Diddy is the pseudonym of rapper Sean John Combs, born in 1969 in New York, who was once the most popular singer in the American hip-hop scene. The producer and rapper became an unstoppable force in the 90s by writing slick, catchy party songs that helped bring hip-hop into the mainstream, according to TIME magazine.
Diddy’s infamous symbol
Now, the name Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has become a symbol of infamy as he is charged with sex trafficking and extortion. Prosecutors say Combs drugged his victims and forced them to participate in multi-day orgies.
Combs was arrested in New York last Monday (September 16, 2024) and appeared before a federal judge in Manhattan the following day, where he pleaded not guilty to running a large-scale sex trafficking ring.
According to an indictment unsealed hours after his arrest, the rap mogul lured vulnerable women into the orgies – which he called “Freak Offs” – with the promise of financial or career support. Once in Combs’ orbit, the women were allegedly drugged and taken by his staff to hotels, where male prostitutes were brought in to perform “carefully choreographed” sex acts on them. Everything was recorded on camera for Combs’ pleasure.
This footage was used as leverage to force the women to participate in subsequent “Freak Offs,” prosecutors claim. They further allege Combs “assaulted the women by, among other things, hitting, punching, dragging, throwing objects at them, and kicking them.”
Prosecutors claim the trafficking scheme began around 2008. Combs began abusing his victims in 2009. Some of the abuse was witnessed by hotel staff, who told law enforcement officers they had been bribed to keep quiet.
Earlier this year, “law enforcement seized numerous Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” during searches of Combs’ properties in Florida and California, the indictment states.
During a hearing Tuesday, Combs’ attorney argued that all participants in the parties were “consenting adults” and that Combs intended to fight the charges “to the bitter end.”
Despite posting $50 million bail, Combs was denied bail and is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He is due back in Manhattan court on Wednesday afternoon.
The federal charges are the latest in a series of sexual abuse allegations against Combs, whose Bad Boy Records label was once worth an estimated $100 million. Earlier this summer, Combs was sued by model Crystal McKinney, who accused him of drugging and raping her in 2003. McKinney’s lawsuit was filed just days after a video surfaced showing Combs beating then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, which was settled within a day of being filed for an undisclosed amount.
Combs has been sued by a total of 11 former associates. One of them, producer Rodney Jones, has accused Combs of a slew of serious crimes, including drug trafficking, shootings, and sexual abuse of minors.
A slew of celebrities have been close, some of whom have begun deleting tweets
Almost every Hollywood star under the sun was linked to Diddy in the early 2000s, thanks to his lavish and debauched freak-out parties. And everyone associated with Diddy is under scrutiny, including the person who was photographed with him.
First, Justin Bieber was mentioned many times online after Diddy’s arrest, because the pair were known to have a close relationship. Specifically, Diddy was once Usher’s legal guardian. Justin Bieber signed a contract with Usher when he was just 15 years old. Bieber had to spend 48 hours with Diddy, the location and what they did were not disclosed. And now netizens are blowing up those 48 hours with countless conspiracy theories. And sources related to Bieber said that Bieber regrets working with Diddy, if he could turn back time, he definitely would not have made an album with Diddy.
Next up is singer Usher (now 45), who has now deleted all of his tens of thousands of posts on X (formerly Twitter). Usher has worked with Diddy since they were kids; their history dates back to the singer’s 1994 debut album, which Diddy produced.
Along with Usher, pop star P!nk’s X feed was also suddenly deleted.
Jennifer Lopez’s shared history with Diddy is haunting her as talk of the infamous 1999 New York nightclub shooting that briefly landed them in jail has resurfaced.
Diddy placed on suicide watch
Diddy is currently facing life in prison on three felony charges. Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges and his attorneys asked for $50 million bail, but Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky ruled that the mogul should remain behind bars, citing his risk of flight and the resources to intimidate witnesses if released. He was denied bail for a second time on Wednesday (September 18).
In prison, sources say Sean “Diddy” Combs has been placed on suicide watch while awaiting trial in federal prison on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Although Diddy’s lawyers say he is “strong, healthy and focused on his defense,” the fact that he may have a large amount of celebrity-related information makes his sudden “suicide” a potential safety concern. Epstein was previously arrested and while awaiting trial, he committed suicide by hanging himself from a bedsheet. Epstein is said to have been close to many of America’s elite.