EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Court Case Reigniting 'False Conspiracy Theories' of Sinister 'Sex Trafficking Tunnel' Under Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Mansion
A new court case has reignited false claims of a sex trafficking tunnel under the disgraced rapper's mansion.
Aug. 31 2025, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Sean 'Diddy' Combs has once again found his name linked to extraordinary allegations, after a civil lawsuit revived a bizarre conspiracy theory about a supposed sex trafficking tunnel beneath his Miami mansion, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The case, filed in the Southern District of Florida, was brought by Joseph Manzaro, 43, of West Palm Beach.
The 'Secret Tunnel'
Diddy has been hit with bizarre trafficking theory tied to Star Island.
He alleged in April 2015 he was drugged, sexually assaulted by associates of Combs, and paraded at a Star Island party in a phallic mask.
Most sensationally, he claimed he was transported between two neighboring mansions – one owned by Combs and the other by musicians Gloria and Emilio Estefan – through a "secret underground tunnel."
Recently, Judge Donald M Middlebrooks dismissed the case in its entirety, describing the allegations as lacking evidence and "objectively frivolous."
Now the Estefans, who had been named as defendants, are now preparing their own legal action against the plaintiff.
A source said: "They are furious about being linked to the Diddy 'sex trafficking tunnel' theory – and are suing."
The Estefan Couple Slammed The Claims
The judge blasted the lawsuit as reckless and damaging to reputations.
The Cuban-American power couple said in a statement: "We are moving forward to obtain full compensation for the damage this baseless lawsuit has caused. The claims were not only false but reckless.
There has never been any tunnel between our home and Combs' residence – such a thing is an engineering impossibility."
A source close to the family added: "The idea that there was some hidden passage is absurd. Star Island is man-made and sits on dredged sand – you can't dig a basement, let alone a tunnel, without hitting water almost immediately."
The Estefans owned the mansion at 1 Star Island from 1993 until 2021, when they sold it to Combs for $35 million.
During the period covered by the lawsuit, they say the house was used either by relatives or leased to tenants, not for parties.
"There were no parties thrown at that property between 2012 and 2019," they said previously through their lawyer, adding family members were staying in the home at the time of the alleged incident.
'No Such Thing Happened'
Lawsuit alleged a secret passage between Diddy and Estefan homes.
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Gloria Estefan, 67, told the court: "No such thing happened. Particularly given the occupants, I know that no parties were thrown during that time period."
For Manzaro, whose original filing even listed Jay-Z, Beyoncé and LeBron James as supposed witnesses before later removing them when shown they were not in Miami, the ruling was a decisive blow.
Judge Middlebrooks found the tunnel allegation "beyond implausible," noting it would have been impossible given the island's geology.
Gloria and Emilio Estefan plan to sue over false allegations.
A legal observer familiar with the case said: "What's striking is how these kinds of wild allegations feed into existing conspiracy theories about celebrities and trafficking rings. Even when they are thrown out of court, the rumors live on."
The Estefans say the damage to their reputation has been real and costly.
"The attorney for the plaintiff failed to investigate responsibly and pursued reckless claims that have caused us unnecessary harm," they said in their joint statement.
