New footage appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs being arrested by Homeland Security Investigations agents.
In a video obtained by TMZ on Friday, September 20, the music mogul is seen walking into the Park Hyatt New York Hotel in midtown Manhattan with other men.
When Diddy enters the lobby, however, authorities stop the rapper and separate him from his friends.
After a cut, Diddy is seen being led in handcuffs to a bank of elevators and is later led back out of the hotel.
Eyebrow-Raising Quotes About Diddy’s Alleged Behavior Over the Years
On Monday, September 16, Diddy was taken into custody in Manhattan amid his multiple sexual assault lawsuits and a federal investigation.
One day later, Diddy was indicted on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. The 14-page indictment detailed a barrage of accusations against the rapper.
Diddy allegedly “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him,” the indictment stated. Some of the alleged incidents, which the indictment claimed were carried out to fulfill “his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct,” date back to 2009.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said in a statement to Us Weekly. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
The statement concluded: “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
After pleading not guilty to all the charges, Diddy was denied bail and ordered to remain behind bars at New York City’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
According to authorities, the investigation into Diddy remains ongoing.
A Timeline of Diddy’s Legal Troubles, Accusations and Arrests
“We are not done,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a press conference on Tuesday, September 17. “This investigation is ongoing, and I encourage anyone with information about this case to come forward and do it quickly.”
Although Diddy has been placed on suicide watch in prison, his lawyer explained that the course of action is a routine procedure for “new, high-profile inmates.” In a statement to Us, Agnifilo added his client is “strong, healthy, confident and focused on his defense.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.