LOS ANGELES—Federal agents who raided the Los Angeles and Miami homes of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs employed a “gross overuse of military-level force” and engaged in undue hostility, an attorney for the music mogul said, and he is defending his client’s innocence on March 27.
Attorney Aaron Dyer insisted on Mr. Combs’s innocence despite the high- profile nature of the searches on two coasts.
“Yesterday (Monday), there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’s residences,” Mr. Dyer said in a statement Tuesday. “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.
“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. 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.”
Agents from the Department of Homeland Security carried out the raid early Monday afternoon in the area of Mapleton Drive and Sunset Boulevard in Holmby Hills. Video from the scene showed numerous law enforcement officials, a possible armored vehicle and several people detained outside the home. It was unclear if any actual arrests were made.
According to a statement from DHS on Monday, “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
The Los Angeles mansion connected to Mr. Combs is not owned by the music mogul, but it has been connected to Mr. Combs’s company, Bad Boys Film Production, according to various reports.
A home owned by Mr. Combs in Miami was also raided Monday as part of the investigation, and video from that scene appeared to show the rapper outside the home as the search was conducted.
The nature of the probe was unclear, although several reports indicated it was part of a federal sex trafficking investigation. Mr. Combs has been targeted in multiple lawsuits in recent months accusing him of sex abuse—allegations the rapper’s attorney has vehemently denied. One of those suits was filed by R&B singer Cassie, a former girlfriend of Mr. Combs. That suit was settled one day after it was filed. Two other women have also filed lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.
Last month, music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. filed a lawsuit accusing Mr. Combs of groping him while the pair worked together on Mr. Combs’s album “The Love Album: Off the Grid.” The lawsuit also included allegations that Mr. Combs and his son engaged in a “sex-trafficking venture.”
Mr. Combs’s attorney, Shawn Holley, issued a statement in response saying, “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.
“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
TMZ reported Tuesday that an associate of Mr. Combs, 25-year-old Brendan Paul, was arrested after authorities intercepted the rapper’s plane in Miami. Mr. Paul was booked on suspicion of drug possession, TMZ reported. According to the report, Mr. Paul was named in Mr. Jones’s lawsuit, which accused him of being a handler of drugs and guns for Mr. Combs.
