Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team was notified last week by federal authorities in the Southern District of New York that he is under criminal investigation, according to two sources familiar with Combs’ ongoing legal troubles.
The same sources confirm that a federal grand jury is hearing evidence as part of the investigation, but there is no indication that charges will be filed soon.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. Combs’ attorneys did not respond to a request for comment.
A subject of investigation is someone who falls within the scope of a criminal investigation, according to legal experts. An individual is designated as a target when prosecutors are likely to seek a grand jury indictment against the person.
A person’s status can be upgraded or downgraded during an investigation. Combs has not received a target letter, the sources said, and the Southern District of New York is not required to send one.
This news comes three months after Combs’ homes in both Los Angeles and Miami were searched by law enforcement.
In May, Combs apologized after CNN obtained video of him hitting then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
In a video apology posted to his Instagram, Combs admitted to the incident and said he took “full responsibility.”
“It’s so hard to look back on the darkest moments of your life, but sometimes you have to,” Combs said. “I was completely fucked up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I don’t make excuses.”
Combs initially denied Ventura’s allegations of sexual assault and sex trafficking, which she detailed in a federal lawsuit filed in November. The two settled the next day for an undisclosed amount.
When Combs confessed to the attack, Meredith Firetog, an attorney for Ventura, said, “When Cassie and several other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested his victims were looking for money.”
Firetog added: “He only felt compelled to offer his ‘apology’ when his repeated denials turned out to be untrue. This shows his pathetic desperation.”
Ventura’s attorneys did not respond to a request for comment on whether she has been summoned to participate in a grand jury proceeding.
Meanwhile, Combs has been accused of a wide range of allegations in multiple civil lawsuits, the latest of which was filed on Wednesday, accusing Combs of sex trafficking by a former adult film star.
The former music executive has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime. Sean Diddy Combs’ attorney Jonathan Davis has dismissed the latest lawsuit.
“No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it will not change the fact that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone,” Davis said. “We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason and without any evidence. Fortunately, there is a fair and impartial judicial process to get to the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will overcome this and other baseless claims in court.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
