Sean "Diddy" Combs, the music mogul, broke his social media silence on Sunday, less than a week after his properties in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations as part of a sex trafficking investigation. Combs, 54, took to Instagram to post a series of photos of his 1-year-old daughter, Love, celebrating Easter, captioning the post, "HAPPY EASTER from Baby Love."
The raids, which took place on March 25, have drawn criticism from Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, who described them as a "gross overuse of military-level force" and an "unprecedented ambush." In a statement to PEOPLE, Dyer said, "There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated."
During the raid on Combs' Los Angeles home, two of his sons, Justin and Christian, were spotted in handcuffs outside the property. However, no arrests were made, and no one has been charged in connection with the investigation.
Dyer has strongly defended Combs, stating, "Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name." He characterized the raids as "nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits."
Over the past several months, Combs has been accused of sexual assault and similar allegations by five people in separate lawsuits, with two including accusations of sex trafficking. In February, music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones filed a lawsuit against Combs, which was amended on March 25, seeking $30 million in damages over alleged psychological trauma and unpaid income while working with the music mogul for 13 months on his album, The Love Album: Off the Grid.
Jones' lawsuit also accused Combs and his son Justin of being involved in a shooting incident at a Los Angeles recording studio in September 2022. According to the lawsuit, Combs allegedly instructed Jones to lie to the police about the incident and claim that the victim, identified as Mr. G., was shot by a drive-by assailant outside the studio.
Combs' attorneys have denied Jones' claims, and Dyer's statement emphasized that "there has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations."
In his Easter Instagram post, Combs shared photos of his youngest daughter, Love, whom he shares with Dana Tran, a cybersecurity professional and model. The photos showed the 17-month-old posing in various colorful ensembles, including a floral dress with a matching purse and pink coat, as well as a purple outfit featuring a tutu and plaid jacket.
Combs, who has been spotted in Miami since the raids, has seven children by four women: adopted son Quincy, 32; Justin, 30; Christian, 25; Chance, 17; twins D'Lila and Jessie, 17; and Love.
As the investigation into the sex trafficking allegations continues, Combs and his legal team remain steadfast in their denial of any wrongdoing. The music mogul's return to social media with his daughter's Easter photos appears to be an effort to shift focus away from the ongoing legal troubles and maintain a sense of normalcy in the face of the serious accusations leveled against him.
