Trigger warning: sexual assault, physical assault, drug use, and violence.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been an influential part of the music industry since founding his own record label Bad Boy Records in 1993. Largely operating in the background, he’s received much more attention in the wake of his recent arrest and as the details of his alleged actions become public. In the past few years, Combs has gone from a powerful music executive with a reputation for problematic behaviour, to a disgraced kingpin that’s facing a litany of criminal charges.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been an influential part of the music industry since founding his own record label Bad Boy Records in 1993. Largely operating in the background, he’s received much more attention in the wake of his recent arrest and as the details of his alleged actions become public. In the past few years, Combs has gone from a powerful music executive with a reputation for problematic behaviour, to a disgraced kingpin that’s facing a litany of criminal charges.
The Allegations
In November 2023, Combs’s former partner, Casandra Ventura, filed a federal lawsuit against him which included claims of physical and sexual abuse. The two first met in 2005 when Combs was 37 and Ventura was only 19. Ventura stated that since meeting, Combs controlled every aspect of her life for nearly two decades. In the lawsuit, Ventura accused Combs of multiple instances of raping, abusing, and drugging her. There were other shocking accusations included in the 35-page lawsuit, which resulted in vast amounts of media attention.
One aspect included in the case told the public that Diddy had even blown up fellow musician Kid Cudi’s car with a bomb in an attempt to scare the musician away from pursuing a relationship with Ventura. There are multiple witnesses mentioned in the lawsuit who corroborate Ventura’s claims. Prior to the lawsuit, there was even surveillance footage from 2016 showing one instance of abuse taking place. If that wasn’t enough, Combs even attempted to pay Ventura eight figures to prevent the suit from being filed. Ventura pressed on, with the lawsuit being settled the day after it had been filed with an undisclosed amount of money being paid to Ventura.
This is merely one detailed account of the allegations Diddy has faced. He’s been accused of violent sexual crimes dating back to 1990. He’s currently being sued by a dozen people, with one of the accusers claiming to be just 16 when the abuse occurred. If that wasn’t enough, Houston Attorney Tony Buzzbee claims there are 120 more lawsuits ready to be filed. One of these lawsuits includes a boy who was only nine years old when Combs allegedly abused the minor. The accusations of sexual abuse of minors continue to stack up, with another anonymous woman claiming Combs and a fellow music executive raped her when she was 16, to the point where she could barely stand. This alleged history of predatory abuse culminated in September 2024.
The Charges
Following the federal raid of Combs’s LA mansion on March 25, 2024, Combs was arrested in New York City on Sept. 16 after being indicted by a grand jury. He was charged the next day with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Each of these charges carries a heavy sentence, with a maximum of life in prison. His bail was set at $50 million, however, he was ordered to stay in custody regardless. He is to stay in jail until his trial date, which is currently set for May 2025. In the raid of his home, federal investigators found over 1000 bottles of baby oil intended to be used at his infamous “freak offs.” Recently, there were also claims made in lawsuits that these bottles were laced with drugs. The title “freak offs” is an innocuous way of describing sex parties in which sex workers are abused and drugged for multiple days. The victims were often so disoriented and malnourished by the end of these ‘parties’ that they were sent home with gift bags, which included IV drips to help replenish their energy.
Combs used his status as a powerful music executive to force people to participate in these parties. It was not voluntary and instead was a gross misuse of power over others. Combs would coerce people who had dreams of fame into doing whatever acts he wanted to engage in, promising to use his influence to make them famous in return. However, this was not the only way in which he forced people to do what he wanted, with the threat of violence being ever-present. In the raid of his home, there were also multiple guns seized, along with drugs used to keep victims obedient and compliant. This coercion is a large aspect of the sex trafficking he’s now charged with.
The Future
At the moment, Diddy has not been found guilty, as his court date is still upcoming. Due to this, everything at the moment is only alleged. New information is continuously coming out as the case progresses, and there are likely to be frequent new developments. For now, he’ll spend his time in jail waiting for the trial to take place in 2025.
I have spent a long time discussing the violent acts Diddy has been accused of committing, but the most important aspect of this case is and always will be the victims. The courage and bravery exhibited by Ventura gave the other victims the strength to come forward and speak out against a very powerful individual who had been allowed to operate freely for far too long. It’s the individual people affected by these crimes who will finally be allowed to live their lives while Diddy faces justice for his crimes.
SEXUAL ASSAULT: If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org