6 key questions about the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs home raid, including who is the mystery Philly rapper?

What to know about the raids on Diddy's homes, including the mystery "Philadelphia rapper." The raid on Sean "Diddy" Combs' properties in Los Angeles and Miami has raised more questions about the circumstances surrounding the raid, which followed several lawsuits filed against him over claims of sexual assault. The raids were reportedly part of a sex-trafficking investigation, and Combs’ lawyer, Aaron Dyer, called the use of military-level force as “a gross use of force” and said that Combs is innocent and will continue to fight to clear his name. The raid follows a $30 million lawsuit by music producer Rodney Jones alleging Combs participated in sexual misconduct, grooming, and sex-trademarking activity. While there have been several lawsuits against Diddy claiming he participated in sex misconduct, trafficking, and grooming, it is unclear whether the search is related to these allegations. There has been no finding of criminal liability with any of these allegations and no criminal charges have been filed and no present present during the raids.

ที่ตีพิมพ์ : 4 อาทิตย์ที่แล้ว โดย Emily Bloch ใน Entertainment

In this May 30, 2018, file photo, Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the L.A. Premiere of "The Four: Battle For Stardom" at the CBS Radford Studio Center in Los Angeles. Combs' lawyer said Tuesday that the searches of his Los Angeles and Miami properties by federal authorities in a sex-trafficking investigation were ”a gross use of military-level force" and that Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight" to clear his name. Read more

The scene of two of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ properties being raided by federal Homeland Security authorities on Monday has raised more questions than provided answers surrounding the music mogul. The raid follows several lawsuits filed against Diddy related to claims of sexual assault.

There’s also a Philadelphia connection: Music producer Rodney Jones’ — known as Lil Rod — $30 million lawsuit against Combs alleges that Combs participated in sexual misconduct, grooming, and sex-trafficking activity. The filing goes on to say that Combs told Jones he had sex with a Philadelphia rapper who dated Nicki Minaj. The rapper’s name is redacted.

It’s unclear which — if any — of the lawsuits are directly connected to Monday’s raids, though law enforcement sources have told media outlets including the Los Angeles Times that they were part of a federal inquiry into sex-trafficking allegations.

While a lot of the details remain fuzzy, here are six key questions about the raid and allegations so far.

Officials haven’t directly said yet. Some unnamed law enforcement sources have told media outlets that it was part of a federal inquiry into sex-trafficking allegations.

In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan declined to comment.

We don’t know for sure that they were. While there have been several lawsuits filed against Diddy claiming he participated in sexual misconduct, trafficking, and grooming, it’s not clear whether the search is related to any of the allegations specifically raised in the lawsuits.

There have been several sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs in recent months.

Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, sued him in November, alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape. The suit was settled the day after it was filed. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Another of Combs’ accusers was a woman who said the rap producer raped her two decades ago when she was 17.

In February, Jones, the music producer, filed a lawsuit alleging Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them.

Douglas Wigdor, an attorney representing Cassie and another woman who sued Combs, said in a statement Monday, “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”

He has denied the claims directly and through his lawyer.

In December when the claims by Cassie and the other woman were publicized, Combs said in a statement, “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”

Later, when Jones’ lawsuit was filed, Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley said: “We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”

Following Monday’s raid, Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer called the raid a “gross overuse of military-level force” in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities,” Dyer said. “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.”

Combs’ exact whereabouts is unknown. Criminal charges have not been filed and he has not been detained by law enforcement.

He wasn’t present during the raids and couldn’t be easily tracked down through services like online private jet trackers, sparking an influx of headlines and social media posts wanting to know where he is.

As news of the raids was unfolding Monday, TMZ spotted Combs near the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.

TMZ also has footage of Combs speaking with law enforcement, but details — including the timing — are slim.

Combs’ attorney said his travel hasn’t been restricted.

Many celebrities — including Cassie and Cuba Gooding Jr., Prince Harry, and Yung Miami — are mentioned in the lawsuits against Combs (Gooding Jr. as a defendant, Cassie as a victim, and others as industry associates who benefited from Combs’ behavior). But it’s the redacted names sparking new speculation.

In Jones’ $30 million lawsuit, he claims that Combs said he had sex with two celebrities whose names are redacted. One is described as a Philadelphia rapper who once dated Nicki Minaj.

It’s unclear who the Philadelphia rapper is. Based on his location and dating history, some on X (formerly Twitter) have asked if the Philly rapper referred to Meek Mill. Mill responded to the speculation on X, denying that the redacted name refers to him. “Find the page where my name [is] mentioned and what date,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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