ATTORNEY Sean “Diddy” Combs on Tuesday said the raid by federal agents on the US rap mogul’s luxury homes was an “unprecedented surprise attack” and part of a “chasing of devils based on baseless allegations.”
Two luxury properties owned by Combs, who is at the center of sex trafficking claims and a sexual harassment lawsuit, were raided Monday by armed agents from Homeland Security Investigations.
“Yesterday, there was a gross abuse of military-level force when a search warrant was executed at Mr. Combs’ residence,” attorney Aaron Dyer said in a statement to US media.
“This unprecedented surprise attack — combined with a well-coordinated media presence — led to a premature assessment of Mr. Combs and nothing more than a witch-hunt based on unfounded allegations raised in a civil lawsuit,” Dyer said.
Authorities did not reveal why the raid was carried out.
However, Combs is the target of several civil lawsuits that depict him as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to subjugate his victims.
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He has faced at least four lawsuits from people who say he sexually assaulted them, with allegations dating back decades.
Last year, Combs was dragged into court by his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, who performs under the stage name Cassie and is signed to his Bad Boy label.
The lawsuit claims that he forced her to engage in sexual acts with several men over several years in various cities in the United States.
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The lawsuit was settled, but was followed by others, including one in December by a woman who accused Combs of sexual assault, alleging that he and another person raped her when she was 17.
Combs, who has never been convicted of a crime, denies all the allegations.
“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability for these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every day to clear his name,” Dyer said on Tuesday.
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The attorney said there was no excuse for the excessive display of force and hostile behavior displayed by authorities, and said that neither Combs nor any of his family members were arrested.
A law enforcement source told AFP that Combs — also known as Diddy or Puff Daddy — was in Miami on Monday and had spoken with agents, but confirmed he had not been arrested.
Aerial images taken on Monday appear to show the rapper’s sons, Justin and King Combs, tied up in handcuffs at his Los Angeles property.
Also read: Cassie Accuses Sean Combs of Rape
New images published by celebrity website TMZ on Tuesday appear to show computers and other electronic equipment having been removed from Combs’ Los Angeles home.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday it emerged that a luxury private jet belonging to Combs landed on the Caribbean island of Antigua hours after his US homes were raided.
Combs was not aboard the Gulfstream V, US media said on Tuesday while publishing photos of the plane in its tropical hideaway.
Flight tracking data shows that the plane — named LoveAir — departed from an airport in southern California on Monday. (AFP/Z-3)
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