A lawyer representing Sean 'Diddy' Combs has slammed the raids earlier this week on properties owned by the hip hop mogul in LA and Miami, dubbing the action by US Homeland Security an "unprecedented ambush" as part of a "witch hunt" based on a series of "meritless accusations".
Attorney Aaron Dyer issued his statement yesterday as media interest in the raids - and the allegations that have been made against the musician - continued to surge. Rolling Stone spotted that a man recently referred to as Combs "drug mule" had been charged with drug possession, the tabloids went back to a recent lawsuit and spotted the reference to Prince Harry, and TMZ rigorously tracked the movements of Combs' private jet via a flight tracking website.
Dyer's statement to journalists began, “Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr Combs’ residences. There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities".
Addressing speculation over whether any arrests or charges had been made against his client, Dyer continued, "Despite media speculation, neither Mr Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested, nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way".
He then concluded, "This unprecedented ambush - paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence - leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name".
A number of lawsuits have been filed in recent months accusing Combs of sexual harassment and assault, as well as other unlawful conduct. That includes litigation filed by his former partner Cassie Ventura, which was immediately settled, and the legal action from former collaborator Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones Jr, which sets out numerous allegations of illegal conduct against Combs and his entourage.
Among the Combs associates discussed in Jones' lawsuit is Brendan Paul, who, it claims, "works as Mr Combs mule - he acquires and distributes Mr Combs drugs and guns". According to Rolling Stone, when federal agents caught up with Combs at a Miami airport on Monday, following the raids at his properties, Paul was among those with the musician. He was then taken into custody by police on cocaine and marijuana possession charges.
A legal rep for Paul declined to comment on the specifics of those charges, simply stating, “We do not plan on trying this case in the media – all issues will be dealt with in court".
Since Monday's raids, various newspapers have gone back to Jones' lawsuit and spotted the brief mention on page 63 of Prince Harry, turning that into a standalone story.
That section of the lawsuit actually relates to legal claims made by Jones against Universal Music and its CEO Lucian Grainge, Combs having released his 2023 album 'The Love Story' in partnership with the major's Motown label.
Jones alleges that Universal and Grainge "ignored the numerous red flags about Mr Combs" because of the commercial benefits of being aligned with the star. One of those benefits, he argues, was "the affiliation and access to Mr Combs' popularity".
"Mr Combs was known for throwing the 'best' parties", it continues. "Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of, Mr Combs sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians, and international dignitaries like British royal, Prince Harry".
The allegation there, of course, is simply that Prince Harry attended at least one celebrity party hosted by Combs. However, it gave the tabloids an opportunity to spin another article out of Monday's raids that ticked the "let's bash Prince Harry" box. Albeit with the cautious "Harry isn't accused of anything" get out line, to avoid any legal problems with the famously litigious royal.
Talking of the tabloids, as the raids got underway on Monday, TMZ started tracking journeys being taken by a private jet seemingly owned by Combs, leading to speculation that the musician was fleeing the feds by flying to a Caribbean island.
That turned out not to be true. Combs was actually heading to the Bahamas, but on a scheduled holiday on a different plane. As the 'he's fleeing' speculation ran rampant, Combs was actually at an airport in Miami talking to agents and officers.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, someone connected with Combs - or at least his private jet - has had the plane removed from the website TMZ was using to track its movements. When you search for the jet on that website you now get a message that reads, “This aircraft is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator".