What's happening to Puff Daddy?

Puffy, Puff Daddy, Diddy, P. Diddy, Brother Love or simply Sean Combs: the 55-year-old is one of the most prominent (still active) music moguls of all time, known, among many things, for having been the manager of The Notorious B.I.G. Biggie Smalls was one of Puff Daddy's most brilliant insights, which immediately secured him a prestigious reputation. The Notorious B.I.G. signed a contract with Daddy's record label, Bad Boy Records, which had artists like Craig Mack and Shyne under its umbrella and now boasts names like Machine Gun Kelly, French Montana, and Janelle Monáe. Despite the incident involving Biggie, Puff Daddy never abandoned his work in the music industry: he has always loved discovering talents and expanding in the music market. In fact, he even launched a new label, Love Records, solely to release his latest independent album, The Love Album: Off The Grid. In short, despite the glorious 1990s when the front pages of newspapers were filled with news about the love story between Jennifer Lopez and the entrepreneur, which is now archived, Puff Daddy is still a highly respected artist in the music scene. However, in recent hours, he has become the talk of the town and the headline of most US and non-US news for very different and decidedly unhappy reasons compared to the musical successes everyone is accustomed to.

Agents from the Homeland Security Investigations and other agencies conducted a raid on the entrepreneur's properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of an investigation into sex trafficking: although it has not been confirmed whether Combs was the target of the investigation, the previous incidents involving the entrepreneur lead us to believe he may be the culprit. In a statement, the agency stated that they had «conducted law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local partners.» In recent months, several lawsuits for sexual violence have been filed against Combs. For example, in February, a music producer accused him, alleging that he had forced him to lure prostitutes and engage in sexual relations with them. Additionally, R&B artist Cassie, Daddy's ex-girlfriend and a contract artist under Bad Boy Records, sued him in November, claiming she had suffered years of sexual abuse. The accusation added that Diddy had forced her to have sex with male escorts while he filmed. According to NBC News, Douglas Wigdor, the lawyer representing Cassie, stated: «We hope that this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs accountable for his depraved conduct.»

It is not clear whether the search is related to any of the allegations raised in legal proceedings or if there is much more behind the issue. The fact remains that the rapper will indeed have to answer for several crimes: rape, abuse, and exploitation of prostitution, as well as drug trafficking and illegal firearms use. The news will keep us updated on the complicated situation that is tarnishing Puff Diddy's reputation, but even wanting to make a prediction, the artist will not face anything positive. Numerous testimonies from Diddy's neighbors, as reported by NBC News, suggest this. They stated that the artist used to host parties daily. For example, 20-year-old Ryan Mendelsohn said: «During Puff Diddy's parties, there were always lots of girls in the backyard. Even other people in the neighborhood threw parties, but not like Diddy's, there weren't five or six girls, it wasn't the same situation.»

Diddy's attorney's response, Aaron Dyer's, came immediately. Besides highlighting how the raid on Diddy's home marked the beginning of a real witch hunt, he also added a statement on behalf of the artist: «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. 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.»