Costco Shuts Down Claim Diddy Bought Baby Oil From Them in Bulk
Costco Shuts Down Claim That Diddy Bought Baby Oil From Them “in Bulk”
Costco wants no part in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal troubles.Â
One day after the rapper’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo claimed the 1,000 bottles of baby oil seized from Combs’ homes in Miami and Beverly Hills a few months before his arrest on charges including sex trafficking may have been Costco purchases, the chain is separating themselves from the narrative.Â
Indeed, a spokesperson for Costco told TMZ that “none” of the company’s stores in the U.S. even carry baby oil.Â
E! News has reached out to Costco for comment but has not yet heard back.Â
The big box store’s correction comes shortly after Agnifilo also questioned how authorities determined the quantity of baby oil bottles in their indictment against the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper, which was unsealed Sept. 17 and obtained by E! News.Â
“I can’t imagine it’s thousands,” Agnifilo said in a Sept. 25 preview for TMZ’s The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment documentary. “I don’t know what you need 1,000—one bottle of baby oil goes a long way. I don’t know what you’d even need 1,000 for.”
And when TMZ suggested the bottles may have been used for orgies, Agnifilo simply responded, “I guess—I don’t see why you’d need 1,000.”
Pressed further, Agnifilo presented his theory on Combs’ use of a big box store.
“He has big houses, he buys in bulk,” the lawyer said. “I think they have Costcos in every place where he has a home. Have you sat in the parking lot of a Costco and see what people walk out of there with?”
Ultimately, Agnifilo denied 1,000 bottles of baby oil—a number stated in a federal indictment that was unsealed and obtained by E! News—were found in his client’s home.Â
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“I don’t think it was a thousand,” he asserted. “I think it was—let’s just say it was a lot.” Â
Combs, who was denied bail following his Sept. 16 arrest on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, remains in jail in New York as he awaits trial. Â
ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A trial date has not been set and he’ll next appear in court Oct. 9 for a status hearing.
Keep reading to untangle all of the legal trouble facing the rapper.
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Search Warrants Executed on Diddy’s L.A. and Miami Properties
Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami properties on March 25, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to NBC News. Â
The sources told the outlet the warrant was out of the Southern District of New York, and a spokesperson for HSI New York confirmed to E! News it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”Â
Law enforcement sources told NBC News the music mogul was in the Miami area when the search warrants were executed.Â
Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
News about the investigation broke after Combs faced allegations of sexual misconduct in lawsuits filed by multiple accusers starting in November, with the musician denying the allegations.Â
“Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday,” he wrote in a December statement posted on Instagram. “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.”Â
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Diddy’s Attorney Speaks Out
The day after HSI executed the search warrants at Combs’ L.A. and Miami properties, his lawyer spoke out.Â
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” attorney Aaron Dyer said in a March 26 statement to E! News. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”Â
Dyer noted Combs “was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.” Â
“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,” his lawyer’s statement continued. “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.”Â
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And Dyer expressed Combs’ intent to defend himself.
“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” he added. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs
Details About the Raid Revealed
As for what actually went down during the searches, multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the warrant told NBC News authorities with the Department of Homeland Security seized phones from Combs’ home in Miami before he was scheduled to travel to the Bahamas, and several sources familiar with the matter added that guns were discovered during the search.
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One source familiar with the matter also told NBC News three women and one man were interviewed by prosecutors and investigators from the Southern District of New York about allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms purportedly tied to Combs.
Miami-Dade Police Department
Diddy’s Associate Brendan Paul Arrested on Suspicion of Drug Possession
On the same day the search warrants were executed at Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles properties, one of his associates, Brendan Paul, was arrested by the Miami-Dade police on suspicion of drug possession, a law enforcement source familiar with the matter told NBC News.Â
According to the Miami-Dade arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet, Paul was taken into custody for allegedly possessing suspected cocaine and suspected marijuana candy.Â
Prison records obtained by NBC News show Paul was released on March 26 after posting bond.
“We do not plan on trying this case in the media,” Paul’s attorney Brian Bieber said in a statement obtained by the outlet, “all issues will be dealt with in court.”Â
In May, Paul accepted a plea deal, with his lawyer Bieber telling People, “Brendan accepted the prosecutor’s offer to permit his entry into the diversion program which, after completion, the case against him will be dismissed in its entirety.”
Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs
Diddy Arrested in New York
He was arrested in the lobby of a New York hotel on Sept. 16, 2024, according to NBC News. It’s unclear what Combs has been charged with and if the arrest has any potential connection to the raids.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” his lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to E! News. “He is an imperfect person but Is not criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.”
The lawyer added, “Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Diddy Charged With Sex Trafficking & Racketeering
After Combs was arrested based on the sealed indictment, the indictment was unsealed on Sept. 17.
The 54-year-old was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; as well as transportation to engage in prostitution, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
The indictment alleged Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct” for more than a decade, with prosecutors saying the purported behavior started around 2008.
“To do so,” the documents stated, “Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled—creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
According to NBC News, Combs pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.
“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might,” his attorney Marc Agnifilo told reporters outside the courthouse prior to the arraignment, “and the full confidence of his lawyers.”
JOCE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images; Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Held Without Bail in New York Facility
Following his arrest, Combs was held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center where he was denied a $50 million bond. The music mogul was also placed on suicide watch, which a source told E! News is a customary procedure for high-profile inmates.Â
He was assigned the same area of the jail as cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, a source told NBC News.Â
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