Who is Diddy? Everything to know about hip-hop mogul facing federal sex crimes trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs, who rocketed to worldwide fame with his musical prowess and business acumen, has been thrust into the legal limelight.
A year after becoming the subject of a federal sex-trafficking investigation, the award-winning hip-hop mogul is set to go to trial May 5 on various sex-crimes charges, which collectively claim Combs used his multimedia empire as a criminal enterprise to victimize several people.
The court battle also follows a barrage of damning civil lawsuits — spearheaded by a civil complaint from singer and ex-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura — that have upended Combs' public persona and accused the rapper of numerous abuses, including sexual assault, rape and physical violence.
Despite run-ins with the law stretching back three decades, Combs managed to solidify his status as a pop cultural juggernaut thanks to a steady stream of platinum albums, hit TV shows and retail ventures that included a fashion label and alcoholic beverages line. Combs has denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty to the five criminal counts he faces.
Here's a look back at the hip-hop icon's life, career and fall from grace.
In September 2024, Combs was arrested in New York based on an indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. He was subsequently charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Federal authorities claimed Combs turned his "multi-faceted business empire" into a "criminal enterprise" in which he and his associates engaged in kidnapping, arson and physical violence, sex trafficking and forced labor, among other alleged crimes.
A superseding indictment filed April 3 — the third revised indictment following an amended indictment in January and a superseding indictment in March — charged him with two additional counts: one of sex trafficking and one of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his May 5 trial — a ruling his legal team has challenged. He's been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as rapper faces sex crimes, trafficking charges
Combs got his start in the music industry in the early 1990s as an intern — and later talent director — at Uptown Records, where he worked with emerging acts such as Mary J. Blige and Jodeci.
He then founded his own music label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. The company has sold over 500 million records, produced 38 platinum singles and earned multiple Grammy Awards, according to the official website for Combs Global.
The Bad Boy founder, under the stage name Puff Daddy, launched a solo music career in the summer of 1997 with the album "No Way Out." The hip-hop LP, which featured the No. 1 hit "I'll Be Missing You," sold 7 million copies and earned Combs a pair of Grammys for best rap album and best rap performance by a duo or group. Combs has also gone by the aliases Puffy, Puff, P. Diddy, Diddy, Love and Brother Love.
Combs' showbiz success wasn't limited to the radio airwaves. He proved himself a television personality when he took on the reality-TV franchise "Making the Band." The talent competition series spawned Combs-produced groups including Danity Kane, Da Band and Day26.
In the fashion world, Combs struck gold with his Sean John line, which launched with a sportswear collection in 1998. The style retailer, which expanded to include accessories, fragrances and footwear, won Combs a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in 2004 for menswear designer of the year, the first Black designer to earn the honor.
As an entrepreneur, Combs also found success in the spirits world, collaborating with British beverage maker Diageo on its vodka brand Cîroc in a since-terminated "equal-share venture."
As a producer, Combs helped define the sound of '90s hip-hop by crafting hits for the likes of The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey and Faith Evans, such as "Juicy," "Real Love," "Honey" and "You Used to Love Me."
Combs' musical prowess seamlessly carried over to his solo act. The rapper has amassed 15 top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100, which include the No. 1 hits "I'll Be Missing You," "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Shake Ya Tailfeather," "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "Bump, Bump, Bump."
Combs is not married, although he has had several longterm relationships.
The rapper's most enduring romance was with model-actress Kimberly Porter, who died of pneumonia in November 2018. The on-again, off-again couple officially called it quits in 2007 after 13 years of dating, but the two remained friendly, often spending holidays together.
Combs also dated R&B singer Ventura in the mid-2000s. The two became involved professionally and sexually when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 36. Their relationship spanned a decade.
Combs' most recent high-profile relationship was with rapper Caresha Brownlee, better known as Yung Miami from the rap duo City Girls. Brownlee, who was first linked to Combs in 2021, confirmed she was single in an April 2023 interview with The Cut.
Ventura accused the rapper of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse in a November 2023 civil lawsuit.
After being lured into an "ostentatious, fast-paced and drug-fueled lifestyle" and romantic relationship with Combs, the singer claimed he "took control" of her life, ranging from her healthcare to her career opportunities, and plied her with drugs and alcohol.
Combs also allegedly raped Ventura in 2018 and forced the singer into "repeated unwanted sexual encounters" with male prostitutes who he hired and recorded their encounters, per the lawsuit.
Ventura and Combs settled the legal matter one day later.
Combs has seven children. He had his first biological son, Justin Combs, 31, with fashion designer and stylist Misa Hylton.
The rapper shared four children with longtime girlfriend Porter, including Porter's son Quincy Brown, 33, whom she had with R&B singer-songwriter Al B. Sure! The couple's other children include son Christian "King" Combs, 27, and twin daughters D'Lila and Jessie Combs, 18.
Combs has two other daughters: 18-year-old Chance Combs, whom he shares with businesswoman Sarah Chapman, and 2-year-old Love from his relationship with model and cybersecurity specialist Dana Tran.
On March 25, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Combs' Los Angeles home. Agents also searched Combs' Miami residence at that time, Rolling Stone, NBC News and The Associated Press reported.
A Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson later told USA TODAY that the agency's New York branch "executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation."
Authorities have since confirmed the searches were part of a state sex trafficking investigation.
Just three months before the kickoff of Combs' trial, attorney Anthony Ricco withdrew from the rapper's legal team on Feb. 21.
Ricco declined to offer the specific details that led to the decision, but he said in a statement: "Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs."
Despite Ricco's resignation, Combs' defense received a boost on April 17 when Georgia-based attorney Brian Steel joined the case, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. Steel previously represented rap star Young Thug during his RICO trial.
During a September 2024 press conference, U.S. attorney Damian Williams detailed the paraphernalia discovered during the federal raids of Combs' homes. The items included multiple AR-15 guns, large-capacity magazines, "evidence" of Combs' alleged sex crimes and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
According to Combs' original indictment, the baby oil bottles were used during the hip-hop mogul's alleged "freak off" parties, which were described as "elaborate and produced sex performances" that involved sex workers.
Combs and his employees conducted freak offs by booking hotel rooms and stocking them with supplies such as baby oil, lube, extra bedsheets and lighting, per the indictment. The rapper allegedly "arranged, directed" and "masturbated" during these sometimes dayslong "performances," and drugs were reportedly distributed to victims, in part, to keep them "obedient and compliant."
Contributing: Naledi Ushe, Anna Kaufman, Taijuan Moorman, Cydney Henderson and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who is Diddy? What to know about hip-hop mogul facing sex crimes trial
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Fox News
Keith Urban describes turning point that led him to sobriety after years of addiction
Keith Urban is reflecting on the turning point in his years-long battle with drug addiction and alcoholism. During a recent appearance on "The Zane Lowe Show," the 57-year-old country star recalled the moment he knew he had to make a decision that would affect the rest of his life. "All through the years of drinking and doing drugs and all the rest of it, I always had this very specific voice inside of me that goes, 'One day, you're gonna come to a crossroads or a fork in the road, and it'll be the final one,'" Urban said. "'You're either gonna choose to get out of this s--- or you're never gonna get out of it. That day is gonna come and it won't be like well, if you mess it up this time, maybe next time. There won't be a next time. And you'll know when it comes,'" he continued. "This went on for years." The four-time Grammy Award winner explained that the critical junction came when his wife Nicole Kidman called an intervention for him in 2006 shortly after they married. "I knew that was it," Urban said. "I'm like, 'Oh, this is that fork in the road.'" The New Zealand native, who has been sober for almost 19 years, told Lowe that finally extricating himself from the throes of addiction and its repercussions was a relief. "I didn't come to America for that," Urban said. "I came to America to make music and record and tour, and grow as an artist and as a human being. I didn't come to America to end up in rehab and courthouses and s---. That's not why I came here, so I'm like, 'What am I doing?'" "But it took a few, a few shots," he admitted. Over the years, the "Somebody Like You" singer has been transparent about his journey to sobriety. In a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Urban recalled that his troubles began after he moved to Nashville from Australia, where he had previously released four hit albums. Urban explained that he felt like an outsider as a foreigner trying to make it in the country music scene. "I knew that was it. I'm like, 'Oh, this is that fork in the road.'" "Nothing I'd done before meant s---," he says. "I felt like I was meant to be here, I had this absolute burning belief, but I was out of step with everything. I mean, what do you do when you're doing your best, and it's not enough?" "When I was onstage, I felt good, but if I was not onstage, I was very, very insecure," he added. "I felt like I didn't have much of anything to offer. I was just an alien." Urban recalled that a painful breakup with a woman who had told him that the "novelty of you has worn off" had fueled his descent into addiction. "You might say, 'Big deal.' But I was feeling insecure, and the fact that me and my accent would be a novelty to somebody cut me to the core," he said. "Oh, my God. Really bad. It devastated me. It was a turning point. After that, s--- started to really go awry." "I stepped up my drinking," he continued. "I started doing more drugs. Yeah, man. The whole back end of the Nineties were just awful." After years as a struggling artist, Urban made his career breakthrough in 1999 when he released his self-titled debut album. The record, which notched four singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and was certified platinum, launched Urban into country music stardom. Despite finding career success, Urban continued to struggle with his addictions to alcohol and drugs. He told Rolling Stone that he was in denial about the extent of his addiction after growing up with an alcoholic father. "It took me a long time to get sober," he said. "Took me a long time to recognize my alcoholism. A long time, because I didn't drink like my dad, so I compared everything to him. So it just took a long time for me. But I was able to finally make the right choice in my life, that I wish my dad would have made." In 2015, Urban's father Robert died after a long battle with prostate cancer. After two failed stints in rehab, Urban was finally able to conquer his own addiction problems after he married Kidman. Four months into their marriage, Urban agreed to enter rehab again at the urging of Kidman and his loved ones. "That's the point right there where she really should've just walked," Urban told Oprah Winfrey in 2010. "I'm just so glad she didn't, and she made a decision to turn around and initiate ultimately this intervention, and it was done in such a way that the love in that room at that moment was just right. I was like, 'Put the cuffs on, let's go.'" In a 2020 appearance on the podcast "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," Urban recalled that he realized he would lose the love of his life if he continued down the path that he was on. "She's just the one, that was it," Urban said of Kidman. "She's the one that I was searching for my whole life, and everything not only changed, but had to change in me if I was going to go that road." "It was literally like, 'You either get this right now, or you are never, ever going to get it right. This is your one shot,'" he continued. "Really, it felt so obvious and I knew where I was going. I was going into the light finally. It was everything I was looking for and then some. I mean, beyond." While speaking with Rolling Stone, Urban said that it was a "miracle" that their marriage survived. "I was spiritually awoken with her," the singer said of Kidman. "I use the expression 'I was born into her,' and that's how I feel. And for the first time in my life, I could shake off the shackles of addiction." Urban and Kidman, who will celebrate their 19th wedding anniversary on June 25, are parents to daughters Sunday, 16, and Faith, 14. In June 2024, Urban gave a heartfelt tribute to Kidman when she was honored with the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award. The couple's daughters joined their parents at the star-studded event, which marked the girls' red carpet debut. During his speech at the ceremony, Urban recalled how Kidman's love for him persevered despite the rocky start to their marriage. "We got married in June 2006, and barely four months into our marriage, my addictions that I'd done really nothing about, blew our marriage to smithereens, and I went into the Betty Ford Center for three months," he told the crowd. "Four months into a marriage, I'm into rehab for three months, with no idea what was going to happen to us," he continued. "And if you want to see what love in action really looks like, give that a whirl." "Nic pushed through every negative voice, I'm sure, even some of her own," Urban added. "And she chose love. And here we are tonight, 18 years later." In a video of the speech, Kidman was seen wiping away tears while sitting in the audience next to Sunday and Faith. Ahead of performing at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, Urban shared the secret to their successful union. "It's always family first," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital. "It's balanced, so it means it goes out of balance sometimes, and we just put it back in balance," Urban added. "It's never perfectly in balance, but we get it back on track." Since becoming sober, Urban has helped other musicians who were struggling with addiction. In a 2017 interview with the Tennessean, country singer Brandtley Gilbert recalled how Urban saved his life when he was at his lowest point in his battle with alcohol and drugs. Gilbert told the outlet that he started drinking alcohol as a young boy and became addicted to painkillers when he was in high school. His addiction continued after he became a successful singer-songwriter in Nashville. In 2011, Gilbert developed pancreatitis after years of abusing drugs and alcohol. He ended up in the hospital and entered rehab after he was discharged. However, Gilbert had decided to check himself out after a few days against his doctors' advice. He recalled that his alcohol counselors and managers urged him to stay one more day so that he could meet with someone, who turned out to be Urban. "I remember thinking, these (expletives) are pulling out all the stops," Gilbert told the outlet. The "Country Must Be Country Wide" singer said that he was "annoyed" upon first meeting Urban and was thinking to himself, "You don't know me, man." However, the two began to connect when Urban asked him about why he feared giving up drugs and alcohol. "I told him, I don't think I can do my job," Gilbert recalled. "I don't know if I can ever play a song at my shows without being (messed) up. Or writing, I was worried my songs wouldn't be the same, that I wouldn't be on everyone else's level." Gilbert remembered that Urban said he had once harbored those same doubts and anxieties and he also was afraid when he started performing without the crutch of drugs and alcohol. However, Gilbert told the Tennessean that Urban eventually found "he was a better performer, a better writer, he had more fun, he was a better husband and a better man without drugs and alcohol." Gilbert recalled that his conversation with Urban had a huge impact on him. "My whole world flipped," he said. "At that point, I was like, 'All right.'" The singer has now been sober since December 2011. "If it weren't for him, I don't know if I'd be sober or be in this business anymore," Gilbert said of Urban. "I'd probably be dead," he added. Last September, Urban released his latest album titled "High." In a press release, Urban revealed that the album's title was inspired by his interpretation of the multi-faceted meaning of the word "high." "What makes you 'high' can mean whatever you want it to mean," he said. "It might be physical, spiritual, herbal, meditative, chemical or musical, but it's definitely a place of utopia." He continues, "For me it's my family, my friends, and this rollercoaster musical journey I'm on. Playing guitar, writing songs and the place where I always feel high — playing live. Every night I get a chance to bring an energy and a release to people." During his appearance on Lowe's podcast, Urban shared that he was "intentionally" reclaiming the word "high" when naming his album. "The sort of dark humor of the word 'high' for a guy like me is just kind of too right on the money," he said. "It's a great word because it means so many things to different people. Different things," Urban continued. "It's meant different things to me through my life. It means something different now than it did 19 years ago." Urban told Lowe that getting high to him means "playing on stage." "It always has," he said. "That was always my safe place, was being on stage." "My troubles were off-stage but being on stage was always my really happy place," he added.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Something insidious is coming out of the Diddy trial: Laughter
Something insidious is coming out of the Diddy trial: Laughter | Opinion We must resist the urge to make everything into a joke. We must take some things seriously – and domestic violence should be one of those things. Show Caption Hide Caption Security guard says Sean Combs offered cash for hotel video Eddy Garcia testified Sean Combs paid $100K for hotel footage showing him kick, hit and drag Cassie Ventura Fine, according to court testimony. There's something I've been noticing when I scroll through Instagram. Any time I see an advertisement, any advertisement, really, there always seems to be a peculiar comment underneath the video. 'Nice try, Diddy.' The spam comment, which refers to rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has been around for almost a year now. According to Know Your Meme, a Wikipedia-esque website dedicated to the inside jokes of the internet, it's unclear what the spam comment means. What is clear is that it is as commonplace as these advertisements themselves. What's also clear is that people are joking about something that isn't really that funny. 'Nice try Diddy' is not the only joke that's come out of the bombshell sex crimes trial against Combs, in which the rapper and mogul has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. For the past year, people have latched onto the salacious details of the case – from 'Diddy parties' and 'freak offs' to baby oil to the sketches from the courtroom – to joke about on the Internet and with their friends. The only problem? We seem to always be laughing about the wrong things. SNL, memes mock Diddy trial. But it can retraumatize survivors of abuse. There are more than 70 lawsuits against Combs, with at least 81 people accusing the rapper of sexual assault. What we've heard has been harrowing. Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura Fine, who dated Combs on and off from 2007 to 2018, testified in the first days of the trial about the physical and emotional abuse that she suffered. There is a video of him physically assaulting her at the InterContinental Hotel, a video that a hotel security guard alleges he was paid $100,000 to destroy. There's footage of Combs throwing a vase at her head. There are photos of bruises and cuts that Ventura Fine allegedly suffered after altercations with Combs. A friend of Ventura Fine's testified that he threw a knife in the singer's direction. That's not the only testimony that stands out. In May, rapper Kid Cudi testified that his car was set on fire by an 'incendiary device,' alleging that Combs was the perpetrator. Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan testified on June 4 that Combs dangled her over a 17-story balcony and threatened to kill her. I encourage anyone joking about this case to read the victims' statements – they are no laughing matter. Opinion: Diddy trial and Macron shove reveal our blind spots about domestic violence That hasn't stopped comedians, whether they be on Instagram or on "Saturday Night Live," from lampooning the trial as it unfolds. It hasn't stopped the memes, like "The Diddler" and baby oil. There were also jokes about Amber Heard during her trial with Johnny Depp, jokes that experts claimed exacerbated the trauma survivors suffer from. In the same way, levity about the alleged abuse and coercion that Combs' victims experienced could hurt people who have also experienced these things. When will we stop laughing at abuse victims? I understand the urge to make a joke out of serious matters. Humor helps us cope with the horrific realities of life. It's akin to the way people joke about President Donald Trump's administration: The details are so egregious, they feel like parody. But for victims of sexual violence, this trial is anything but funny. It isn't just a meme or a spicy headline; it's the terrifying reality of abuse. It's the reality of a world where women are not believed, and where the justice system fails to intervene until the damage is already done. Opinion: I work with sex trafficking victims. Here's how Diddy's trial could help them. Despite the mountain of evidence against Combs, there are still people who believe he is innocent, or at least shouldn't be the only one on trial. On 'Piers Morgan Uncensored' in late May, rapper Ray J told the host that there were never any 'freak offs.' About the same time, Death Row Records cofounder Suge Knight told journalist Chris Cuomo that he believed his longtime musical rival should walk free, saying that other executives were involved in the events. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, including Combs. Still, it makes me uneasy that there are people who would be so quick to defend him. To me, the flippancy with which people are treating the case is just as dangerous as the jokes made about it. We must resist the urge to make everything into a joke. We must take some things seriously – domestic violence should be one of those things. We can't let our urge to laugh at discomfort win over our desire for justice. Something has to matter. Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on X, formerly Twitter: @sara__pequeno
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Shameful': Washington murder case dismissed after DNA evidence is lost
WASHNGTON — Days before a Washington murder trial was to begin, prosecutors decided the evidence they had against the defendant — who was in custody for more than five years — was not good enough, and the victim's family still wants an explanation. When John Pernell was shot to death on Nelson Place SE in July 2010, witnesses told police the retired protective service officer fought with one of four men trying to rob him and others. Pernell and his friends were setting up their barbecues for a traditional Fourth of July get-together when the men jumped a fence and announced a robbery. The investigation went nowhere until 2019, when a witness told police they should look at a man named Kavon Young. According to a document filed in D.C. Superior Court, police said DNA discovered under Pernell's fingernails matched the DNA profile of Young. The probability the DNA did not belong to Young was one in 3.4 billion in the United States African American population. But that DNA evidence — presented in court as a match in 2019 — suddenly became a mismatch two days before trial. Prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney's Office, the defense attorneys and the private lab that did the original testing will not say why. 'It's shameful. We have a right to know what happened,' said Pernell's daughter, Yolanda Pernell-Vogelson. Two days before the trial was set to begin, Pernell-Vogelson and her sister, Ayana Pernell, say they got a call from Michael Spence, the prosecutor in the case, who told them the initial calculations were wrong. 'To this day, [we] have not been given a full, understandable explanation as to why this has happened,' Ayana Pernell said. 'I mean, we are essentially victims also.' Court records show the private lab that did the testing, Bode Technology Group Inc., lost the evidence and it cannot be retested. The judge told the prosecution and defense that at trial, the jury would be told 'the government's labs and/or agencies negligently lost the DNA extract in this case' just before the trial was set to begin. In an April 9 filing, prosecutors noted again the DNA 'matched the defendant' 'as reported by Bode Technology' — a result prosecutors relied upon for five-and-a-half years until deciding two days before trial it was unreliable. Bode Technology group declined to comment. Young was released in April, and NBC Washington couldn't reach the attorneys who have been representing him. Pernell's daughters said they wrote letters to all lawmakers in the city. 'We extend our condolences to Mr. Pernell's family and friends, including his daughters," Washington Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah said in a statement Wednesday. "I've contacted them regarding his case, and we are investigating the matter to see if there is anything additional the District can do to be of assistance to ensure justice.' This article was originally published on
