Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation

It’s been more than a week since the arrest of music mogul and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs on a litany of federal charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, but the questions surrounding the allegations have only grown in recent days. 

Which of Combs’s many celebrity friends heard about the alleged “freak-offs”? If there are tapes, what’s on them? Why do people keep talking about Justin Bieber? 

It’s not a stretch to draw parallels between Combs’s case and that of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Copious amounts of money, a long list of powerful friends, and a culture of celebrity silence make for a potent combination that, as Anna has written, is “tailor-made to produce conspiracy theories.”  

Meanwhile, the allegations against Combs continue to pile up. Another woman came forward this week to allege that Combs and his bodyguard took her to the recording studio for his record label, Bad Boy, in 2001, raped her repeatedly, and recorded the assault.  

Through his lawyers, Diddy has repeatedly asserted that the civil claims against him are baseless, calling several of them “sickening allegations” made “by individuals looking for a quick payday.” 

He has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case, too. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo has argued during a court hearing argued that the so-called freak-offs — marathon sexual productions that prosecutors say involved hired sex workers and women coerced to perform sexual acts for the gratification of Combs and others — were consensual, if unconventional. “Is it sex trafficking?” he asked in court last week. “No, not if everybody wants to be there.”   

With many players, civil and criminal cases, and misinformation floating around, we’re answering some frequently asked questions about the case — as best we can, of course, given what we know. 

For a more detailed history of all the allegations against Diddy, check out Anna’s full explainer here. 

Combs is facing two kinds of cases: a criminal case brought by the federal government that led to his arrest, and several civil cases brought by individuals, each involving different accusations.

The government’s case centers on the alleged performances with women and sex workers. The indictment alleges that Diddy often transported sex workers to perform in the sessions and taped the encounters to coerce silence from participants, using an array of employees and his business organization to facilitate the criminal activity.  For all of this, they’ve charged Combs with not only trafficking but racketeering conspiracy: a powerful charge that was originally used largely to prosecute organized crime leaders and can result in a hefty sentence.

It was the civil cases, however, that opened the floodgates that ultimately led to the indictment.

In November 2023, Combs’s ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, also known as the singer Cassie, filed the explosive lawsuit that first exposed several allegations against Combs to the public, including that the rapper orchestrated the performances with sex workers and forced her to participate. Though she filed a civil case (settled by Combs within one day), Ventura’s allegations appear to be the central foundation of the federal criminal case against Combs. 

Four other cases were filed shortly thereafter, three by women who alleged that he raped them (in some cases drugging them), and one by a male music producer who accused Diddy of grooming him and coercing him to hire sex workers for sex. 

Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Combs was incredibly powerful in the music industry and in American culture more generally. He was one of the first people to blend the worlds of hip-hop, business, and luxury, with a fashion label, Sean John, and vodka and tequila brands. He also hosted exclusive white parties in the Hamptons with guests like Martha Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick, and Jay Z. 

It’s difficult for people to speak out about sexual assault under any circumstances, and doubly difficult when the alleged perpetrator is someone wealthy and well-connected who may have influence over their careers. Combs is also accused of running an enormous criminal “enterprise” that threatened women with blackmail and violence — including using firearms to threaten victims — all of which would have made it even more difficult for anyone to come forward.  

Several of the accusers, and the criminal indictment, allege that Diddy videotaped sexual assaults and the performances with sex workers. The accuser this week alleges that a tape made of her sexual assault was sold and viewed by several other men. 

Generally, however, accusers have said any tapes served as a way to ensure their silence. In court, the New York Times reported, prosecutors presented a statement from one who said, “He just threatened me about my sex tapes that he has of me on two phones. He said he would expose me, mind you these sex tapes where I am heavily drugged.” 

Michael Tran/FilmMagic

One of the odder details in the Combs indictment is that authorities say they seized “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” in searches of the mogul’s residences earlier this year. Prosecutors say the oil was meant for the performances, and Ventura also said in her lawsuit that she was told to pour “excessive” amounts of oil on herself at these events. 

Possessing baby oil is not a crime, and the oil doesn’t matter very much in the context of the violent conduct of which Combs has been accused. But a federal indictment of a public figure like Combs is meant to be read, and it’s not unusual for prosecutors to include details they know will shock people and make headlines. Baby oil did the trick. 

No other person, celebrity or not, has been indicted alongside Combs in the criminal case. The civil cases do not mention any other celebrities either, accusing only Combs and occasionally those employed by him.  

That said, onlookers are trying to determine who knew what when. Indeed, Combs had many friends in high places.  

So far, a few bold-faced names who were on the guest lists at Combs’s “white parties” have come forward to say they were in no way connected to any of the crimes Combs is accused of. But it’s best if we all give the conspiracy theories a rest and let the case be handled in court. Wild speculation is only liable to exacerbate the victims’ pain.  

Diddy made several media-grabbing moves before the allegations began, including donating $1 million to Howard University and performing and collecting a Global Icon Award at the VMAs.

So much has since crumbled, not the least of which is his business empire. Diageo, the beverage brand with which Combs once partnered on vodka and tequila, quickly removed his image from its website, and the partnership broke ties after settling a lawsuit over another matter this January. Combs also sold his stake this summer in Revolt, a TV network he helped start in 2013. His planned Hulu show was iced. And Sean John’s website, according to the Daily Beast, was taken down.

As for Howard, his alma mater? It returned the million-dollar gift.   

The Department of Justice has issued a list of the charges against Combs and what each could mean if he’s convicted. The maximum sentences range, with a transportation for purposes of prostitution charge bringing a potential 10-year sentence, and that racketeering conspiracy charge meaning Combs could face life in prison. 

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The rise of the nonwhite reactionary: Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor who allegedly wrote that he identifies as a “black NAZI!,” may not be alone. Kanye West and Candace Owens, who are both Black; Nick Fuentes, the white supremacist of Mexican descent; and Enrique Tarrio, the Afro-Cuban Proud Boys leader, all have surprisingly bigoted politics. Here’s what experts know about the disturbing popularity of bigotry among nonwhite people.

All eyes on Hurricane Helene: Now a Category 1 hurricane, Tropical Storm Helene will likely hit western Florida late on Thursday, bringing a life-threatening storm surge with it. The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm surge could be as high as 15 feet in some parts of Florida’s Big Bend. Helene is the eighth named storm in this year’s unusual hurricane season, which included an unexpectedly quiet August and September.

 Further aid is likely headed to Ukraine: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, DC, on Thursday to meet with president Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Zelenskyy has been asking for faster deliveries of weapons, and the Biden administration is working to extend its authority to send $5.9 billion worth of weapons and equipment to Ukraine before funding expires at the end of September. [Politico]

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While the number of people dying from infectious diseases every year is decreasing, the number of people dying from noncommunicable diseases is increasing. In 2019, chronic diseases killed almost 41 million people, accounting for about 75 percent of all deaths globally. 

The problem is climbing faster in low- and middle-income countries, where almost 80 percent of all deaths from noncommunicable diseases occur. The chart below shows where this global health crisis is striking; you can read more about it — and why public health officials haven’t made it a priority —  here.

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