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Breaking down the Sean Combs aka P. Diddy accusations & timeline
The 54-year-old musician is facing several accusations of sexual assault and trafficking.
Sean Combs, also known as the rapper Puff Daddy — who subsequently rebranded to P. Diddy and the mononym Diddy over the years — is currently facing several accusations of alleged sexual assault and trafficking. These allegations have come to the surface through lawsuits and claims from ex-partners, former associates, and/or people who allegedly had personal relationships with the musician.
With such an extensive list of accusations against Combs and a lot of chaos in the reporting of this situation, it can be hard to make sense of what’s really going on with this story. It’s important to hold powerful people accountable for any alleged misconduct, but it’s also responsible to put in perspective what each accusation pertains to.
Scroll through to learn more about the recent accusations against Sean Combs a.k.a. P. Diddy that have come to the surface.
Content warning: this article discusses sexual assault and trafficking.
This wave of allegations started with Cassie — an R&B singer signed to Combs’ music label and also his ex-girlfriend — filing a lawsuit in Nov. 2023. Cassie alleged that Combs made her have sex with male sex workers while he recorded videos of those interactions, as reported by The New York Times. She also alleged that Combs raped her. In response, Combs “vehemently” denied those claims.
In Dec. 2023, a new lawsuit accused Combs of raping a 17-year-old girl back in 2003. According to The New York Times, this suit was filed by an unnamed woman who alleged that Combs flew from Detroit to New York City to “gang-rape” her in a recording studio. Combs also denied these accusations.
Following those two initial bombshell lawsuits, Combs shared an X post with a statement that read:
“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. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. 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.”
Music producer Rodney Jones Jr. (whose name was credited on nine tracks off of Diddy’s latest album, The Love Album: Off the Grid) accused Combs in Feb. 2024 of “making unwanted sexual contact and of forcing him to hire prostitutes and participate in sex acts with them,” per The New York Times. Jones alleged that Combs grabbed his genitals without consent and “groomed” him into having sex with another man. Combs’ attorney denied these claims.
On Monday, Mar. 25, 2024, Rolling Stone reported that Combs’ Los Angeles mansion was raided by Homeland Security agents as part of a federal investigation related to alleged sex trafficking. This ongoing investigation is related to Cassie’s first lawsuit, filed in Nov. 2023, in which she accused Combs of sex trafficking.
A source also told the publication that “four Jane Does and one John Doe already sat for interviews with Southern District of New York investigators for a probe related to alleged sex trafficking, domestic violence, and racketeering.”
Even though NBC News reported that Combs was in Miami at the time when his L.A. home was raided, Homeland Security officials in Miami still managed to seize electronic devices from Combs before he boarded a trip to the Bahamas. As of this writing, “It is not clear if Combs made the trip as planned,” as reported by NBC News.
Bernardo Sim is a writer, editor, and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is a writer, editor, and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
