By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. (AP Entertainment Writer)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyer stated on Tuesday that the searches of the rapper’s properties in Los Angeles and Miami by federal authorities as part of a sex trafficking investigation were considered 'a gross use of military-level force,' and that Combs is 'innocent and will continue to fight' to prove it.
This is the first public statement from the music mogul's team since Monday's raids of his homes by Homeland Security Investigations agents.
The attorney, Aaron Dyer, stated, 'Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs' residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility displayed by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.'
The searches were part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.
Combs was not held in custody and spoke to the authorities. Neither he nor any family members were arrested, and their travel has not been restricted, according to Dyer's statement.
Dyer stated that the 'unprecedented ambush' has resulted in a 'premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on unfounded accusations made in civil lawsuits.'
'There has been no determination of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,' Dyer said. 'Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.'
During the raid at their father's residence in Los Angeles, Combs' sons, Justin and Christian 'King' Combs, were handcuffed. King, 25, is a music artist known for the song 'Can't Stop Won't Stop' with Kodak Black, which topped Billboard's Mainstream R&B Hip-Hop charts in 2022.
Law enforcement carried out the raid on Monday at Combs' multimillion-dollar mansion in the upscale Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles and his Miami waterfront home. Command trucks were also parked outside both properties.
The criminal investigation represents a significant intensification in the scrutiny of Combs, who has been the defendant in numerous sexual abuse lawsuits recently.
In a lawsuit settled by Combs the day after it was filed in November, his former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, accused him of extensive sexual abuse, including rape. The lawsuit alleged that he compelled her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them.
In February, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging that Combs coerced him to procure prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.
Another accuser of Combs stated that the rap producer raped her twenty years ago when she was 17.
Combs and his lawyers have refuted all allegations in the lawsuits.
The AP does not typically disclose the names of individuals who claim to have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Cassie did.
It's not known if the search is connected to any of the claims made in the lawsuits.
Combs is one of the most important hip-hop producers and businesspeople in the last thirty years. Formerly called Puff Daddy, he created one of the biggest empires in hip-hop, making a path with numerous entities linked to his well-known name. He started Bad Boy Records and has won the Grammy Award three times. He has collaborated with many top artists including Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
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This article has been amended to show that Christian “King” Combs’ track “Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” reached the top of Billboard’s Mainstream R&B Hip-Hop charts in 2022, not last year.
