Hip-hop music mogul and showbiz entrepreneur, Sean “Diddy” Combs amazing grass to grace story has taking a new turn with the multiple court cases that is currently hanging on his neck. Combs was indicted on multiple charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering, in September, 2024.
After facing multiple lawsuits in recent months alleging sexual assault and other crimes, Sean Combs was indicted Sept. 17 on charges of sex trafficking by force, racketeering conspiracy, fraud or coercion and transporting for prostitution. Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, called it an “unjust prosecution,” and said his client is “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”
The recent charges are not the first controversies that the music mogul and entrepreneur have faced over the years. Combs have attempted to rebrand himself as “Brother Love,” but he has a prolonged history of allegations of violence, dating back to the Nineties. He’s never been convicted of a serious crime, but has repeatedly been accused of having violent encounters with everyone from his exes Ventura and Gina Huynh (who alleged physical abuse in 2019) to executive Steve Stoute and rappers like J. Cole and Drake.
There was a time when an invitation to a party hosted by Sean “Diddy” Combs was one of the most sought-after tickets in the entertainment industry.
With guest lists that included Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Lopez, it was a chance to rub shoulders with some of the biggest celebrities. Jay-Z and Beyoncé even released new music at his events.
“The reason he was such a superstar is because all he thinks about is Diddy. From the minute he wakes up until the minute he goes to bed,” Mr Shuter told BBC News. “Diddy’s hobby is Diddy.”
In the Los Angeles area, the rapper lived on what has become known as Beverly Hills’s most expensive street.
The high fences allow celebrities to hide from prying eyes. Hugh Hefner’s Playboy mansion sits a few doors down.
Combs’s mansion in Beverly Hills was one of several venues he used to host his annual “White Party”, a flagship event which he held from 1998 to 2009.
He began the parties in New York’s exclusive Hamptons area with a strict all-white dress code, bringing together East Hampton’s old-money elite and the rising stars of hip hop.
Combs once described the parties as a way to break down racial and generational barriers.
But the hottest party of the year was a “facade” that allowed “sinister” conduct, a recent lawsuit alleges.
Singer Cassie, who dated the rapper off-and-on for nearly a decade starting in 2007, accused the mogul in a lawsuit of controlling every aspect of her life, forcing her to take excessive amounts of drugs, have sex with other men, beating her for years and threatening her – and those in her circle – when she tried to leave the relationship.
In a lawsuit – which started an avalanche of accusations against the rapper – the singer said while dating Combs she realised he had a “tremendously loyal network” that would do anything he asked.
Combs’s fall from grace has been swift, with an extensive federal criminal case charging him in a sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. More than a dozen civil lawsuits have also been filed, accusing the music mogul of assaults, rape and sexual extortion. One lawyer said he represents more than 100 alleged victims who claim they were sexually abused.
The Harlem-born rapper has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, whether in relation to the criminal or civil allegations.
He is set to go on trial in May 2025.
Who is Diddy?
Sean “Diddy” Combs — who has gone by the names Puff Daddy, P Diddy and Love — is an American rapper, actor and entrepreneur who founded an entertainment empire, including Bad Boy Records, the clothing label Sean John and Revolt TV, which has since announced a new ownership structure. Combs was also the face of alcohol brand Cîroc Vodka, in a deal that ended acrimoniously.
Born in Harlem in New York City, Combs was just three years old when his father Melvin Combs was murdered after being mistaken for an informant during a drug deal gone wrong.
Combs was nicknamed Puffy in his youth due to his habit of huffing and puffing whenever he was angry. (He changed his middle name from John to Love in 2021.)
Combs dropped out of Howard University in 1990 to pursue an internship at Uptown Records.
It would be a rapid rise at Uptown; before long, he was promoted to an A&R executive and later, vice-president.
Uptown has been home to artists such as Mary J Blige, Heavy D & The Boyz, and then Combs is said to have discovered the Notorious BIG, aka Biggie Smalls (real name was Christopher Wallace).
But Combs was fired from Uptown Records in 1993 by its founder, Andre Harrell.
Combs founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, a label that represented some of the biggest names in hip hop – including artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher. In 1998, he created the Sean John clothing line that later became a cultural phenomenon. From there, he dipped into fragrances, alcohol and even set up a media company, becoming the host of multiple reality shows where he would discover new talent and make people stars.
In 1995, Biggie dominated the charts, making him Bad Boy’s premier star.
But on March 9, 1997, Biggie was murdered in an unsolved case amid an East Coast-West Coast feud. He was 24 years old.
A few months later, Combs released his debut album No Way Out under the moniker Puff Daddy. The album included the Grammy-Award-winning single I’ll Be Missing You, a tribute to Biggie, which featured his widow Faith Evans and sampled Every Breath You Take by The Police.
No Way Out won Best Rap Album at the Grammys, and Combs snagged Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for I’ll Be Missing You.
He also dabbled in the silver screen at times: he played a death row inmate in 2001’s Monster’s Ball, starring Oscar-winner Halle Berry; a record executive in the comedy Get Him to the Greek in 2010 opposite Russell Brand; and he was a sports agent in the 2014 football drama Draft Day.
ADDITIONAL WORDS: ABC & BBC
