Music mogul Diddy’s legacy in limbo after sexual assault allegations
Hip-hop and entertainment mogul Diddy’s legacy is in question following an onslaught of lawsuits and allegations.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has been hit with two new sex crimes charges by federal prosecutors.
In the third superseding indictment, filed Thursday in the Southern District of New York, federal prosecutors charged the embattled music mogul with two additional charges: one count of sex trafficking and one count of transportation to engage in prostitution of “Victim-2,” one of three female victims included in the indictment.
Federal investigators claim that Combs’ behavior in the additional charges took place from 2021 to 2024.
The additional charges come as Combs’ federal sex crimes trial is set to begin May 5 in Manhattan, where he was originally indicted after a pair of federal raids that targeted him as the subject of a sex trafficking investigation.
In response to the new charges, Combs’ team said in a statement Friday to USA TODAY, “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”
Diddy charges: What does he face in criminal case?
Combs currently faces two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering. His upcoming trial is scheduled to begin May 5.
Previously, Combs was charged with one count each of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution following his September arrest at a New York hotel. He has pleaded not guilty to all the previous charges.
Diddy shocks with new look in court
Last month, Combs shocked courtroom attendees with a grizzled new look at a pretrial conference.
The graying music mogul appeared in court during the conference in front of U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian at Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan.
At the hearing, his attorneys disputed various aspects of the disgraced rapper’s May trial – including jury selection, submitted evidence and the trial’s court timeline. His next court hearing is set to take place April 25.
Diddy trial set to begin in May
The trial is slated to begin almost one year to the day after a bombshell CNN video surfaced May 17, 2024, featuring hotel footage of Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. He later apologized.
Combs has been the subject of public scrutiny surrounding his alleged abusive and sexual behavior for nearly two years.
His legal troubles started brewing on Nov. 16, 2023, when Ventura sent shockwaves through Hollywood and beyond, filing a sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit against Combs in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The exes settled the civil suit one day later for an undisclosed amount.
But dozens of other civil cases have mounted for Combs in recent months, too. The music mogul has been the frequent subject of civil lawsuits alleging rape, sexual assault or inappropriate sexual behavior.
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Edward Segarra, Patrick Ryan, KiMi Robinson, Anika Reed, USA TODAY
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