By Maggy DONALDSON

SEAN "Diddy" Combs - the rap mogul whose star has plunged after a wave of sex trafficking accusations and assault lawsuits - was arrested by federal agents in Manhattan late on Monday, a US federal court said.

The attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, said in a statement that the arrest stemmed from a sealed indictment filed by his office.

"We expect to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time," he said, without providing further details of the charges.

Diddy's lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in a statement provided to AFP that Combs had voluntarily relocated to New York anticipating the charges.

Combs's lawyer said their team is "disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr Combs by the US Attorney's Office."

The rapper is the target of several civil lawsuits that characterise him as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to subdue his victims.

His homes were raided in March by federal agents, in a heavily publicised bicoastal operation that indicated a federal investigation and potential criminal case was mounting against Combs.

Armed agents entered his sprawling luxury properties in Miami and Los Angeles, marking a rapid downfall for the powerful music industry figure who in recent years has vied to rebrand himself as "Brother Love."

His legal team said Monday that Combs was being "cooperative with this investigation" and "looks forward to clearing his name in court."

Bombshell suit

The artist, who's gone by various monikers including Puff Daddy and P Diddy, was widely credited as being key to hip hop's journey from the streets to the bottle-service club.

Over the decades he's amassed vast wealth not least due to his ventures in the liquor industry.

But despite his efforts to cultivate an image of a smooth party kingpin and business magnate, a spate of lawsuits describe Combs as a violent man who used his celebrity to prey on women.

The artist has denied all accusations against him.

He has no major convictions but has long been trailed by allegations of physical assault, dating back well into the 1990s.

Late last year the floodgates opened after singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleged Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs as well as a 2018 rape.

The pair met when Ventura was 19 and he was 37, after which he signed her to his label and they began a romantic relationship.

The bombshell suit was quickly settled out of court, but a string of similarly lurid sexual assault claims followed - including one in December by a woman who alleged Combs and others gang-raped her when she was 17.

Disturbing surveillance video then emerged in May showing Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Ventura, corroborating allegations she made in the now-settled case.

Global fame with dark shadow

Born Sean John Combs on November 4, 1969 in Harlem, the artist entered the industry as an intern in 1990 at Uptown Records where he eventually became a talent director.

He gained a reputation as a party planner, which would be central to his brand as his fame rose.

In 1991 he promoted a celebrity basketball game and concert at the City College of New York that left nine people dead after a stampede.

The event was over capacity by the thousands and resulted in a string of lawsuits, with Combs blamed for hiring inadequate security.

He was fired from Uptown, and founded his own label, Bad Boy Records.

Thus began a quick ascent to the top of East Coast hip hop, along with his disciple, the late The Notorious B.I.G.

Combs boasted a number of major signed acts and production collaborations with the likes of Mary J Blige, Usher, Lil' Kim, TLC, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.

He was also a Grammy-winning rapper in his own right, debuting with the chart-topping single "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" and his album "No Way Out."

He built an image as a brash hustler with unapologetic swagger, a major producer who also ventured into Hollywood, reality television and fashion and had high-profile romantic links with the likes of Jennifer Lopez.

But a dark history of violence and serious misconduct has long haunted his fame -- and now appears to be eclipsing it.

AFP

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