Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been one of the biggest names in music for years. Now, he’s one of the big names in court. He faces multiple major criminal charges and over 100 lawsuits.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been charged in a three-count indictment of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution between 2008 and the present. His current trial date is scheduled for May 5, 2025, in the U.S. District Court – Southern District of New York federal courthouse.
His legal troubles began on March 25, 2024, when Homeland Security agents raided both his Los Angeles and Miami homes as part of a sex trafficking investigation involving him.
He was indicted six months later in September 2024, and entered a not guilty plea. He was denied bail and has been serving time in jail as he awaits his upcoming trial. He is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
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With regard to his current charges, racketeering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; sex trafficking by force carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory sentencing minimum of 15 years in prison; and one count of transportation for purposes of prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
If he is convicted of the charges against him, he’d be facing significant prison time and possibly life sentences. He pled not guilty and also continued to face a slew of lawsuits from his alleged sex-related crime victims.
The number of lawsuits has reached 120 and counting, according to news reports, with many filed by Jane and John Does. However, Combs’ long-time ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura ignited the onslaught when she filed her lawsuit at the end of 2023.
In her 35-page federal complaint filed on November 16, 2023, Ventura accused Combs of sexual assault, battery, and sex trafficking, as well as requiring her to engage in forced sexual acts. She claimed physical abuse by him throughout their relationship and also claimed Combs demanded she carry his firearm in her purse, among other allegations.
The two parties mutually agreed to a settlement on November 17, 2023, and Ventura asked the court to dismiss the case “with prejudice,” which means her claims cannot be filed again.
Dawn Richards, once a member of Danity Kane, a female music group Combs assembled and produced, claimed she witnessed violence against Ventura, and that Combs threatened her life when she tried to intervene.
In a lawsuit filed on February 2, 2024, Chicago record producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr., filed a 105-page federal complaint accusing Combs, and the people who work with him, of being part of a racketeering organization.
Jones Jr. claimed he was tasked with soliciting sex workers and procuring drugs to “perform sex acts to the pleasure of Mr. Combs” among other allegations. This lawsuit is ongoing.
In Liza Gardner’s lawsuit, she accused Combs and R&B artist Aaron Hall of raping her as a teenager in 1990 when she was passed out. It also claims that days after, Combs choked Gardner until she lost consciousness.
A co-defendant, Devante Swing, was named in this lawsuit for “aiding and abetting” the alleged sexual assault, claiming he was also present in the room when the reported rape happened but did not do anything to stop it.
Parham is another alleged rape victim of Combs. She claims Combs sexually assaulted her as a payback regarding a comment about Combs’ potential involvement in the murder of Tupac Shakur.
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Combs was also part of a Jane Doe rape lawsuit with Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) which has since been dismissed with prejudice.
Combs’ legal team is working fast and furious as lawsuits keep adding up, with their ongoing message being that these lawsuits are a ploy to garner publicity among the alleged victims.
This isn’t the first time he has been sued for sex-related crimes. In 2017, he was sued by Cindy Rueda, Combs’ former personal chef, for sexual harassment and retaliation in a lawsuit that was later settled in 2019.
It’s been reported Combs’ net worth has declined from $740 million to $400 million as he continues paying attorney fees for his legal matters. If convicted of his criminal charges, he could see his fortune dwindle even further as he potentially faces fines and restitution, in addition to asset forfeiture.
Furthermore, in the civil lawsuits filed against Combs, it could be ruled that proceeds from his assets are required to be used to pay the plaintiffs, depending on the outcome of each.
As someone once synonymous with incredible fame and wealth for a span of several decades, Combs’ music empire and legacy could be dismantled in a matter of weeks, if a jury finds him guilty.
