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LOS ANGELES – Sean “Diddy” Combs is the subject of a federal investigation amid a wave of lawsuits filed against the rap music mogul since November, a source familiar with the matter told NBC News on Monday.
Three women and one man have been interviewed by federal officials in Manhattan in connection with allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of narcotics and illegal firearms, the source familiar with the investigation said. Interviews with three other subjects are also planned.
Four law enforcement sources told NBC News that federal Homeland Security Investigations agents executed search warrants at Combs’ properties in Los Angeles and Miami on Monday. Sources said the court order comes from the Southern District of New York.
HSI confirmed in a statement that it “executed law enforcement actions” in New York as part of an ongoing investigation, along with teams in Los Angeles and Miami.
Representatives for Combs, 54, did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
News of a federal investigation comes after public scrutiny of Combs’ behavior after his former romantic partner, Cassie, accused him of physically and sexually abusing her for years. He made the allegations in a lawsuit filed in New York under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which offered a one-year window for adult victims of sexual assault to file civil lawsuits regardless of the statute of limitations.
Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, reached a settlement with Combs on Nov. 17, the day after he filed under undisclosed terms.
Three other women have since filed lawsuits in the Southern District of New York alleging that Combs sexually assaulted them. Two of the women alleged that they were teenagers at the time of the attacks.
Douglas Wigdor, who represents Ventura and a Jane Doe who filed the lawsuit, said in a statement that this is expected to be the beginning of a process that will “hold Mr. Combs accountable for his depraved conduct.”
“We will always support authorities when they try to prosecute those who have broken the law,” Wigdor said.
An attorney for Joi Dickerson-Neal, one of Combs’ accusers, declined to comment to NBC News.
Combs has denied each of the sexual assault allegations, calling them “disgusting.”
A producer who worked for Combs between September 2022 and November 2023 also filed a lawsuit in February, alleging that Combs sexually harassed, drugged and threatened him for more than a year. The former employee, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, also alleged that he had video and audio evidence of Combs, his staff and others “engaging in serious illegal activity.”
Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, also represents Combs’ accuser, Liza Gardner. Blackburn said Monday that the federal investigation will not “prevent or delay my clients’ pending and future actions to obtain justice and resolution from Combs RICO Enterprise.”
Shawn Holley, Combs’ attorney, denied Jones’ allegations and said Combs’ team has “overwhelming and indisputable evidence that his claims are complete lies.”
Combs had several legal problems before the recent lawsuits, but has rarely faced criminal charges.
In 1999, combs pleaded guilty to assaulting a record executive and was ordered to do one day of anger management. That same year, Combs was charged with criminal possession of a weapon following a shooting at a New York nightclub.
Witnesses told authorities they saw Combs with a firearm in the club, but it was rapper Shyne, real name Moses Barrow, who witnesses said fired shots into the crowd. Combs was detained by police in a vehicle with his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, with a gun in the car. Combs was acquitted of weapons and bribery charges, while Shyne was found guilty of the club shooting at trial.
Since Cassie’s lawsuit was filed and others came forward accusing Combs of assault, Combs has been the center of scrutiny. He resigned from his position as president of the Revolt media network and Hulu pulled out of a planned reality series centered on his family.
Diana Dasrath and Andrew Blankstein reported from Los Angeles, and Doha Madani and Jonathan Dienst from New York.
This is breaking news, check back for updates.
