Sean Combs

"Diddy" redirects here. For other uses, see Diddy (disambiguation).
Sean Combs
Headshot of Sean Combs. He is a middle-aged black man with short hair wearing sunglasses.
Combs in 2023
Born
Sean John Combs

(1969-11-04) November 4, 1969 (age 54)[1]
New York City, U.S.
Other names
  • Puffy
  • Puff
  • Puff Daddy
  • P. Diddy
  • Diddy
  • Love
  • Brother Love
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • entrepreneur
  • record executive
  • television producer
Years active1990–2024
Works
Criminal statusIncarcerated at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn with no bond
Partners
Children7
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Labels
Member ofThe Hitmen
Formerly ofDiddy – Dirty Money
Websitediddy.com Edit this at Wikidata

Sean John Combs[4] (born November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Diddy, Puff Daddy, and P. Diddy,[5][6] is an American rapper, record producer, and record executive. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is credited with the discovery and development of musical artists including the Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, and Usher. In September 2024, he was arrested on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation for purposes of prostitution.[7]

Born in Harlem and raised in Mount Vernon, New York, Combs worked as a talent director at Uptown Records before founding his own record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993. He embarked on his recording career following the success of his first signee, the Notorious B.I.G., for whom he served as manager and hype man. Combs's debut studio album, No Way Out (1997), received critical acclaim, peaked atop the Billboard 200, and received septuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Two singles from the album, "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and "I'll Be Missing You", topped the US Billboard Hot 100—the latter was the first hip hop song to debut atop the chart. His second and third albums, Forever (1999) and The Saga Continues... (2001), both peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, while his fourth, Press Play (2006), peaked atop the chart. Combs then formed the musical group Diddy – Dirty Money with R&B singers Kalenna Harper and Dawn Richard to release the collaborative album Last Train to Paris (2010), which peaked at number seven and was supported by the single "Coming Home". His fifth studio album, The Love Album: Off the Grid (2023), received moderate critical and commercial response.

He has worked as a producer for other media, including MTV's reality series Making the Band. He launched the clothing retailer Sean John in 1998, for which he won Menswear Designer of the Year from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2004, having previously been nominated in 2000. Combs served as brand ambassador for the vodka retailer Cîroc from 2007 to 2023, and co-founded the television network Revolt in 2013. He is one of the wealthiest musical artists.[8]

In late 2023 his former partner Cassie Ventura filed a multi-million dollar sexual assault lawsuit against him; he settled out of court.[9][10] In the following nine months, 11 civil complaints were filed by claimants who alleged that they had been sexually abused by Combs between 1991 and 2009.[11][12] In March 2024, several properties tied to Combs were raided by the Department of Homeland Security as part of their investigation.[13][14] In May 2024, surveillance footage of Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel was released. Combs issued a public apology for the assault.[15] In September 2024, he was indicted by a federal grand jury in Manhattan and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering,[16] and the "creation of a criminal enterprise in which he abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct."[17] He pled not guilty. Twice denied bail,[18] Combs is awaiting trial in federal custody at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.[17] He is on a "procedural" suicide watch.[7]

  1. ^ Traugh 2010, p. 13.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference USA Today 2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Genai, Shanelle (May 24, 2024). "Are Yung Miami and Diddy Finally Breaking Up? Here's What We Know". The Root. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  4. ^ "BOP: Federal Inmates By Name".
  5. ^ Setaro, Shawn (November 6, 2017). "The Definitive History of Puff Daddy's Name Changes". Complex. Archived from the original on January 8, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Allmusic Bio was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Melas, Chloe (September 20, 2024). "Sean Combs under suicide watch by jailers as he awaits sex trafficking trial". NBC News. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  8. ^ Price, Joe (October 28, 2022). "Diddy Becomes a Billionaire, Replaces Kanye on List of 2022's Wealthiest Hip-Hop artists as West's Net Worth Drops". Complex. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  9. ^ Sisario, Ben (November 16, 2023). "Sean Combs Is Accused by Cassie of Rape and Years of Abuse in Lawsuit". The New York Times (Digital). Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved November 16, 2023.
  10. ^ Guy, Zoe (December 8, 2023). "Cassie's Lawsuit Against Diddy, Explained". Vulture. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  11. ^ "Behind the calamitous fall of hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference NBC Dec 2023 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Ryder, Taryn (March 28, 2024). "Sean Combs sex trafficking investigation: 'I would be very concerned if I were Diddy,' legal expert says". AOL.
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference Auto1P-65 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ "Sean 'Diddy' Combs charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, unsealed indictment shows". The Guardian. Associated Press. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Cabral, Sam (September 25, 2024). "Sean 'Diddy' Combs: An 11th accuser comes forward as rap mogul awaits trial". BBC News. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  18. ^ Katersky, Aaron; Brennan, David; Reinstein, Julia. "Sean 'Diddy' Combs denied bail again in sex trafficking indictment". ABC News. Retrieved September 18, 2024.