In an appearance at the US District Court in New York, Mr Combs was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. In an indictment that was unsealed at the same time, prosecutors alleged that he also engaged in kidnapping, forced labour, bribery and other crimes.

In a lawsuit filed on 16 November 2023, Cassie Ventura accused Sean Combs of rape, physical abuse and sex trafficking, detailing the repeated assaults she says she was subjected to during their relationship, which lasted more than a decade. She also alleges he raped her after she tried to leave him.