Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team is firing back after federal agents executed search warrants at the music legend’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami this week, calling the raids an “unprecedented ambush” involving excessive force.
In a statement to CNN on Tuesday, Diddy’s attorney Aaron Dyer condemned the “gross overuse of military-level force” during Monday’s searches, which were part of an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation targeting the Bad Boy Records owner.
“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated,” Dyer said.
He claimed that authorities handcuffed Diddy’s sons Justin and Christian outside the LA mansion.
Video footage also showed the 54-year-old rapper being stopped by federal agents at a Miami airport on Monday, who reportedly seized several electronic devices from him. However, Dyer insisted his client was never formally detained and cooperated fully.
The lawyer portrayed the high-profile raids, coordinated by Homeland Security Investigations, as a “witch hunt” motivated by unproven civil lawsuits alleging disturbing claims of sexual assault, rape, and operating a criminal sex ring.
“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,” Dyer stated.
He added that there has been “no finding of criminal or civil liability” regarding the allegations, which Combs has repeatedly denied. The statement made clear the star “is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
The raids coincided with an amended civil complaint naming actor Cuba Gooding Jr. as an additional defendant. It accuses Gooding of sexually assaulting music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones after being introduced by Diddy.
