Sean John Combs[4] (born November 4, 1969), known professionally asDiddy (formerlyPuff Daddy andP. Diddy), is an American former rapper, record producer, and record executive. Born inHarlem, Combs worked as a talent director atUptown Records before founding his own record label,Bad Boy Records, in 1993. He is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists such asthe Notorious B.I.G.,Mary J. Blige, andUsher, among others.
Sean John Combs[5] was born on November 4, 1969,[6] inHarlem, New York City. Raised inMount Vernon, New York,[7] his mother Janice Combs (née Smalls) was a model and teacher's assistant.[8] His father, Melvin Earl Combs, served in theUS Air Force, and was an associate of convicted New Yorkdrug lordFrank Lucas.[7][9] At age 33, Melvin was shot dead while sitting in his car onCentral Park West, when Combs was two years old.[10] Combs has a sister, Keisha, and grew up in poverty.[11][12]
Combs was raisedCatholic and served as analtar boy.[13] He graduated fromMount Saint Michael Academy, an all-boys Catholic school, in 1987. He playedfootball for the academy, and his team won a division title in 1986.[14] Combs said he was given the nickname "Puff" as a child, because he would "huff and puff" when he was angry.[15] Combs was a business major atHoward University, but left after his second year.[16]
Career
1990–1996: Career beginnings
Combs became anintern at New York'sUptown Records in 1990.[17][18] While working as a talent director at Uptown, under the guidance of label founderAndre Harrell,[19] he helped developJodeci andMary J. Blige.[20] In his college days, Combs had a reputation for throwing parties, some of which attracted up to a thousand participants.[21]Usher, who lived with Combs for a year in New York City when he was 13 years old, toldHoward Stern in 2016 that Combs's lifestyle was "pretty wild" during that time.[22] In 1991, Combs promoted an AIDS fundraiser withHeavy D held at theCity College of New York (CCNY) gymnasium, following a charity basketball game. The event was oversold, and astampede occurred in which nine people died.[23]
Mase andthe Lox joined Bad Boy just as a widely publicized rivalry between theEast Coast andWest Coast hip hop scenes was beginning. Combs and Wallace were criticized and parodied byDeath Row Records cohortsTupac Shakur andSuge Knight in songs and interviews during the mid-1990s.[29] During 1994–1995, Combs produced several songs for TLC'sCrazySexyCool, which finished the decade as number 25 on Billboard's list of top pop albums of the decade.[30][31]
1996–1998: "Puff Daddy" andNo Way Out
In 1996, under the name Puff Daddy, Combs released his first commercial vocal work as a rapper.[32] His debut single, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", spent 28 weeks on theBillboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number one.[33] His debut album,No Way Out, was released on July 22, 1997,[34] through Bad Boy Records. Originally titledHell up in Harlem, the album underwent several changes afterthe Notorious B.I.G. was killed on March 9, 1997.[35] Several of the label's artists made guest appearances on the album.No Way Out was a significant success, particularly in the United States, where it reached number one on theBillboard 200 in its first week of release, selling 561,000 copies.[36]
The album produced five singles: "I'll Be Missing You", a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G., was the first rap song to debut at number one on theBillboard Hot 100; it remained at the top of the chart for 11 consecutive weeks and topped several other charts worldwide.[37] Four other singles—"Can't Nobody Hold Me Down", "It's All About the Benjamins", "Been Around the World", and "Victory"—were also released. Combs collaborated withJimmy Page on the song "Come with Me" for the 1998 filmGodzilla.[38]
The album earned Combs five nominations at the40th Grammy Awards in 1998, and would go on to win theGrammy Award for Best Rap Album.[39][40] On September 7, 2000, the album was certified septuple platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America for sales of over 7 million copies.[41] By the late 1990s, he was being criticized for watering down and overly commercializing hip hop, and for relying excessively on guest appearances,samples, andinterpolations of past hits.[42] For example, in a 1997 review ofNo Way Out forBillboard,Havelock Nelson commented: "...the over-reliance on huge swathes of undiluted samples is simply clumsy, lazy, and demeaning to the sources."[43] Also in 1997,Neil Strauss ofThe New York Times called Combs the "king of sampled hits".[44]
In April 1999, Combs was charged with assaultingSteve Stoute ofInterscope Records. Stoute was the manager forNas, with whom Combs had filmed a video earlier that year for the song "Hate Me Now". Combs was concerned that the video, which featured a shot of Nas and Combs being crucified, wasblasphemous.[45]
He asked for his scenes on the cross to be pulled, but after the video aired unedited on MTV on April 15, Combs visited Stoute's offices and injured Stoute.[46]
Forever, Combs's second solo studio album, was released by Bad Boy Records on August 24, 1999, in North America, and in the UK on the following day. It reached number two on theBillboard 200 and number one on theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,[47] before being ousted the following week by Mary J. Blige's fourth album,Mary. The album received positive to mixed reviews from music critics and spawned three singles that have charted on theBillboard charts. It peaked at number four on theCanadian Albums Chart, Combs's highest-charting album in that country.[47]
2001–2004: "P. Diddy" andThe Saga Continues
Combs changed his stage name from "Puff Daddy" to "P. Diddy" in 2001.[48] Thegospel albumThank You, which had been completed just before the beginning of the weapons trial, was due to be released in March that year, but remains unreleased as of 2023[update].[49] He appeared as a drug dealer in the filmMade, and starred withHalle Berry,Heath Ledger, andBilly Bob Thornton inMonster's Ball (both in 2001).[50]
Combs began working with a series of atypical (for him) artists. For a short period of time, he was the manager ofKelis; they have a collaboration titled "Let's Get Ill".[51] He was an opening act forNSYNC on their Spring 2002 Celebrity Tour,[52] and he signed California-based pop girl groupDream to his record label.[53] Combs was a producer of the soundtrack album for the filmTraining Day (2001).[54]
In June 2001, Combs ended Bad Boy's distribution deal with Arista Records, gaining full control of the label, its catalogue, and its roster of artists.[25]The Saga Continues..., released on July 10 in North America, was the last studio album released by the joint venture. The album reached number two on theBillboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts[55][56] and was eventually certified Platinum.[26] It is the only studio album under the P. Diddy name, and the first album by Sean Combs not to feature any guest appearances by Jay-Z or Lil' Kim. Combs was executive producer of the reality TV show,Making the Band, which appeared on MTV from 2002 to 2009.[57]
The show involves interviewing candidates and creating musical acts that would then enter the music business. Acts who got their start this way includeDa Band,[58]Danity Kane,[57]Day26,[59] andDonnie Klang.[60] In 2003, Combs ran in theNew York City Marathon, raising $2million for the educational system of the city of New York.[61] On March 10, 2004, he appeared onThe Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss the marathon, which he finished in four hours and eighteen minutes.[62] In 2004, Combs headed the campaign "Vote or Die" for the 2004 presidential election.[63] On February 1, 2004, Combs performed at theSuper Bowl XXXVIII halftime show.[64]
2005–2009: "Diddy" andPress Play
Combs performing at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007
On August 16, 2005, Combs announced onToday that he was altering his stage name yet again; he would be calling himself "Diddy". Combs said fans did not know how to address him, which led to confusion.[65]
In 2006, when Combs refused to release rapperMase from his contractual obligations with Bad Boy to allow him to join the groupG-Unit,50 Cent recorded adiss song, "Hip-Hop". The lyrics imply that Combs knew the identity ofthe Notorious B.I.G.'s murderer.[70] The two resolved the feud, but it resurfaced in later years.[71][72]
Combs released his first album in four years,Press Play, on October 17, 2006, on the Bad Boy Records label.[73] The album, featuring guest appearances by many popular artists, debuted at number one on the USBillboard 200 chart[74] with sales of over 173,009. Its singles "Come to Me" and "Last Night" both reached the top ten of theBillboard Hot 100.[75][76] The album became available to preview on MTV'sThe Leak on October 10, 2006, a week before being sold in stores.[77]Press Play received mixed to positive reviews from critics,[78] and was certified Gold on the RIAA ratings.[26] On September 18, 2007, Combs teamed up with50 Cent andJay-Z for the "Forbes I Get Money Billion Dollar Remix".[79]
In June 2008, Combs's representative denied rumors of another name change.[80] Combs ventured into reality television in August 2008 with the premiere of hisVH1 seriesI Want to Work for Diddy.[81] He appeared—credited under his real name—in two episodes of Season 7 ofCSI: Miami: "Presumed Guilty" and "Sink or Swim", in the role of lawyer Derek Powell.[82]
In 2009, recruiting singersDawn Richard andKalenna Harper, Combs formed the female duoDiddy – Dirty Money. The trio's first and only album,Last Train to Paris, was released byInterscope Records on December 13, 2010. The release was preceded by four singles: "Angels", "Hello Good Morning", "Loving You No More", and "Coming Home", each saw mixed success on theBillboard Hot 100, although the latter peaked at number 11 on the US Hot 100, number four in the UK, and number seven in Canada.[86] Combs produced the group, and often performed with them. On March 10, 2011, Diddy and Dirty Money performed "Coming Home" live onAmerican Idol.[87]
On February 26, 2014, Combs premiered "Big Homie", featuring Rick Ross andFrench Montana, as the first single from his mixtapeMMM (Money Making Mitch), which was originally scheduled to be released that year.[90] The song was released for digital download on March 24,[91] and two days later the trailer for the music video was released. The full version of the music video was released on March 31. Combs used his former stage name Puff Daddy for the album.[92]MMM was released as a free mixtape album of 12 tracks on November 4, 2015.[93] In July 2014, Combs and Israeli record producerGuy Gerber released the collaborative album11:11 as afree download.[94] On June 29, 2015, Combs released the single "Finna Get Loose", which featured vocals and production byPharrell Williams.[95]
In July 2015, Bad Boy Entertainment signeeGizzle told the press that she was collaborating with Combs on the ultimately-cancelled albumNo Way Out 2, a sequel to his 1997 debut. She describes the music as unique: "The mindset is to just be classic and to be epic. And to really live up to that... we know it's a tall order, but we welcome the challenge."[96] In April 2016, Combs announced that after this album and its accompanying tour, he planned to retire from the music industry to focus on acting.[97]
On May 20, 2016, Combs launched a tour of Bad Boy Records' biggest names to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the label.[98] The documentaryCan't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story, covering the two shows at theBarclays Center in Brooklyn as well as behind-the-scenes events, was released on June 23, 2017.[99] The show toured to an additional twenty venues across the United States and Canada.[100][101]
2018–2024:Love,Love Records andThe Love Album: Off the Grid
Combs in 2023
On November 5, 2017, Combs announced that he would be going by the name Love, stating, "My new name is Love, aka Brother Love."[102] Two days later, he told the press he had been joking, but on January 3, 2018, he announced onJimmy Kimmel Live! that he had changed his mind again, and will be using the new name after all.[103] The change became official in 2022.[104]
In 2019, Combs announced on Twitter thatMaking the Band would return toMTV in 2020. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, it failed to do so; it was delayed once more for a release in 2021 before its complete cancellation.[105][106] Combs executive-produced Nigerian singerBurna Boy's album,Twice as Tall, which was released on August 14, 2020.[107]Combs hosted the2022Billboard Music Awards. In May 2022, he announced the startup of a new record label,Love Records as part of a recording contract withMotown. Along with Combs himself, the label's inaugural artist was singerJozzy, who signed to the label that same month.[108][109]
In June 2022, he released the single "Gotta Move On", which features singerBryson Tiller and marked his first entry—at number 79—on theBillboard Hot 100 since "Coming Home". It was promoted as the lead single for the album, although it was only included on its expanded edition. On August 22, 2023, Combs released a teaser trailer on social media for his fifth studio album,The Love Album: Off the Grid, which was released on September 15, 2023.
Coinciding with its release was the lead single "Another One of Me" (withthe Weeknd,French Montana and21 Savage). The song peaked at number 87 on theBillboard Hot 100, while the album peaked at number 19 on theBillboard 200. Critical responses to both the song and album were mixed to average.[110] Despite Combs's signing with Motown, the album was released independently, with the label's name only present on promotional materials. During an interview withBillboard, Combs stated that:
[I]'m in a season of total independence. I had an experience with Motown where it was like, 'I've come too far to ask somebody that isn't where I'm from about cultural and artistic things. If I'm going to bet on anybody, I'm going to bet on the people I believe in.' So I decided to go independent with Love Records and Bad Boy. I decided to come back into the game with bolder ideas of ownership, distribution and future manufacturing because those are the things that we as a people are cut out of.[111]
The Love Album: Off the Grid received a nomination forBest Progressive R&B Album at the66th Annual Grammy Awards, which commenced on February 4, 2024; Combs did not attend the ceremony, due to sexual misconduct allegations levied against him.[112]
Business career
Fortune magazine listed Combs at number 12 on theirtop 40 of entrepreneurs under 40 in 2002.[113]Forbes magazine estimated that for the year ending May 2017, Combs earned $130 million, ranking him number one among entertainers.[114] He topped theForbes annual hip-hop rich list in 2014[115] and 2017.[116] He is one of thewealthiest musical artists,[117] with an estimated net worth of US$1 billion by 2022.[118]
Sean John
A billboard of Sean John is in the distance onBroadway, 2011.
In late 2006, the department storeMacy's removed Sean John jackets from their shelves when they discovered that the clothing was made usingraccoon dog fur. Combs had not known the jackets were made with genuine fur, but as soon as he was alerted, he had production stopped.[122]
In November 2008, Combs added a men's perfume line "I Am King" to the Sean John brand. The fragrance, dedicated toBarack Obama,Muhammad Ali, andMartin Luther King Jr., featuredBar Refaeli in its advertising.[123] In early 2016, Sean John introduced the brand's GIRLS collection.[124]
Other ventures
Combs is the head of Combs Enterprises, an umbrella company for his portfolio of businesses.[125] In addition to his clothing line, Combs owned two restaurants called Justin's, named after his son. The original New York location closed in September 2007;[126] the Atlanta location closed in June 2012.[127] He is the designer of aDallas Mavericks alternate jersey used from 2004 to 2009.[128] In October 2007, Combs agreed to help develop theCîroc vodka brand for a 50% share of the profits.[123] In June 2023, after Ciroc was acquired byDiageo, they ended their partnership with Combs for "refusing to acknowledge or honor his commitments".[129]
Combs acquired theEnyce clothing line fromLiz Claiborne for $20 million on October 21, 2008.[130]
Combs has a major equity stake inRevolt, a television network that also has a film production branch.[131] It began broadcasting in 2014.[132] In February 2015, Combs teamed up with actorMark Wahlberg and businessmanRonald Burkle ofYucaipa Companies to purchase a majority holding in Aquahydrate, a calorie-free beverage for athletes.[133][134] John Cochran, former president ofFiji Water, is CEO of the company.[135]
In 2019, Combs became an investor in PlayVS, which provides an infrastructure for competitive gaming in US high schools.[136] The company was also backed byTwitch co-founder Kevin Lin.[137]
Personal life
Family and relationships
Combs with his sons Christian and Justin at theSpider-Man 3 premiere, 2007
Combs is a father to seven children. His first biological child, Justin, was born in 1993 to fashion designer and stylistMisa Hylton. Justin attendedUCLA on a football scholarship and graduated in 2016.[138][139] Combs had an on-again, off-again relationship withKimberly Porter from 1994 to 2007.[2][140] He raised and adoptedQuincy, born 1991,[141] Porter's son from a previous relationship with singer-producer and Combs's rivalAl B. Sure!. Together, they had a son,Christian, born in 1998, and twin daughters, born in 2006.[142] Porter died ofpneumonia in 2018.[143][144]
Five months before the birth of his twins,[142] Combs had a daughter, born to Sarah Chapman. He took legal responsibility for her in October 2007.[140] Combs was in an 11-year relationship withCassie Ventura from 2007 to 2018.[145][146] Combs's seventh child was born on October 15, 2022.[147] Her mother is Dana Tran.[148]
In November 2022, Combs and his second-eldest son became the first father-son duo to have simultaneous No. 1 hits. Combs reached the top of theBillboardAdult R&B Airplay chart with "Gotta Move On", while his son Christian, under his stage name King Combs, toppedMediabase's US Urban Radio chart with "Can't Stop Won't Stop", featuringKodak Black.[149]
In 2008, Combs toldThe Daily Telegraph that he does not belong to any specific religious denomination. He said, "I just follow right from wrong, so I could pray in a synagogue or a mosque or a church. I believe that there is only one God."[13] In a 2023 interview, Combs said he believes thatGod is a woman.[152]
In 1995, Combs founded Daddy's House Social Programs, an organization to helpinner-city youth. Programs include tutoring, life skills classes, and an annual summer camp. Along with Jay-Z, he pledged $1 million to help support victims ofHurricane Katrina in 2005, and donated clothing from his Sean John line to victims. He has donated computers and books to New York schools.[153]
In 2014, Combs received anhonorary doctorate in humanities fromHoward University and gave thecommencement speech for its 146th commencement ceremony. In his speech, Combs said his experiences as a Howard student positively influenced his life.[158] In 2016, Combs donated $1 million to Howard University to establish the Sean Combs Scholarship Fund to help students who are unable to pay their tuition.[159][160] On June 7, 2024, Howard University announced that it was revoking Combs's honorary doctorate. It also returned his $1 million donation and terminated his pledge agreement.[161]
Combs held a series of parties known asWhite Parties between 1998 and 2009. The parties had a strict all-whitedress code. According to a 2024New York Times article, in the 2000s "few events held the [parties'] cultural cachet".[163] CNN wrote, "there was a time when one of the hottest summer tickets belonged to anyone who was able to score an invite to party" with Combs and that the parties "marked the peak of his cultural influence".[164]
Legal issues
In 1997, Combs was sued for landlord negligence byInge Bongo [fr]; Combs denied the charges.[165] On April 15, 1999, shortly after the music video for Nas' "Hate Me Now" aired on MTV featuring Combs being crucified, he and two others burst into Nas' former manager, Steve Stoute's office and attacked him.[166][167] Stoute sued Combs in June 1999, resulting in Combs paying him an out-of-court settlement of $500,000.[168] Originally charged with assault for the event, Combs pleaded guilty on September 8, 1999, to a charge of harassment, and was sentenced to spend one day in an anger management class.[169][170]
On December 27, 1999, Combs, his then-girlfriendJennifer Lopez, and his protégé rapperShyne were at Club New York inTimes Square in Manhattan when gunfire occurred.[171][172] A prosecutor said that the incident was sparked by an argument at the club between Combs and another patron.[171] After a police investigation, Combs and Shyne were arrested for weapons violations and other charges.[173] Combs was charged with four weapons-related crimes and with bribing his driver, Wardel Fenderson, to claim ownership of his gun.[174]
With agag order in place, the highly publicized trial began.[174] Combs's attorneys wereJohnnie L. Cochran Jr. andBenjamin Brafman.[175] Combs was found not guilty on all charges. Shyne was convicted on five of his eight charges[175] and sentenced to ten years in prison. Combs and Lopez broke up shortly after. A lawsuit filed by Fenderson, who said he suffered emotional damage after the shooting, was settled in February 2004. Lawyers for both sides, having agreed to keep the settlement terms secret, said the matter had been "resolved to the satisfaction of all parties".[176]
In 2001, Combs was arrested for driving with a suspended license in Florida.[177]
In 2003, theNational Labor Committee revealed that factories producing the Sean John clothing brand inHonduras were violating Honduran labor laws.[178] Accusations were that workers were subjected to body searches and involuntary pregnancy tests, bathrooms were locked and access tightly controlled, and employees were forced to work overtime and receivedsweatshop wages.[179]Charles Kernaghan of the National Labor Committee toldThe New York Times that, "Sean Puff Daddy obviously has a lot of clout, he can literally do a lot overnight to help these workers."[178] Combs responded with an extensive investigation, telling reporters, "I'm as pro-worker as they get."[180] In February 2004, Kernaghan announced that improvements had been implemented at the factory, including adding air conditioning and water purification systems, firing the most abusive supervisors, and allowing the formation of a labor union.[181]
Also in 2003, Kirk Burrowes sued Combs, claiming that Combs had forced him to give up his shares in Bad Boy Records through threats of violence. In 2006, the case was dismissed because thestatute of limitations had expired.[11]
In 2005, an assault charge against Combs filed by Michigan television hostRogelio Mills was resolved in Combs's favor.[182]
Later in 2005,London-based musical artist and DJRichard Dearlove, who had been performing under the name "Diddy" since 1992—nine years before Combs started using even "P. Diddy"—sought an injunction in theHigh Court of Justice in London. He accepted an out-of-court settlement of £10,000 in damages and more than £100,000 incosts. Combs can no longer use the name Diddy in the UK, where he is still known as P. Diddy.[183][184]
In 2007, Gerard Rechnitzer sued Combs for battery, claiming Combs had punched him outside a Hollywood nightclub.[185]
Rechnitzer claimed he was attacked after he approached Combs while the rap mogul was talking to his girlfriend.[185] Combs settled the lawsuit on undisclosed terms in March 2008.[186]
In 2009, theLos Angeles Times claimed that the Notorious B.I.G. and Combs orchestrated the1994 robbery and shooting of Tupac, substantiating the claim with supposed FBI documents. The newspaper later retracted the story, acknowledging that the documents had been fabricated.[187] In 2012, Dexter Isaac, an associate of record management executiveJimmy Henchman, confessed that he had shot Tupac on Henchman's orders.[188][189]
In 2015, Combs was arrested for aggravated assault after an altercation with his son's football coach at theUniversity of California, Los Angeles.[190] On July 2, 2015, the assault charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.[191]
In 2021, Combs filed a $60 million lawsuit against the new owners of Sean John, claiming the firm used his likeness without his permission and fabricated quotes endorsing their new product line.[192][193] In 2023, Combs filed a racial discrimination lawsuit againstDiageo, claiming that the spirits company deliberately "knee-capped" the marketing and sales of his Cîroc vodka and DeLéon tequila labels. In January 2024, Combs voluntarily withdrew the lawsuitwith prejudice, and also severed the business relationship.[194]
On March 4, 2024, music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones, who was already suing Combs for sexual assault, filed a lawsuit against Combs and his son Justin, alleging that they engaged in a "massive" cover-up of their involvement in the shooting of a 30-year-old man at a "writers and producers camp" that was held at Combs's Chalice Recording Studio in Los Angeles in September 2022.[195][196]
On March 25, 2024, former Syracuse University basketball player and Combs associate Brendan Paul was arrested at theOpa Locka Airport inMiami-Dade County, Florida, on two charges ofcocaine and controlled substance possession; he was released the next day after posting a $2,500 bond.[197] Lil Rod has accused Paul of being Combs's "drug mule" in court documents.[197][198]
In May 2017, Cindy Rueda, who previously had served as Combs's personal chef, filed a lawsuit against Combs in theLos Angeles County Superior Court, claiming, among other things,sexual harassment and retaliation.[199][200] The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in February 2019.[201]
Cassie Ventura, with whom Combs had a long-term relationship, filed a lawsuit against him on November 16, 2023, accusing him of rape, sex trafficking, and physical abuse.[202] The lawsuit also suggested that Combs was responsible for blowing up Ventura's then-boyfriendKid Cudi's car.[202][203] Combs and Ventura reached an undisclosed settlement the following day, and the lawsuit was dismissed.[204]
Two further lawsuits were filed against Combs by two additional complainants, alleging sexual assault andrevenge porn, on November 23, 2023.[205][206] One of the lawsuits claimed that in 1990 or 1991, Combs andAaron Hall had sexually abused a woman, with Combs recording the incident.[207]
On May 17, 2024,CNN released surveillance footage of Combs physically assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental hotel inCentury City, Los Angeles, on March 5, 2016. This incident was among the allegations made in the lawsuit.[208] On May 19, 2024, Combs issued a video apology onInstagram andFacebook, stating he was "truly sorry" and that his actions were "inexcusable".[209] Combs's assault of Ventura was stopped by hotel staff, after which Combs allegedly tried to bribe the staff, according to a federal indictment in September 2024.[210]
On October 1, 2024,The Washington Post reported that a team of lawyers will be filing as many as 120 more lawsuits, covering assaults that took place during the 2000s and 2010s. Plaintiffs, 25 of whom are minors, are both male and female.Tony Buzbee, one of the attorneys on the team, said most of the alleged assaults took place in New York State. Half of the alleged victims say they reported the assault to police, to a doctor, or to the FBI. Some claim to have been drugged or offeredhush money. Additional potential defendants other than Combs are also to be named in the lawsuits: "The names that we're going to name, assuming our investigators confirm and corroborate what we've been told, are names that will shock you", Buzbee commented at a press conference in Houston. "I'm talking here about not just the cowardly but complicit bystanders, that is those people that we know watched this behavior occur and did nothing. I'm talking about the people that participated, encouraged it, egged it on. They know who they are."[211] Buzbee filed the first six of these lawsuits in New York federal court on October 13, 2024.[212] Andrew Van Arsdale of the AVA Law Group, which is working with Buzbee, said they have heard abuse allegations against Combs from some three thousand people, and their team is currently actively examining another hundred potential cases.[213] Erica Wolff, a member of Combs's legal team, told the BBC that Combs "looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation".[213]
In 2025,Peacock released the documentary movieDiddy: The Making of a Bad Boy about Combs's life and current legal issues,[214] andInvestigation Discovery released a four-partdocuseriesFall of Diddy.[215] On February 12, 2025, Combs's representatives filed a defamation lawsuit againstNBCUniversal, Peacock, and Ample Entertainment allegingDiddy: The Making of a Bad Boy contains defamatory statements.[216]
Combs was arrested andindicted in theSouthern District of New York on September 16, 2024, on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes ofprostitution.[217] He is held in federal custody at theFederal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix.[218] During a court appearance on October 10, 2024, JudgeArun Subramanian set Combs's trial start date as May 5, 2025.[219] On November 27, 2024, a judge denied bail for a third time.[220] On April 18, 2025, a request by Combs's lawyers to postpone the trial for two months was denied.[221]
The trial began on May 5, 2025, with jury selection,[222] while opening statements and witness testimony began on May 12.[223] The prosecution and defense concluded their cases on June 24, 2025.[224] Closing arguments began on June 26.[225]
On July 2, 2025, after three days of deliberation, the jury found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution involving Ventura, another former girlfriend, and male sex workers, but not guilty of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.[226] Later that day, Combs was denied bail and ordered to remain in custody pending sentencing, which was scheduled on October 3.[227] In August 2025, Combs's legal team said that they had reached out to PresidentDonald Trump regarding a possiblepresidential pardon.[228]
On October 3, 2025, Combs was sentenced to four years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.[229] With the 12 months already spent in holding, Combs is expected to be released in May 2028.[230]
^Century, Douglas (February 11, 2007)."Alpine, N.J., Home of Hip-Hop Royalty".The New York Times.Archived from the original on December 29, 2012. RetrievedFebruary 28, 2014.These days Mr. Combs hardly needs to crash on a homeboy's sofa. The house he recently bought here, for a reported $7million, is a 17,000-square-foot hilltop mansion with eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, indoor and outdoor pools (complete with waterfall), racquetball and basketball courts, a home theater, a wine cellar and a six-car garage.
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