The pending civil lawsuits against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could soon escalate to a criminal matter. CNN reports that a grand jury could soon hear testimony from some of his alleged sexual misconduct victims.
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The Context Behind This Possible Grand Jury Targeting Diddy
Two sources reportedly told CNN that federal investigators are gearing up to have alleged victims testify in front of a federal grand jury. The outlet claims this means that the U.S. Justice Department might possibly be seeking an indictment against Sean Combs.
This is the second time in less than a month that the outlet has provided a shocking update related to Diddy. On May 17, CNN shook the global internet when they published 2016 surveillance footage of the controversial music mogul beating on ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. The incident occurred on March 5, 2016, in the hallway of a now-closed hotel in Los Angeles.
Note that Diddy did apologize for the surveillance footage incident. In the last six months, he has also repeatedly slammed and denied the accusations in the growing number of lawsuits.
RELATED: Diddy Speaks Out For The First Time After Footage Of Him Assaulting Cassie In 2016 Goes Viral
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has already said they do not plan to pursue charges for Cassie’s recorded assault. Why? Too much time has passed, meaning the crime has surpassed its statute of limitations. Additionally, at the time of their statement, the LAPD hadn’t presented a case or new charges to pursue.
For context, the surveillance footage corroborated at least one incident Cassie described in her now-settled lawsuit against Combs. She had sued him for sexual assault, abuse, and sex trafficking in Nov.
Following Cassie’s lawsuit, seven additional lawsuits were filed against the producer for similar reasons. That includes two filed in the week after the Cassie abuse video. Six of those lawsuits directly accuse Diddy of sexual assault and misconduct, per CNN.
What Happens Next?
According to CNN, a spokesperson for the Homeland Security Investigations agency (HSI) has declined to confirm the grand jury route. However, the spokesperson said an investigation into the producer is still ongoing.
Keep in mind that this is the same agency that conducted a raid on Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March.
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As far as the grand jury goes, CNN claims that investigators have already notified potential witnesses per their source. It’s unclear if Cassie is on their list, but several plaintiffs from the civil lawsuits have allegedly been interviewed.
However, possible witnesses reportedly have not been prepped to testify yet, given HSI’s ongoing investigation, which includes obtaining concrete evidence.
Following his apology for the surfaced surveillance footage, Diddy’s lawyer, Jonathan Davis, told Rolling Stone that the producer denies the allegations listed in the seven unsettled lawsuits against him.
“Mr. Combs cannot comment on settled litigation, will not comment on pending litigation, and cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable,” Davis said in a statement. “We are aware that the proper authorities are conducting a thorough investigation and therefore have confidence any important issues will be addressed in the proper forum, where the rules distinguish facts from fiction.”
Diddy has not publicly reacted to the grand jury news.
