Martha Ross
Prince Harry hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing in association with Sean “Diddy” Combs, but the California-based son of King Charles III has nonetheless been pulled into the maelstrom of news surrounding the reported federal sex trafficking investigation into the music mogul.
On Monday, the same day that Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami were searched by Homeland Security Investigations agents, news circulated that Harry’s name appears in documents related to a $30 million lawsuit that alleges the rapper is a serial abuser of men and women, the Daily Beast and the Daily Mail reported.
Record producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones has alleged that Combs’ “affiliation” to the Duke of Sussex and other “international dignitaries,” musicians, sports figures and politicians gave him and his associates “legitimacy,” the Daily Mail said.
Jones, who said he was groped, harassed and threatened by Combs, alleged in his suit that the billionaire mogul “was known for throwing the ‘best’ parties,” the Daily Beast’s royal correspondent Tom Sykes reported. “Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of, Mr Combs’ sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artists, musicians and international dignitaries like British royal, Prince Harry,” the document said.
Harry is not listed as a defendant, and his name only appears once in the 73-page document, the Daily Mail reported. It’s not known why Harry was singled out, and it can be argued that it’s “deeply unfair” for him to be named. especially when he’s not accused of doing anything wrong, Sykes added.
Still, Sykes opined that Harry’s naming in the suit underlines “the particular need for members of the British royal family to be ultra-cautious about whom they associate with and under what conditions.” That lesson, Sykes said, was emphasized by Prince Andrew’s friendship with sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Andrew was regularly named in U.S. court documents related to the Epstein scandal, and was ultimately accused himself of sexual assault by one of Epstein’s alleged victims, Virginia Giuffre. Andrew ended up paying a multimillion settlement to Giuffre and was forced to step down from royal duties.
It’s known that both Harry and his older brother, Prince William, met Combs and rapper Kanye West at a post-concert party the princes hosted to thank all who took part in the “Concert for Diana” at Wembley Stadium in 2007, the Daily Mail reported. Both princes posed for photos with Diddy and West, Sykes reported, with the four greeting “one another warmly” and Harry, at one point, “putting his arm over Diddy’s shoulder.”
It’s not known why William, the heir to the throne, is not named in Jones’ court documents. Sykes said that Harry could view this situation as another in which he’s been embroiled in a controversy, while his older brother manages to remain unscathed.
But Sykes said that one reason Harry was named could be related to a “seemingly innocuous remark” Combs made in 2012 that suggested that he and the prince remained on friendly terms. That’s when Combs told the U.K. tabloid The Sun, “I really can’t wait to get to the U.K. as London is one of my favorite cities. I’m also hoping I’ll get to catch up with Prince Harry while I’m there. He’s such a cool guy and it’s about time we hung out. I need him to take me to some of those wild Mayfair clubs.”
On Monday, federal agents and other law enforcement officers raided Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami, the Associated Press reported. Combs also was seen looking tense when he was spotted at a Miami airport — after his private jet was tracked to Antigua but he wasn’t on it, the Daily Mail said.
In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations said it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation” with assistance from agents in Los Angeles, Miami and with “local law enforcement partners.” HSI wouldn’t say anything more about the investigation, but reports said it was initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney’s office declined to comment, AP said. Messages to Combs’ lawyers and other representatives seeking comment were not immediately returned, the AP also said.
Combs is facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits, including the one filed by Jones in February. Jones, who produced nine songs on Combs’ 2023 “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” alleged that Combs coerced him to solicit prostitutes and pressured him to have sex with them. Jones specifically alleged that underage girls and sex workers were guests at the mogul’s house parties.
On Monday, Jones also added actor Cuba Gooding Jr. to his complaint Monday, according to Fox News Digital. Jones alleged that the Oscar-winning “Jerry Maguire” star began “touching, groping, and fondling” him during a party on a yacht rented by Combs in the U.S. Virgin Islands in January 2023,” Fox News Digital also said.
Combs’ attorney Shawn Holley has said of Jones allegations that “we have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies,” AP reported.
Combs’ former protege and girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, also sued him in November alleging years of sexual abuse, including rape, AP reported. The lawsuit said he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them. The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
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