Mother of Justin Combs shares footage of raid at Diddy's home, denounces "militarized force"
Misa Hylton, the mother of Justin Combs and an ex-girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs, posted a video and a statement on Instagram Tuesday criticizing the "militarized force used" during last week's law enforcement raid of the music mogul's Los Angeles mansion.
"The over zealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable," Hylton wrote. "If these were the sons of a non-Black celebrity, they would not have been handled with the same aggression. The attempt to humiliate and terrorize these innocent young BLACK MEN is despicable!"
Sean Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security Investigations agents and other law enforcement officers as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation, U.S. officials confirmed on March 25.
Hylton's video showed three armored vehicles arriving at the hip-hop mogul's residence and at least a dozen heavily armed officers entering the home. One officer appears to turn a security camera toward the ground.
In Hylton's video, which appeared to have been edited to combine various angles of security camera footage, the officers are seen handcuffing Justin and his brother Christian "King" Combs, 26, while what looks like a drone flies around the residence.
"Enough is Enough!" Hylton wrote. "Did Justin need several laser beams from firearms pointed at his chest?? Did Christian need a gun pointed at the back of his head while he was handcuffed?? How many times have we seen young UNARMED BLACK MEN not make it out of these types of situations alive??"
Hylton said her son's attorney is investigating to determine if the force used by law enforcement was excessive. "We will fight for justice utilizing every imaginable resource. I'm not with the propaganda!!!!" she wrote.
In a statement released a day after the raids, a lawyer representing Sean Combs called the raids a "gross overuse of military-level force," adding that there was no excuse for the "hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated."
"Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way," the lawyer, Aaron Dyer, wrote in the statement. "This unprecedented ambush —paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence— leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name."
Combs has faced multiple sexual assault allegations in recent months, including accusations of sexual abuse from two women, which he has denied, in November last year. He settled a separate lawsuit with the singer Cassie, also last year, that contained allegations of rape and physical abuse.
Another woman in December 2023 accused Combs and two other men of gang raping her in 2003 when she was 17 years old, according to civil court documents filed in United States District Court Southern District of New York. In response to the allegations, Combs wrote on social media, "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."
In February, a male music producer filed a lawsuit claiming Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. In response, Combs' attorney Shawn Holley said they had "indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies."
"We will address these outlandish allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them," Holley added.
S. DevS. Dev is a news editor for CBSNews.com.
