Diddy breaks social media silence as sex-trafficking probe ‘set to widen to cover 1999 shooting’: Updates

Combs, who faces a litany of sexual assault allegations, is said to have drawn guests to his infamous parties through his VIP associations with “celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians and international dignitaries like British Royal, Prince Harry”, according to the legal notice.

Holly Evans has the story:

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ past is back in the spotlight as a sweeping federal sex trafficking probe into the rapper is set to widen after agents raided his mansions in connection to the investigation.

The infamous Club New York shooting from 1999 and the sensational 2001 trial could possibly be re-investigated as part of the probe, two law enforcement officials told The New York Post.

In an explosive lawsuit from February that alleges Combs sexually assaulted music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones and forced him to have sex with sex workers, Mr Jones claimed Diddy was often “bragging about bribing witnesses, and jurors in the criminal case concerning the 1999 NYC nightclub shooting with Shyne”.

Diddy, his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez, his bodyguard, Anthony “Wolf” Jones, and rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, were arrested after the club shooting that injured three people.

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”.

Kristina Khorram, Diddy’s Chief of Staff, is named in Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones’ lawsuit against Diddy.

Among other things, the music producer accused Ms Khorram of requiring all of Diddy’s employees to carry drugs around his home, including cocaine, GHB, ecstasy and marijuana. He also claimed Ms Khorram “ordered sex workers, and prostitutes” for her boss.

Mr Jones also said the chief of staff “is the Ghislaine Maxwell to Sean Combs Jeffrey Epstein,” referring to the former British socialite currently being held in prison for twenty years after being convicted of child sex trafficking and other related charges.

The Independent has contacted Ms Khorram for comment.

Rodney Jones named both Universal Music Group (UMG) CEO Lucian Graine and Ethiopia Habtemariam, former CEO of Motown Records — owned by UMG — in his February lawsuit against Diddy.

Mr Graine and Ms Habtemariam, along with their music labels and others, “are 100% liable for the actions of Sean Combs,” Mr Jones claimed in his lawsuit. The producer said Diddy would threaten him with isolation from the music industry, using his connections with these CEOs as leverage.

The lawsuit states Diddy and his associates used “threats of isolation from the music and entertainment industry: parading powerful music industry executives such as Defendants Lucian Charles Grainge, Ethiopia Habtemariam at his parties filled with sex workers, minors, and illegal drugs, such as ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, marijuana, and mushrooms.”

Earlier this week, Ms Habtemariam said she would be willing to testify about the contact Mr Jones signed to produce Diddy’s “The Love Album.” Meanwhile, Mr Grainge’s lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

“A license to practice law is a privilege,” Donald Zakarin, the attorney who represents UMG and Grainge, wrote per Billboard. “Mr. Blackburn, plaintiff’s lawyer, has misused that license to self-promote, gratuitously, falsely and recklessly accusing the UMG defendants of criminal behavior.”

It has been one week since federal agents raided Sean “Diddy” Combs’ California and Florida homes.

Here’s everything we’ve learned since then: