What we know now about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ pre-trial court appearance
Sean “Diddy” Combs was in court for a pre-trial hearing in his federal sex crimes case. What was decided in today’s hearing? Here is what we know now.
Once an all-powerful Hollywood heavy hitter, Sean “Diddy” Combs now awaits trial in a New York jail.
As the embattled media mogul faces spending the rest of his life in federal prison, investigators allege that Combs was the mastermind behind an elaborate scheme to abuse alleged victims in a pervasive pattern of sexual assault and rape to “fulfill his sexual desires.”
Combs’ trial begins May 5 in New York City and as the Billboard chart-topping rapper remains behind bars, his federal sex-crimes case is preparing to be officially underway.
Here’s what to know about prosecutors’ case against Combs – and his attempt to defend himself amid a flurry of criminal charges.
Diddy arrested in September at Manhattan hotel
Diddy was first arrested in September at a Manhattan hotel and was subsequently charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
The Bad Boy Records founder’s arrest followed bicoastal federal raids at his Miami and Los Angeles homes in March 2024.
Federal prosecutors submitted a second superseding indictment this March, updating an amended indictment from January that added three unnamed women who were allegedly victims of his so-called sex trafficking enterprise, which claims Combs subjected employees to forced labor under inhumane circumstances.
In a third superseding indictment, prosecutors added two additional counts – one count of sex trafficking and one count of transportation to engage in prostitution of alleged “Victim-2” – to the previous three charges against him.
Diddy sex-crimes charges total five counts, including sex trafficking
Combs is charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering. In early April, federal prosecutors added two additional counts to their case against the “I’ll Be Missing You” hitmaker, including one count each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations contributing to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in “freak offs” – sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors claim they have video of.
Diddy’s federal trial isn’t about civil lawsuits
The federal criminal trial centering around Diddy does not include dozens of civil lawsuits levied against him over the past year.
However, the court battle coincides with the barrage of civil suits that have upended Combs’ public persona and accused the rapper of numerous abuses, including sexual assault, rape and physical violence. Some claims involve minors.
Many of the suits filed against Diddy hail from controversial Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee. The lawsuits against Combs, 55, were filed in a New York federal court by the Houston attorney’s Buzbee Law Firm and others, as part of the 120 alleged victims the firm announced would file suits against the producer in 2024.
Combs’ lawyers have suggested that his behavior was sexual ‘swinging’
Combs’ lawyers laid groundwork for his legal defense during a court hearing April 25.
At the hearing, the embattled music mogul’s legal team argued that he’s not guilty of federal sex crimes because, in his mind, he was simply engaging in sexual “swinging.”
“Swinging,” a consensual but non-monogamous sexual behavior, takes place when singles or partners in committed relationships engage in intimate acts.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said his legal team agrees they shouldn’t be able to argue Combs is being selectively targeted for prosecution, but they need to be able to say that there is “a lifestyle” Combs had, quipping: “Call it swingers.”
Diddy remains in jail as trial begins
Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his May 5 trial – a ruling his legal team has challenged. He’s been there since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
The New York City jail also houses suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter Luigi Mangione and disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. In a March interview, the former entrepreneur praised his fellow famed inmate.
“I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison, and he’s been kind to people in the unit; he’s been kind to me,” Bankman-Fried told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson on his podcast. “It’s a position no one wants to be in.”
Contributing: Edward Segarra, KiMi Robinson, Taijuan Moorman, Patrick Ryan, Brendan Morrow, Aysha Bagchi
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