What Is Diddy Accused Of? His Scathing Criminal Charges, Explained — and What They Mean for the Rapper

Sean "Diddy" Combs is currently in jail after being arrested on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The rapper was taken into custody on Sept. 16 after nearly a year of ongoing investigations which included home raids and several lawsuits against him, alleging sex abuse and rape. The allegations came to a head in September when Combs was indicted on three charges, and a judge denied the $50 million bail proposal that his attorney put forth.

In the indictment, prosecutors allege that Combs manipulated women into engaging in "highly orchestrated performances," which he called "freak offs," that also allegedly involved paid male sex workers. Per the indictment, Combs also paid the sex workers and women to fly to wherever he was located at the time.

The day after he was arrested, Combs pled not guilty, and his attorney, Marc Agnifilo, told PEOPLE he was "disappointed" by what he called an "unjust prosecution."

"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," Agnifilo said. "He is an imperfect person but he is not a criminal."

From what he's been charged with to where he is currently in custody, here's everything to know about what Sean "Diddy" Combs did — and what's next for the rapper.

What was Diddy charged with?

Combs was indicted on three felony counts: racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. In addition to those charges put forth in the indictment, the prosecution also alleged that Combs partook in kidnapping, forced labor, bribery and other crimes.

The indictment alleged that he ran a criminal group that carefully organized what Combs referred to as "freak offs." Members of his staff allegedly planned events from start to finish in which Combs manipulated women to join him in drug-fueled orgys with male prostitutes, and filmed them to silence the victims after.

Planning the freak offs allegedly included arranging travel for the women and sex workers and supplying drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine and oxycodone to coerse partygoers into sex. Combs' staff would make sure to book and stock hotel rooms with the necessary supplies and would clean the room afterwards, while also resupplying Combs and delivering cash to the sex workers, the indictment claims.

Agnifilo denied the charges and said that he and Combs would "fight like hell" to free the Bad Boy Records founder.

“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers, and I expect a long battle with a good result for Mr. Combs," Agnifilo said.

What are the "freak offs" listed in Diddy's indictment?

The September indictment was not the first time alleged "freak offs" were mentioned. In her November 2023 lawsuit, singer Cassie, who used to date Combs, claimed that she was forced to participate in them. Combs denied the allegations at the time.

Now, more claims about the alleged parties have come to light, including the lengths that Combs' team went in planning them. The "freak offs" began when Combs allegedly lured a woman in under the pretense of a romantic relationship and used "force, threats of force and coercion" to make her participate. He would organize and direct the "freak offs," recording them to masturbate to often without the woman's knowledge or consent. Drugs were allegedly distributed to reinforce compliance, the indictment claims.

After a "freak off" ended — and they could last a number of days, the indictment alleged — Combs' team distributed IV fluids for participating members to recover from the physical exertion and drug use. As evidence of these parties, prosecutors said that authorities found "freak off supplies," including drugs and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, when Combs' homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided in March 2024.

What are the physical abuse allegations against Diddy?

In addition to the sex trafficking and abuse allegations, Combs is also being accused of physical abuse. Prosecutors claimed in the indictment that Combs' history of physical abuse dates back to at least 2009 and he has since abused a slew of women, "striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them."

Per the indictment, the alleged behavior was witnessed by members of his staff and was "widely known." The abuse often left visible enough marks that victims were "required to remain in hiding" while they recovered.

Prosecutors specifically pointed to a March 2016 incident in which Combs was captured dragging and abusing Cassie on camera in a L.A. hotel. The indictment said he "kicked, dragged, and threw a vase" at the singer. CNN published the video footage of the incident in May 2024, with Combs responding on social media and stating that he took "full responsibility" for the altercation and called it "rock bottom."

The indictment further alleged that Combs attempted to silence a hotel worker who witnessed the abuse with bribery.

What are the additional lawsuits against Diddy?

Following his arrest, Combs is facing more lawsuits as Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee said he is representing 120 people accusing the rapper of sexual misconduct. On Oct. 14, the lawyer filed six new complaints on behalf of two women and four men in the Southern District of New York.

The plaintiffs accused Combs of either sexually abusing, sexually assaulting, sexually exploiting or raping them in incidents that allegedly took place between 1995 to 2021.

A couple of days later, another woman, Ashley Parham, alleged in a lawsuit that Combs raped her with a remote control in a March 2018 incident after she accused him of having "something to do with the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur," per the lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE.

An additional five lawsuits were filed on Oct. 20, in which all the plaintiffs accused Combs of either sexual assault or rape between 2000 and 2022. One of the plaintiffs was 13 at the time she claims she was raped in 2000 after attending one of Combs' parties following the Video Music Awards.

He allegedly had a "crazed look in his eyes," and told her, "You are ready to party!" She claimed that she was eventually drugged after being given a drink, per the complaint.

Where is Diddy jailed now?

After pleading not guilty but being denied bail, while he awaits trial, Combs will be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which is known for being dangerous and chronically understaffed.

The facility holds 1,600 inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial. The conditions of the jail are severe — its had outbreaks of violence and a high number of deaths and suicides. In their request for bail, Combs' lawyers wrote in their motion that “several courts in this District have recognized that the conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center are not fit for pre-trial detention," per The Daily Beast.

“Just earlier this summer, an inmate was murdered,” they wrote. “At least four inmates have died by suicide there in the past three years.”

In June 2024, inmate Uriel Whyte was stabbed to death inside MDC while awaiting trial, and just a month later, a second man, Edwin Cordero, died after an injury in a fight.

His lawyer called Cordero's death “senseless and completely preventable,” adding that his client was “another victim of M.D.C. Brooklyn, an overcrowded, understaffed and neglected federal jail that is hell on earth," per The New York Times.

What is next for Diddy?

Combs has a long road ahead of him. “This case is 100 percent going to trial,” attorney Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, told PEOPLE after he was indicted.

Rahmani said he does not expect Combs to enter a plea deal after pleading not guilty, explaining that the businessman was "not going to take any deal where he is going to spend decades in federal prison."

Now that Combs has been denied bail, he, like all defendents, has the right to a speedy trial that takes place within 70 days, Rahmani said. However, the lawyer added that most defendants waive this right.

"I don't expect that trial to happen within 70 days, but if Diddy insists, we would have a trial before the end of the year. That is unlikely, though," he said.

What is more likely, is that before the trial, Combs will file motions to try to get some of the charges dismissed.

“There are all sorts of pretrial motions that can be filed by the defense to attack the indictment or the evidence," Rahmani said.

How much prison time could Diddy face?

If convicted, Combs could face up to life in prison, and a minimum of 15 years for the three felony counts he is facing.

One count of racketeering could face up to life in prison, while a count of sex trafficking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. His third felony charge, transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.