Federal Investigators Are Reportedly Preparing to Bring Diddy Accusers Before a Grand Jury

On Wednesday, a new development in the litigation against Sean “Diddy” Combs arrived. Federal investigators are currently preparing to bring accusers of the rapper and entrepreneur before a federal grand jury, according to a CNN report.

For those who’ve lost count by now, Combs has been named in eight civil lawsuits—all but one accusing him of sexual assault—since November. One of the eight lawsuits, filed by former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was settled for an undisclosed sum that same month. Another lawsuit accused his son, Christian Combs, of sexual assault while the elder Combs is alleged to have aided and abetted. The innumerable allegations against Combs in the filings include sexual assault, physical abuse, harassment, racketeering, and sex trafficking.

One source told CNN that possible witnesses have been contacted and interviewed by investigators, stating that they could soon be asked to testify before a federal grand jury in New York City. If this is the case, it would be safe to say that the federal government’s probe of Combs—marked by Homeland Security’s raids of his homes in March—would be advancing significantly. Among the evidence reviewed by investigators were videotapes. Whether they were removed from Combs’ homes during the raids or taken directly from witnesses isn’t known at this time.

The news comes less than 24 hours after Rolling Stone published an expansive report of Combs’ history of abuse, violence, and sexual harassment. Dating back to Combs’ college days, the piece is, in essence, a timeline of all the allegations levied against him, bolstered by new context from sources who remained unnamed for fear of retribution. Among the most disturbing anecdotes included are previously unreported accusations against Combs during his time at Howard University in the late eighties.

One unnamed woman who attended the university while Combs was a student there told the publication she remained “as far away as possible” from him after he “caressed” her back without consent. Another former student remembered that Combs once “flew off the handle” after she objected to him skipping the cafeteria line. Another source recalled how Combs would often tap on the window of a class she shared with his girlfriend, urging the woman to leave. Such instances became so frequent that she noted his girlfriend “would tense up [when Combs appeared].”

“He just had a weird control thing,” the source said of their relationship dynamic. “I felt like she was fearful.”

The source also claimed that Combs once appeared outside of his girlfriend’s dorm and screamed in a “belligerent” manner for her to meet him outside where he allegedly beat her in plain sight. In response, other women who lived in the building began “running through the halls, knocking on doors in a panic” in an effort to alert everyone that Combs was outside.

“He screamed and hollered and acted a stone fool until she came downstairs,” a second former student who witnessed the alleged attack told Rolling Stone. She alleged that Combs appeared to use a belt to strike his girlfriend “all over the place.” The source claimed Combs “whupped her butt—like really whupped her butt” as his girlfriend was “trying to defend herself a little bit” as witnesses screamed for her from the dorm. However, the woman who was dating Combs at the time declined to comment on the story.

“It’s much bigger than just these lawsuits,” one source familiar with the ongoing investigation told CNN. And what a horrifying thought.