Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs timeline: The key events and allegations against the hip-hop mogul now on trial

CNN Sean Diddy Combs had just published a new album and was granted the key to New York City when he was accused of abuse and violence in a startling civil lawsuit from his former girlfriend Combs denied the charges and the lawsuit was settled a day after it was filed But the person behind that lawsuit Cassie Ventura is expected to soon be a key witness for the prosecution in his federal criminal trial In nearly two years since Ventura s lawsuit much has happened Dozens of men and women have alleged Combs committed serious wrongdoing CNN published a hotel surveillance video showing him physically assaulting Ventura federal personnel conducted searches on his homes and he was arrested and faces serious criminal charges Now comes his criminal trial in a federal courtroom in Manhattan It all marks a sharp downfall for Combs who founded the music label Bad Boy in and has gone by the stage names Puff Daddy and Diddy Over his illustrious decades-long career he earned three Grammy wins and nominations and he successfully expanded from rap into the wider practices with forays into fashion alcohol sales reality TV and acting Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts including one count of racketeering conspiracy two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution If convicted he could face a sentence of up to life in prison To better understand what led to this moment here s a timeline of the key events and statements against Diddy in latest years From mogul to defendant September Diddy circulated The Love Album Off the Grid his fifth studio album featuring appearances by a who s who of the music industry including Justin Bieber the Weeknd and Mary J Blige To celebrate New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave Diddy a symbolic key to the city The Bad Boy of Entertainment is getting the key to the city from the Bad Boy of Politics Adams reported November Combs former girlfriend Casandra Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against the producer claiming he raped and physically abused her She also claimed Combs inflicted years of emotional abuse on her and sought to control all aspects of her personal life according to the filing in federal court in New York The lawsuit accused Combs and other defendants of sex trafficking human trafficking sexual assault gender-motivated violence sexual harassment gender discrimination and a hostile work conditions In particular the suit described an altercation in a hotel hallway in March in which Combs grabbed at her beat her and threw glass vases at her Ventura filed the suit days ahead of the November expiration of the New York s Adult Survivor Act which created a one-year window for adult survivors of sexual abuse to sue their abusers regardless of the statute of limitations Combs attorney at the time Ben Brafman disclosed in a report that Mr Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous assertions and that the suit was riddled with baseless and outrageous lies November Just a day later Combs and Ventura agreed to settle the lawsuit Both musical artists distributed statements saying the matter was resolved amicably Combs attorney Brafman stated the settlement was in no way an admission of wrongdoing November Two more women Joi Dickerson-Neal and Liza Gardner accused Combs of sexual assault in lawsuits filed in New York Supreme Court on the eve of the expiration of the state s Adult Survivors Act Combs denied the accusations December After more accusers came forward Combs wrote in an Instagram post ENOUGH IS ENOUGH For the last couple of weeks I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character destroy my reputation and my legacy he wrote Sickening claims have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday Let me be absolutely clear I did not do any of the awful things being alleged I will fight for my name my family and for the truth That post has since been removed from his Instagram feed Only seven posts remain on his account page greater part of which are photos of his children March Heavily armed teams of federal agents various in armored vehicles and tactical gear executed searches of Combs homes in Los Angeles and the Miami area The searches were carried out by Homeland Defense Investigations as part of an ongoing sex trafficking inspection a law enforcement source advised CNN at the time March Aaron Dyer then an attorney for Combs criticized the raids as a gross overuse of military-level force May CNN published hotel surveillance video from that established Combs kicking and dragging Ventura The video taken at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City Los Angeles shows Combs running down a hallway after Ventura with a towel wrapped around his waist He grabs Ventura by the back of the neck throws her to the floor and kicks her video shows The video goes on to show Combs dragging Ventura on the floor and throwing an object at her Ventura declined to comment on the video Wigdor an attorney for Ventura explained CNN The gut-wrenching video has only further substantiated the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr Combs Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light May Combs distributed a video declaration apologizing for physically assaulting Ventura in the hotel surveillance video published by CNN My behavior on that video is inexcusable I take full responsibility for my actions in that video he stated I was disgusted then when I did it I m disgusted now he added I went and I sought out professional help I got into going to therapy going to rehab I had to ask God for his mercy and grace I m so sorry But I m committed to be a better man each and every day I m not asking for forgiveness I m truly sorry The apology video has since been removed from Combs Instagram May CNN announced federal investigators were preparing to bring Combs accusers before a grand jury citing two sources familiar with the probe Additional sources described CNN that the greater part of the plaintiffs who had filed civil lawsuits against Combs had been interviewed by federal investigators A few were handing over evidence they thought could assist investigators one source mentioned June Combs returned his symbolic key to New York City after Mayor Eric Adams sent a letter to him requesting he do so Adams wrote that he was deeply disturbed by the hotel surveillance video published by CNN September Singer Dawn Richard a former member of the musical group Danity Kane filed a suit accusing Combs of sexual battery sexual harassment and false imprisonment among other claims She also suggests to have seen Combs brutally beat Ventura while the pair were dating in the s Erica Wolff Combs attorney denied the assertions in a announcement to CNN Arrest and criminal charges September Combs was arrested in New York City after a grand jury voted to indict him on charges of racketeering conspiracy sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution in incidents dating back to Combs had relocated to New York several days before the arrest in anticipation of the charges his attorney mentioned Negotiations for his surrender had been ongoing according to a source familiar with the talks September A wide-ranging indictment against Combs was unsealed and accused him of creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in and attempted to engage in sex trafficking forced labor kidnapping arson bribery and obstruction of justice Prosecutors alleged Combs perpetrated decades of abuse and coercion against women and others in his arrangement to fulfill his sexual desires protect his reputation and conceal his conduct the indictment states In addition to accusations of physical abuse against women prosecutors accused Combs of orchestrating extended drug-fueled sex performances called Freak Offs between casualties and sex workers The indictment stated law enforcement seized guns ammo drugs and more than bottles of baby oil and lubricant during searches of Combs homes in Miami and Los Angeles in March Combs appeared in court and pleaded not guilty He was denied bail and Judge Robyn Tarnofsky ruled he will remain in custody as the development plays out a decision that Combs attorneys appealed September In a hearing appealing his detention prosecutors solicited the judge to keep Combs behind bars telling the court he has attempted to tamper with observers His defense demanded the judge to release him until trial and submitted a bail package that included a million bond Judge Andrew Carter who later recused himself from the incident sided with prosecutors and agreed to detain Combs ahead of trial My bigger concern deals with the danger of obstruction of justice and the danger of witness tampering Carter noted He has been held in a federal detention facility in Brooklyn New York ever since January Federal prosecutors filed a superseding indictment against Combs expanding the racketeering conspiracy claims to include two new female sufferers The new indictment alleged the criminal conduct goes as far back as four years earlier than the initial indictment stated March A gray-haired Combs appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the superseding indictment April In another superseding indictment federal prosecutors added two new counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution related to Victim- that they allege occurred between and April Combs pleaded not guilty to the two new counts April Federal judge Arun Subramanian ruled footage of Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura will be shown to the jury at his trial In addition a prosecutor informed the judge that Combs had rejected a plea deal though there were no further details on what it entailed May Jury selection began in Combs federal trial in a Manhattan courtroom The trial is expected to last several weeks