Misa Hylton, a celebrity stylist who shares son Justin Combs with Sean “Diddy” Combs, on Tuesday posted clips of a recent raid on the embattled entertainment mogul’s Los Angeles home.
An Instagram video on Hylton’s page appearing to contain surveillance footage from the property shows three large vehicles arriving at the home and many armed agents pouring into the compound. One agent looks to be tampering with a camera capturing the entrance, pointing it away from the grounds and into bushes. In a hallway inside the home, Christian “King” Combs, 26, Sean Combs‘ son with the late Kim Porter, appears to be placed against a wall with his hands to his head by an officer who then moves his hands behind his back. Another agent stands by with a large weapon.
Justin Combs, 30, is seen entering the hallway with his hands on his head. Two agents appear to point their guns in his direction; they remain at that post as Combs is walked out outside.
The federal raids were reportedly carried out by Homeland Security under a warrant issued by the Southern District of New York. “The over zealous and overtly militarized force used against my sons Justin and Christian is deplorable,” Hylton wrote on Instagram, saying she considers Christian one of her own. “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!”
“Did Justin need several laser beams from firearms pointed at his chest??” she went on to write. “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 and Combs dated in the early 1990s, while he was rising in the ranks at Uptown Records and she was an emerging stylist. She went on to style many of Lil Kim and Mary J. Blige’s memorable looks. Justin Combs is their only child together.
According to Hylton, attorney Jeffrey Lichtman is investigating the incident for excessive use of force. Lichtman and Hylton have not immediately returned Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer has previously condemned the searches in a statement to Rolling Stone. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated,” Dyer said. “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.”
Authorities have not yet disclosed the specific reasons behind the raids. A source who spoke with Rolling Stone would only confirm that the raids were tied to a federal sex trafficking investigation. Several people have filed civil lawsuits against Combs in recent months, which allege sex trafficking, sexual assault, and physical abuse against him.
