Federal agents descended on homes in Los Angeles and Miami owned by Sean “Diddy” Combs on Monday afternoon, as part of an investigation into sex trafficking allegations.
Los Angeles news station Fox 11 dispatched a helicopter overhead as heavily-armed agents escorted people out of Combs’ sprawling L.A. property in handcuffs.
Federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York led the investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security carried out the raids.
Located in the 200 block of Mapleton Drive in the wealthy Holmby Hills neighborhood, the L.A. mansion is registered to Bad Boys Films, a division of Bad Boy Entertainment. There was no sign of Combs, but two of his sons were briefly detained during the raid.
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The L.A. Times reported the mansion spans 17,000 square feet, while other outlets said the property is valued at $40 million.
Urban Hollywood 411 went to the area as the raid continued into the evening. The LAPD had placed yellow crime scene tape around the neighborhood and parked a squad car in the middle of the road.
Several tour buses stopped in front of the yellow tape, allowing excited tourists to take pictures and ask reporters for details.
Around 7 p.m., Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ridley Scott (Gladiator) arrived in the neighborhood. He parked his car, got out and pleaded with police officers to let him enter Mapleton Drive to return to his home. After getting the go-ahead to pass the crime scene tape, Scott declined interviews and brushed past reporters as he walked back to his car.
TMZ showed images of a second home owned by Combs in Miami that was also searched Monday.
Federal authorities said in a statement, “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
Combs is at the center of a string of civil lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and other crimes. However, he has maintained his innocence.
Most recently the Bad Boy Records founder was sued by music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones for $30 million.
Jones’ attorney Tyrone A. Blackburn released a statement in response to Monday’s raids, saying: “It’s about damn time. Sometimes justice delayed is not justice denied, so long as justice ultimately arrives.”
Jones filed his 73-page complaint against Combs on Feb. 26, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The suit alleged Jones, who produced Combs’ recently released The Love Album: Off the Grid, was harassed, drugged, sexually assaulted, and forced to procure sex workers.
The complaint has a trigger warning on the front page noting that it contains “graphic images of the aftermath of a shooting, redacted images of sexual intercourse, redacted images of minors, sex workers and prostitutes, details of sex trafficking, and the illegal distribution of guns, and drugs.”
Jones additionally claimed that he recorded “hours” of video and audio of Combs and the music mogul’s inner circle involved in alleged “illegal activity.”
The lawsuit also said Combs has hidden recording devices around all of his properties and secretly films visitors.
“Mr. Combs possesses compromising footage of every person that has attended his freak-off parties, and his house parties,” the lawsuit alleged. “Upon information and belief, due to this treasure trove of evidence he has in his possession, Mr. Combs believes that he is above the law and is untouchable.”
Shawn Holley, an attorney representing Combs, released a statement at the time calling the claims in Jones’ lawsuit “outlandish.”
The suit was the fifth complaint against Combs alleging sexual assault since November.
The first lawsuit from R&B singer Casandra Ventura, known to fans as Cassie, was filed in Manhattan’s Federal District Court on Nov. 16, saying she endured “over a decade” of Combs’ alleged “violent behavior and disturbed demands” while the two dated off and on.
Combs denied the allegations, but settled the suit a day after it was filed.
A week later, two more women filed complaints alleging they were assaulted by Combs. Joi Dickerson-Neal sued him on Nov. 23, in Manhattan Supreme Court alleging he raped her in 1991, when she was a student at Syracuse University. Combs denied her allegations through a rep.
The second woman, identified only as Jane Doe, alleged Combs and R&B singer-songwriter Aaron Hall of the group Guy, “took turns” raping her in 1990 or 1991. Combs denied the claims in the suit. Hall did not respond to our requests for comment.
Another lawsuit was filed Dec. 6, in U.S. District Court in New York, and accused Combs and two other men of raping and trafficking a 17-year-old woman across state lines in 2003.
Combs immediately released a statement on Instagram denying the woman’s “sickening” claims and said, “Enough is enough.”
Watch a news report on the raid in L.A. below:
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