Sean "Diddy" Combs has been hit by several sexual assault lawsuits in recent months, with court documents accusing the rapper of soliciting sex workers and trafficking underage girls.
Combs' Miami and Los Angeles' homes were raided by Homeland Security on Monday, reportedly in relation to a sex-trafficking investigation in New York.
The music mogul has previously denied any allegations against him, but the raids have called attention to his recent legal battles—particularly a case filed by record producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones in February, which was amended on March 25.
In the filing, the 54-year-old is accused of soliciting sex workers, spiking drinks with "date rape drugs" and facilitating a "sex-trafficking venture."
Newsweek has reached out to Sean Combs for comment via email.
Claims made against Combs in the court documents include:
- Partying with underaged girls and sex workers
- Having designated bottles of drink laced with "date rape drugs"
- Forcing Jones to hire sex workers during a stay in Miami—giving him a Bad Boy Records baseball cap to lure them in—before ordering Jones to perform sexual acts with the women to please him
- Drugging Jones. In the filing, the producer recalled waking up naked in bed with two sex workers and Combs, feeling "dizzy, and confused"
- Holding "freak off" parties. According to Urban Dictionary, "freak off" means releasing pent-up sexual tension
- Having "hundreds" of hidden cameras all over his homes in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, and recording guests and sex workers without their knowledge
- Running a "sex trafficking venture," supported by his employees, music industry associates and 30-year-old son Justin Combs.
Jones, who worked with Combs on The Love Album: Off the Grid between September 2022 and November 2023, also alleged that Justin Combs sourced sex workers and girls on his father's behalf, along with his Combs' Chief of Staff Kristina Khorram.
The lawsuit accuses the pair of "perpetrating and facilitating Mr. Combs'
sexual abuse and sex trafficking conspiracy," including recruiting minors into sex work.
According to Jones, Khorram ordered employees to lace alcohol with ecstasy and other illegal substances. Khorram also allegedly delegated tasks to some of Combs' other associates, such as ordering record producer Stevie J and artist Moy Baun to find sex workers and take part in freak-off parties.
The documents also claim that Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge "aided, abetted, and induced" Combs' alleged sex-trafficking "venture," with Universal Music Group, Love Records and Combs Global listed as defendants.
In a statement, Donald S. Zakarin, attorney for Universal Music Group, told Newsweek: "In an offensively reckless complaint, Sir Lucian has been improperly dragged into this matter despite having no knowledge of, nor any involvement in, any of Mr. Combs' alleged conduct.
"Further, after we advised Plaintiff's counsel of the offensive falsity of the absurd claims, instead of dismissing the claims, as they should have done, the plaintiff has now attempted to amend his claims against Sir Lucian, removing the original set of outrageous falsehoods related to Sir Lucian, replacing them with wholly contradictory new falsehoods that are equally absurd.
"Not only will we demonstrate the offensive falsity of these claims, but we will seek recovery of every penny of cost and damage caused by their assertion."
Other recent lawsuits filed against Combs also accuse the rapper of soliciting sex workers and trafficking.
In November, Combs' ex-partner Cassie Ventura claimed she was raped and physical abused during their 11-year relationship. This included allegedly hiring male sex workers and forcing Ventura to engage in sex acts with them, with Combs' recording the encounters on camera. Combs refuted the claims, with the case settled the following day.
An anonymous woman also filed a suit against Combs in December. The woman, known only as "Jane Doe" alleged Combs and two of his associates raped her at his New York studio in 2003, when she was 17 years old. The plaintiff claimed she was brought from her home in Michigan to the rapper in New York as part of a "sex trafficking scheme," with Combs' flying her out via private jet for the meeting.
Update 03/28/24 10:35 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement on behalf of Universal Music Group.
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