Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team was notified last week by federal authorities in the Southern District of New York that he is a subject of an ongoing criminal investigation, according to two sources familiar with Combs’ ongoing legal troubles.
The same sources confirmed that a federal grand jury is hearing evidence as part of the investigation but there is no indication that charges are imminent.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment. Combs’ lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.
A subject of an investigation is someone who is within the scope of a criminal investigation, according to legal experts. An individual is designated a target when prosecutors likely intend to seek an indictment from the grand jury against the person.
A person’s status can be upgraded or downgraded during an investigation. Combs has not received a target letter, the sources said, and the Southern District of New York is not required to send one.
This news comes three months after Combs’ houses were raided in both Los Angeles and Miami by law enforcement officials.
In May, Combs apologized after a video, obtained by CNN, showed him beating his then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
In a video apology posted to his Instagram, Combs admitted to the incident and said he took “full responsibility.”
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Combs said. “I was f—ed up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses.”
Combs initially denied Ventura’s allegations of assault and sex trafficking, which she described in a federal lawsuit
Diana Dasrath and Tom Winter contributed.
