Months after singer Cassie Ventura filed suit against her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, his life looks very different. The man who rose from an intern at a record label to building his own music empire in Bad Boy Records, was once a beloved figure who held enough influence to launch recording careers, successful fashion and spirits lines, and even a voting movement.
Those days seem over.
In her now-settled claim filed in November, Ventura accused Combs of raping her in 2018 and years of abuse over the course of their relationship. In the past six months, he has been named in seven other lawsuits in which he has been accused of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity. Combs has vehemently denied claims from many of the civil suits but has not responded to all of the allegations.
After CNN published a 2016 surveillance video that showed Combs physically assaulting Ventura, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said the incident they described as “extremely disturbing” was outside the statute of limitations to prosecute.
But the video could become evidence in an ongoing federal investigation related to Combs and allegations of sex trafficking. Investigators are preparing to bring accusers of Combs before a federal grand jury in New York, according to two sources familiar with the probe. This signals that the US Justice Department is moving toward potentially seeking an indictment of Combs. Federal investigators are also looking into allegations of money laundering and illegal drugs.
Authorities searched Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles on March 25, as he is a target of a federal probe carried out by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The investigation stems from many of the same sexual assault allegations put forth in the civil lawsuits. HSI is responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, including human trafficking, terrorism, narcotics smuggling, and other organized criminal activity.
A lawyer for Combs objected to how the searches were conducted, citing an overuse of military-level force. Two of Combs’ adult sons were briefly detained during the search warrant execution at his Los Angeles mansion.
The raids on Combs’ homes came weeks after a lawsuit filed against him by Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer and videographer for the music mogul. Jones accuses Combs and others of racketeering, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. Ventura also accused Combs of sex trafficking, allegedly forcing her to engage in various sex acts with male sex workers through threats of violence.
At least one male sex worker, who claims he has been victimized by Combs, has been questioned during the investigation. Federal agents are in possession of potential video evidence taken inside Combs’ residences.
While no federal criminal charges have been filed against Combs, law enforcement sources indicated the Justice Department’s successful efforts to prosecute R&B singer R. Kelly in 2022 could serve as a model for the current sex trafficking investigation of Combs, depending on what evidence is discovered. Approaching the investigation as an effort to illuminate a criminal enterprise involving others would require a more robust effort by federal agents to prove the elements of any conspiracy.
