No, the FBI has not arrested a clone of Sean “Diddy” Combs

Federal agents arrested music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs in September on sex trafficking and other criminal charges, but some social media posts claim they were given a clone instead.

“Whether or not you believe the Diddy in custody is a clone is up to you,” one Instagram user said in a video posted on October 28. The video shows a screen capture from a TikTok video posted on October 4.

The TikTok shows multiple images of Combs with the caption: “they arrested the wrong P. diddy (they have the different nose and lips, eyes) meaning diddy has a clone???” The TikTok video has received more than 10.9 million views and 81,200 likes as of October 29.

But these suspicious images of Combs were identified by their creator as deepfake photos generated by artificial intelligence in March.

Federal agents raids two of Combs’ properties on March 25, seeking evidence in a sex trafficking investigation. As the news went viral, social media users shared fake images of Combs’ arrest and a fake mugshot.

“I don’t know what’s going on in the AI, shape-shifting devil clone, but that’s not Diddy,” one TikTok user said on March 27. video with one of the arrest images.

Combs remained at large until he was arrested and charged in September.

USA today reported the images were AI-generated deepfakes. Riiah Mitchell, the person who captured the images, confirmed that he used AI to create them.

The AI-generated deepfake footage of Combs from March 2024 is identical to the footage in the October 2024 videos.

Federal agents arrested Combs in Manhattan on September 16, ABC News reported. A federal judge refused multiple requests to release Combs on bail and determine his trial date before May 2025.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons is to cling Combs at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center.

There is no credible evidence that scientists have ever cloned people to create celebrity doppelgängers. PolitiFact has investigated alleged clones of King Charles III, Jeff Bezos, Ellen DeGeneres and other celebrities.

We review the claim that photos show federal agents arrested a clone of Sean “Diddy” Combs Pants on Fire.