Sean “ Diddy ” Combs has broken his silence following raids on two of his homes, describing the actions of US Homeland Security agents as a “gross overuse of military-level force”. Lawyers for the
Rapper and
music mogul said there was “no excuse” for the “hostility” shown by authorities towards Combs’ children and staff members at the two properties. The raids occurred on Monday at the hip-hop star’s mansion in the Holmby Hills area of
Los Angeles,
California, and his Miami Beach home on Star Island, in
Florida. A statement from Homeland Security said law enforcement actions had been “executed as part of an ongoing investigation with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami and our local law enforcement partners.” On Tuesday, Combs’s lawyer Aaron Dyer said: “Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr Combs’ residences. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.” Mr Dyer’s statement was the first to be made publicly by the music mogul’s team since the raids. The criminal investigation is a major escalation in the scrutiny of Combs, who has been the defendant in several
Sexual Abuse lawsuits in recent months. Speculation as to his whereabouts has circulated since the raids. Information about a private jet belonging to the rapper was removed from a popular flight tracking website on Tuesday, though prior information showed it had landed in Antigua. A statement on FlightAware.com read: “This aircraft (N1969C) is not available for public tracking per request from the owner/operator.” In February, music producer Rodney Jones accused Combs of sexually assaulting him and forcing him to sleep with sex workers. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in
New York, accused the music mogul of repeated instances of unsolicited groping and sexual touching. It also said that the man had to work in a bathroom while Combs showered and walked around naked. The lawsuit was amended on Monday to include
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr . The Independent has reached out to representatives of Combs and Gooding Jr for comment about the lawsuit. Combs has previously denied all the accusations against him and vowed to “fight for my name, my family and for the truth.” He is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades. Formerly known as Puff Daddy, he built one of hip-hop’s biggest empires, blazing a trail with several entities attached to his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with a slew of top-tier artists including Biggie Smalls, Mary J Blige and Usher.