Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Proclaims Innocence Following FBI Raids on His Homes

The kitchen counters are covered in dust; a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, coated in cobwebs. Around the huge rooms, furniture and pieces of decor sit in various states of disrepair.

The Bad Boy Entertainment founder bought the eight-bedroom, 16-bathroom home – which was built in 1987 – for $2.6m (£2m) from HJ Newton in 2003, and has never spoken about why he left it empty for so many years.

Read more from The Independent:

Homes belonging to Sean “Diddy” Combs in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by officials from US Homeland Security on Monday 25 March in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation.

The music mogul has issued one public statement via lawyers, but has kept a low public profile since the incident.

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The music producer said Mr Gooding sexually harassed and assaulted him after being “groomed” and then “passed off” by Diddy to the actor.

“Cuba Gooding Jr began touching, groping, and fondling Mr Jones’ legs, his upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders,” the amendment to the lawsuit stated.

The Independent has previously contacted Mr Gooding’s representatives for comment.

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been reportedly spotted several times in south Florida during the Easter weekend, despite a major raid on his exclusive Star Island mansion just days before.

Combs was seen interacting with fans at the Pura Vida restaurant near First Street and Washington Avenue on Friday and riding a bicycle near his property.

Earlier on Friday, he was reportedly spotted at a Top Golf location in Sweetwater.

On Monday his properties in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by officials from US Homeland Security. Combs described the actions of HSI agents as a “gross overuse of military-level force”.

Diddy’s lawyers have hit out at the raids, branding them a “gross overuse of military-level force”. He was not detained and spoke to authorities, and neither he nor any family members were arrested, nor has their travel been restricted, according to his lawyer’s statement.

In the clip, which has been circulating on social media since Monday (25 March), Diddy and Bieber are shown together in a recording studio. It is unclear what the footage was filmed for, but it appears to have been taken around the time the future pop star was recording his 2010 debut album, My World 2.0.

Read more from The Independent’s Roisin O’Connor:

Cuba Gooding Jr has been named in an amended lawsuit that accuses music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of sex trafficking, sexual assault, and the distribution of narcotics and firearms.

The actor, known for films including Boyz N the Hood and Jerry Maguire, was named as part of an amendment filed on Monday.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was spotted for the first time since federal agents raided his homes on Monday night, The Daily Mail reports.

The rapper was with his two school-aged daughters at a Miami, Florida golf club on Thursday night for two hours before leaving, the outlet reported. As he departed, Diddy even flashed a peace sign at the cameras — seemingly indicating he’s unfazed.

A former back-up dancer of Sean “Diddy” Combs has spoken out to reveal her “horrific” experience with the rapper after his homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided this week.

Tanika Ray said in a social media post that she knew to “avoid him at all costs”, adding that “nothing that is happening is surprising”.

“I just knew to avoid him at all costs … Yes, I danced for him and kept my space. I interviewed him for his projects and kept my space. Nothing that is happening is surprising,” she wrote, according to Page Six.

A lawsuit filed in November has accused Diddy of running a sex trafficking operation, hiding hidden cameras in his home, and forcing the plaintiff, music producer Ron Jones, into having sex with sex workers, among other claims.

Combs has strongly denied all of the allegations made against him. He has not been charged with any crime.