Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and the rise of his ‘criminal enterprise’

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One of the most straightforward things Sean Combs has ever done was call his record label “Bad Boy.”

The 54-year-old Combs, who is also known by names like Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy, Diddy, and Love, has been involved in much more than just boastful antics over the years, as revealed in a federal indictment made public on Tuesday. The document claims that he has been the mastermind and head of a "criminal organization" accused of various serious crimes, including arson, kidnapping, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, and sex trafficking.

The last charge, presented not in federal documents but through a number of damaging lawsuits filed last year, was what initially exposed the flaws in Combs' meticulously crafted public image. He vehemently insisted that he had done nothing wrong. However, shortly after the lawsuits emerged, authorities launched simultaneous raids on his properties on both coasts as part of a discreet federal inquiry. This was followed by the release of a disturbing video that depicted Diddy violently assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie, who became the most prominent figure to take legal action against him.

The videos showed that his claims of innocence were completely untrue. Combs attempted to make amends with a half-hearted apology video on Instagram but remained mostly out of the public eye, which was unusual for him. He did, however, share a couple of lukewarm family-oriented posts and had some occasional comments from his lawyers as he tried to manage his image.

Despite those attempts, they failed to stop the flow of public shame. Howard University took back the honorary degree that he had cherished. The New York mayor requested that Combs give back the city's key. Miami Beach even decided to call off its yearly Sean Diddy Combs Day celebration.

Three years after Combs praised the MeToo movement in a magazine interview in September 2021, and just a year after he showcased a selection of his songs while receiving the Global Icon Award at the VMAs, he has been arrested for a series of shocking alleged crimes, including violent acts against women. Authorities apprehended him in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Manhattan, a prestigious environment where he has long been a prominent figure.

On Tuesday, federal prosecutors were advocating in court for pre-trial detention, a stark contrast to Diddy's past filled with vibrant fashion and his iconic Labor Day parties in the Hamptons.

Currently, all the events surrounding Diddy stand in stark contrast to the resilient career he built for himself. He has managed to evade prison sentences for various serious offenses, including illegal gun possession and deadly concert crowd incidents. However, the image of Combs presented in the indictment paints a different picture—one of a man who "abused, threatened, and coerced others to satisfy his sexual urges, safeguard his image, and hide his actions." This portrayal suggests he might find it more challenging to escape the consequences of the law this time around.

His public visibility started to fade last November when three different women filed lawsuits against Combs within the same week, with some of the claims stretching back many years. These lawsuits were submitted just before the deadline of New York's Adult Survivors Act, which allowed a one-year period to pursue legal action, no matter when the incidents took place.

The most surprising claims came from his ex-partner of ten years, singer Casandra Ventura, who goes by Cassie and is nearly 20 years younger than Combs. The two had a widely reported relationship for several years, but when they split in 2018, it led to a surge of media attention and speculation.

Combs resolved the lawsuit in just a day, but not before the shocking claims made by Cassie came to light. The allegations detailed that Combs had assaulted her, including an incident where he allegedly raped her in her home when she tried to walk away. It also stated that he frequently hit, kicked, and physically harmed her, leaving her with bruises, split lips, black eyes, and bleeding. Furthermore, it was claimed that he involved her in a life of heavy drinking and drug use, pressuring her to obtain illegal prescriptions to feed his own dependencies.

However, that was only the beginning. Cassie’s lawsuit startlingly alleges that Combs ordered the destruction of another rapper’s vehicle after discovering that the artist had feelings for Cassie. It also claims he pressured her to participate in sexual acts with male escort services during situations he referred to as “freak offs,” all while he filmed the events and engaged in masturbation. Furthermore, he allegedly insisted that she keep his gun in her handbag, solely to unsettle her and showcase his aggressive nature.

Even with the agreement reached, Combs rejected any allegations of misconduct mentioned in Cassie's legal documents and the other lawsuits, but his legal troubles were not finished yet.

In February, ex-employee Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones took legal action against Combs, claiming he experienced sexual harassment and intimidation. A few weeks later, federal agents conducted searches at Combs' residences in Los Angeles and Miami. Combs was not present during the raids, but his sons were at home.

Homeland Security Investigations in New York mentioned that the raid conducted in March was part of a continuing investigation, although they did not provide further details at that time. The lawyers representing the mogul described the raids as an excessive use of military-grade force.

The indictment released on Tuesday disclosed some of the items that law enforcement seized during those operations: drugs, three AR-15 rifles with altered serial numbers, ammunition, a drum magazine, and evidence that corresponds to the disturbing details described in Cassie's lawsuit.

The indictment also states that over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant were found. It claims that Combs inflicted physical, emotional, and verbal abuse on the victims, coercing them into participating in Freak Offs.

Combs exerted power over his victims through various methods, including physical abuse, offering job prospects, providing or threatening to cut off financial aid, and using other manipulative tactics. These tactics included monitoring their locations, dictating how they should look, keeping tabs on their medical information, managing their living situations, and supplying them with drugs.

The day following the raid, law enforcement apprehended a 25-year-old former college basketball athlete named Brendan Paul. He was identified in court documents filed by 'Lil Rod' Jones as a purported drug courier for the celebrity.

In May, CNN released surveillance video it acquired from March 2016, which captured Combs pursuing Cassie through a hallway in a Los Angeles hotel. The footage showed him striking and kicking her close to the elevators.

When faced with the facts, Combs eventually issued an apology, describing his actions as "unacceptable" in a post on social media. He stated that he takes "complete responsibility for what he did in the video" and asked "for God's mercy and grace." Following the incident in 2016, he mentioned that he pursued professional assistance, attending both therapy and rehabilitation programs.

"It's incredibly tough to think back on the hardest moments in your life, but there are times when it's necessary," he shared in a post on social media. "I was in a really bad place – I had hit my lowest point – but I don’t shy away from taking responsibility for it. The way I acted in that video was unacceptable."

Combs had already resigned as head of his TV company, Revolt, but the disturbing footage was signaling the end for some of his other achievements. A month after it came out, Howard University – the historic black school he had left to follow his music dreams – took back the honorary degree it had awarded him a decade prior. They also returned Diddy’s donation and shut down a scholarship program that bore his name.

Ten years after Combs, who had once experienced a humbling moment, celebrated his graduation at Howard University surrounded by loved ones, the school released a statement declaring that his actions in the video were "so fundamentally at odds with Howard University’s core values and principles that he is no longer considered deserving of the institution's highest distinction."

In the same month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams requested that Combs give back the keys to the city and revoked the award he had presented just a year before, in September 2023. This was around the time when the artist took the stage at the VMAs and launched his newest album.

In June 2024, the mayor and city commission of Miami Beach decided to withdraw the honors and recognition they had previously given, including the cancellation of Sean Diddy Combs Day, which the former mayor had established on October 13 eight years prior. They felt that this recognition was no longer aligned with the city's principles of safety, community welfare, and respect.

Combs was keeping a low profile during this time. In the weeks following the raid in March, he was seen looking expressionless outside his home in Florida. However, his most notable and controversial moment this year was captured on that security camera footage.

Recently, the courtroom drawings of Combs' appearance before a judge in New York are starting to overshadow the famous visuals of his flashy life as a rapper. One of his homes, a luxurious 13-room mansion in Beverly Hills, has been listed for sale at $61.5 million, and it was put on the market just a week prior to his arrest.

Combs is struggling for his freedom rather than merely protecting his business or his good name. This fight took a significant hit on Tuesday when the judge refused to grant him bail, requiring the rapper to stay in federal custody as he awaits his trial on charges related to racketeering and sex trafficking.

Combs' attorney announced plans to challenge the ruling on Wednesday, but there hasn't been any response from Combs himself, who is currently in custody. Despite his outward confidence, he's never seemed keen on actually serving time behind bars. Back in March 2001, when he was acquitted of gun and bribery charges, Combs appeared noticeably nervous just before the verdict was delivered.

During the trial, large crowds of fans gathered outside the courtroom, all of which was related to a shooting at a nightclub in 1999, a time when Combs and Jennifer Lopez were both incredibly famous.

Supporters celebrated his acquittal by loudly cheering and opening the courthouse windows, chanting his name along with "Leave him be," as reported by The New York Times at that moment.

That was a distinct time, marked by a completely different and quite serious array of allegations. At that point, Diddy was still years away from facing accusations of running a criminal operation that involved years of drugging and assaulting women, resulting in injuries that took weeks or even months to recover from.

In this instance, he is being accused of being a criminal mastermind who manipulated the Combs Business, along with several employees, to enable, support, and hide his abusive actions and involvement in commercial sex. These employees, which include security personnel, domestic staff, personal aides, and senior supervisors, along with other close associates, acted as intermediaries for Combs. Their actions were aided and guided by Combs' dominance over the Combs business.

The rapper organized and persisted in launching a campaign of intimidation against his victims, even after serious accusations were made against him last year, as stated in the indictment.

The section explains that Combs, along with other individuals connected to the Enterprise, coerced witnesses and victims into silence. They attempted to bribe these individuals to keep them from reporting their experiences or information to the authorities.

Nonetheless, the inquiry continued, amassing sufficient proof against the impresario to place him in detention for what appears to be an unspecified duration.

On Tuesday, Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, emphasized that his client is "an innocent person who has nothing to conceal."

"Mr. Combs is determined and ready to stand his ground until the very end," Agnifilo remarked outside the federal courthouse.

Twenty-three years back, Combs was reveling in the ongoing success of his project "Bad Boy for Life" along with his third studio album, "The Saga Continues."

It seems that both titles might suggest a new level of sincerity from Combs, as well as a hint of what's to come.