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Diddy aka Sean Combs has been arrested—here's what you need to know
We also break down why Diddy's sexuality is being questioned at all amid this legal case and criminal indictment process.
Sean Combs — the rapper, music producer, and entrepreneur also known as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, and simply Diddy — is set to remain in federal custody after a judge refused to grant him bail on Tuesday, September 17, as reported by Variety.
This update follows Combs' indictment by a grand jury in Manhattan on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, as reported by The New York Times, which led to his arrest in a New York City hotel on Monday, September 16.
Combs said "not guilty" when asked for a plea, which Variety's Ethan Shanfeld and Gene Maddaus highlight as "the only two words he uttered at the two-hour hearing at federal court in downtown Manhattan." The New York Times also reports further claims of "transportation to engage in prostitution" allegedly associated with Combs.
Combs' federal indictment, obtained by the Times and published on Tuesday, September 17, accused him of "running a criminal enterprise that included sex trafficking, forced labor, and coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution."
The latest update on Diddy a.k.a. Combs is that he is being "held by himself at the Special Housing Unit in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn," according to CNN. The story adds that Combs will stay in this detention center until his next court appearance, which is reportedly scheduled for Wednesday, September 18.
Rodney Jones Jr., a.k.a. music producer Lil Rod, alleged in February 2024 that Combs "forcibly touched and attempted and/or threatened to touch (Jones') intimate areas and/or touched (Jones) with his own intimate body parts" while the two men worked on Diddy's The Love Album: Off the Grid released in 2023 — as reported by USA Today according to a lawsuit obtained by the news outlet.
Even though Combs had faced past accusations related to alleged sexual misconduct toward women, these claims from a male collaborator sparked a discourse that questioned Combs' sexuality. During one particular episode from the Off the Record podcast, host DJ Akademiks speculated about ways that Combs could "get out of this situation."
"[Number] one, he's got to come out. Tell the whole world that he'd been gay, or been bi, or that, really, he always identified as a woman," DJ Akademiks mentioned as "one way" for Combs to handle these accusations.
A disconnected but noteworthy addition to this ongoing speculation was recently resurfaced by People in a report that recounted Usher's 2016 interview on The Howard Stern Show. During their conversation, Usher reflected on the time he, as a 13-year-old aspiring singer, lived with Combs for a whole year in New York City.
"I got a chance to see some things. I went there to see the lifestyle… and I saw it," Usher told Stern. "I don't know if I could indulge and understand what I was even looking at. It was pretty wild."
When asked if he would allow his own children to live with Combs in what was nicknamed "Puffy camp," Usher's response was straight to the point:
"Hell no."
Diddy a.k.a. Combs has faced allegations of different kinds over the years involving a wide range of topics and/or circumstances. However, as outlined by Vox's Anna North, a series of specific accusations have built up the case and indictment that Combs is currently facing.
Though some of these allegations are connected to events that took place a few years ago, these circumstances have recently resurfaced with new alleged details, new alleged pieces of evidence, and new statements from involved parties.
Cassie Ventura, a singer once signed to Combs' music label (Bad Boy Records) and a woman who dated Combs between 2007 and 2018, filed a lawsuit against him in November 2023.
The new suit filed by Ventura alleged that Combs forced her to have sex with male sex workers while he recorded videos of these alleged sexual activities, according to The New York Times. Moreover, Ventura alleged that Combs raped her. Combs responded to the suit "vehemently" denying Ventura's claims.
In May 2024, CNN shared hotel surveillance video footage from 2016 that showed Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel, reporting that Combs "appeared to grab, shove, drag, and kick her."
The legal case against Combs clearly escalated in March 2024 when Homeland Security agents raided his Los Angeles mansion as part of a federal investigation connected to accusations of sex trafficking, as reported on Rolling Stone.
A source 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."
At the time, NBC News reported that Combs was physically located in Miami when his Los Angeles residence was raided. Nonetheless, Homeland Security agents in Miami still seized all of Combs' electronic devices before he was allowed to board a trip to the Bahamas.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
Bernardo Sim is the deputy editor of Out, as well as a writer and content creator. Born in Brazil, he currently lives in South Florida. You can follow him on Instagram at @bernardosim.
