Sean 'Diddy' Combs Arrested in N.Y.C. After Raids on His Homes amid Sex Trafficking Lawsuits

Sean “Diddy” Combs was arrested at a Manhattan hotel on Monday, Sept. 16 after he was indicted by a grand jury, sources confirm to PEOPLE.

The charges in the indictment are unclear.

"Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement. "We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time."

The 54-year-old rapper was taken into custody Monday evening at a Manhattan hotel by Homeland Security Investigations, sources told PEOPLE, following several months of ongoing sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations against him.

"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," Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said in a statement to PEOPLE. "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 continued. "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.”

There have been seven allegations against the rapper. Combs has denied all allegations.

On Nov. 16, singer Cassie filed a lawsuit in New York against Diddy, whom she dated on-again-off-again from 2007 to 2018. She accused the musician of raping and abusing her over the course of their decade-long relationship. One day after she filed the lawsuit, the two reached a settlement.

Shortly after, on Nov. 23, a woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Diddy of drugging and raping her when she was a college student at Syracuse University in 1991, according to the court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

The following day, on Nov. 24, a woman accused Combs and his friend Aaron Hall of taking turns raping her. In February, the plaintiff, Liza Gardner, filed an amended complaint and revealed she was a 16-year-old minor when the alleged assault occurred in N.Y.C. in 1990. The age of consent for sexual intercourse in 1990 in New York was 17 years old.

On Dec. 6, one woman claimed that the rapper, his longtime collaborator Harve Pierre, and a third unidentified man sex trafficked and gang-raped her when she was 17 in 2003, per documents obtained by PEOPLE.

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Later that day, Diddy denied the allegations against him in a statement to PEOPLE. “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy," he said.

"Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday," he continued. "Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

On March 1, Combs' team requested that the "Jane Doe" plaintiff no longer remain anonymous throughout the case. The court decided that the plaintiff did not have "more specific support" to maintain her anonymity.

Prior to the judge's ruling regarding the fourth accuser's anonymity, on Feb. 27, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed a lawsuit in New York federal court. Combs' former producer and videographer alleged that for more than a year, Combs sexually harassed, drugged, and threatened him, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

Jones alleged that during this time, he “witnessed, experienced, and endured many things that went far beyond his role as a producer on the Love album.” (Love was created from September 2022 to November 2023.)

Then on Monday, March 25, the rapper's properties in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal agents.

Nearly two months later, on May 17, a surveillance video released by CNN showed the rapper grabbing, shoving and kicking his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, during a 2016 altercation that matches allegations she made in a now-settled lawsuit filed last November.

Less than a week later, Combs was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman named Crystal McKinney. In the May 21 suit, McKinney alleged that she was 22 years old, and after they met, Combs led her to a bathroom where he began forcing himself upon her and kissing her without her consent. He then allegedly shoved her head down to his crotch and forced her to perform oral sex on him.

Two days later, on May 23, April Lampos and her attorneys filed a lawsuit against Combs, his record label Bad Boy Records, Arista Records, and others on allegations of battery, sexual assault, negligent infliction of emotional distress, and violation of the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Law.

She detailed four “terrifying sexual encounters” that she had with Combs, including one instance where she said the rapper forced her to take “ecstasy” and have sex with his then-girlfriend Kim Porter. She also alleged that Porter "retaliated" and that she and Combs got her fired from a job.

On June 7, Howard University, a historically black college and university (HBCU), rescinded the rapper's honorary degree. Three days later, New York City Mayor Eric Adams requested the musician return his key to the city.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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