Rapper and music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Mr Combs was arrested by officers at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York, on Monday.
The arrest of the 54-year-old comes after 10 months of civil allegations - which include rape, sexual assault and forced drugging.
USA Damian Williams: Earlier this evening, federal agents arrested Sean Combs, based on a sealed indictment filed by the SDNY. We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) September 17, 2024
His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said outside the courthouse on Tuesday morning that Mr Combs would plead not guilty and that he would "fight like hell" to try to get his client released from custody.
Mr Combs, formerly known as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, was recognised as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop; however, in November, his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit claiming that he had beaten and raped her for years.
She accused Mr Combs of coercing her, and others, into unwanted sex in drug-fuelled settings.
The suit was settled in one day but months later CNN aired hotel security footage of Mr Combs punching and kicking Cassie and throwing her on a floor.
After the video aired, Mr Combs apologised and said, "I was disgusted when I did it."
Sean 'Diddy' Combs attends the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas, 15-5-22. Image: UPI / AlamyOver the past year, Mr Combs has been sued by people who allege he subjected them to physical or sexual abuse.
He has denied many of those allegations.
Following the indictment on Tuesday, Mr Combs' lawyer, Mr Agnifilo, said his client's "spirits are good" and that he was "confident".
Main image: Sean Combs. Picture by: Alamy.com
Reporting by IRN.
