary degree given to Combs and disbanded a scholarship program in his name.

August 26, 2024

As part of a multi-faceted pushback against the lawsuits filed against him, Combs asks a federal judge to throw out the February lawsuit from the music producer. His lawyers say the suit was overrun with ‘tall tales,’ ‘lurid theatrics,’ ‘legally meaningless allegations’ and ‘blatant falsehoods’ whose intent is only to ‘generate media hype and exploit it to extract a settlement.’

September 11, 2024

Diddy is sued by singer Dawn Richard in a case describing years of psychological and physical abuse, including groping, that she says she suffered as he helped launch her career. Richard, a member of the girl group Danity Kane and is well-known for appearing on the MTV reality show ‘Making the Band,’ alleges in the suit that she witnessed Combs abuse Cassie and was afraid of the mogul.

Diddy’s representatives accuse Richard of making ‘an attempt to rewrite history’ by manufacturing ‘a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day – conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.’

September 16, 2024

Combs is arrested on a Monday night in New York after a grand jury indictment. No details on the charges were made public, but federal officials say they will ask a judge to unseal the indictment a day later. Combs’ attorney calls it was an unjust prosecution of an ‘imperfect person’ who is ‘not a criminal.’

Source: AP 

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