Pictures of DIDDY relaxing in Central Park hours before his arrest in NYC

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 - Hip Hop mogul, Diddy was pictured relaxing in Central Park hours before he was arrested in a Manhattan hotel room late last night.

The rapper was seen enjoying the sunshine as he sat in Central Park, wearing a baggy black vest.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said Combs, 54, was apprehended in connection with a Southern District of New York-issued sealed indictment but federal officials said they will ask a judge to unseal the indictment today.

Combs, also known as Diddy and Puff Daddy, has been facing several legal issues after he settled a lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in November of 2023, in which she claimed he engaged in s3x trafficking and abused her.

The lawsuit was followed by at least a half-dozen others, including two women who accused Combs of s3xual assault and a music producer who said he allegedly coerced him to solicit pr∅stitutes and pressured him to have s3x with them.

Combs was arrested by Homeland Security officials at a midtown Manhattan hotel late Monday, law enforcement sources told TMZ, and transported to the FBI's Manhattan field office.

Authorities had planned on arresting Combs on Tuesday, but 'something happened' that caused federal officials to take him into custody earlier than planned, an official told the outlet.

Singer and reality TV star Aubrey O'Day, Combs' one-time protégé, was one of the notable names to comment on the arrest.

'The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated,' O'Day, 40, said.

'Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing.'

Attorney Lisa Bloom, who is representing one of the people suing Combs, issued the following statement Monday: 'Given the brutal beating of Sean Combs' girlfriend caught on video and the eight people who have now accused him of abuse in court filings, including my brave client Dawn Richard, this arrest seems long overdue.

'It's a big, moving day for victims, but an arrest is only the beginning. May justice be delivered to Mr. Combs. We implore other accusers to come forward in solidarity and join us in this fight.'

Diddy's attorney Marc Agnifilo released a statement to DailyMail.com which read: 'We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

'Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community.

'He is an imperfect person but he [is] not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.

Agnifilo added: 'Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.'

Monday evening's indictment comes less than six months after the music mogul's homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal authorities March 25.