The FBI plans to expand its inquiry into P Diddy, potentially revisiting an incident involving the rapper and Jennifer Lopez at a New York nightclub as part of a sex trafficking investigation.
Diddy, legally named Sean Combs, and then-girlfriend Lopez were arrested in 1999 following a nightclub shooting in Times Square.
Along with Combs and Lopez, Combs’ bodyguard Anthony “Wolf” Jones and rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow were apprehended after the incident, which injured three bystanders.
Following their arrest, Lopez, then 30, was photographed handcuffed at the Midtown North precinct. In a 2001 trial, Combs and Jones were acquitted, while Barrow received a 10-year sentence for assault and gun possession.
A lawsuit by Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones alleges Combs boasted of bribing witnesses and jurors related to the 1999 shooting, prompting speculation that the case may be reexamined within the ongoing federal investigation.
The probe intensified after Homeland Security agents conducted raids at Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami residences, stemming from Jones’ sex trafficking allegations.
Jones accuses Combs of sexual assault and exploitation between September 2022 and November 2023, alleging Combs forced him into illegal activities while he worked as a producer and videographer for Combs.
Criminal defence attorney Michael Discioarro notes that law enforcement actively gathers evidence and interviews witnesses concerning Combs, indicating a comprehensive review of Combs’ past and present actions.
