Diddy's shock new move in court days ahead of sex trafficking trial
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs formally rejected a government plea deal on Thursday — just three days ahead of his sex trafficking trial.
Judge Arun Subramanian asked the rapper in court if he rejects an offer made by federal prosecutors that would spare him an extended prison sentence, provided he pleaded guilty, per ABC News.
'Yes I do, your honour,' Combs, who attended court in a beige jail uniform, said. Specific details of the rejected deal were not disclosed.
Combs' trial, scheduled to begin Monday to address charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, will begin with jury selection. Opening statements will begin May 12.
The charges allege the music mogul used coercion to convince women to sexually participate in his infamous 'freak-off' parties.
Assistant United States lawyer Maurene Comey said the rejected deal would have allowed for reduced prison time, versus a trial conviction.
The latter, if he's convicted on all counts, has the potential to put him behind bars for life.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Combs reportedly arrived in court smiling and giving lawyer Mark Geragos a fist bump.
The disgraced rapper was charged in a sex trafficking indictment in 2024 and subsequently arrested in September.
More indictments followed, alleging that the fashion designer led a criminal enterprise that enabled him to abuse his alleged victims on multiple occasions across a number of years.
The Bad Boys records founder has vigorously denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to The Post, lawyers plan to argue at trial that the Grammy winner wasn't acting as a rapist, but simply enjoying a 'swinger' lifestyle.
'There's a lifestyle, call it swingers or whatever you will, that he thought was appropriate because it was common,' Marc Agnifilo, an lawyer for Combs, said at a Manhattan pre-trial hearing on April 25. 'Many people think it's appropriate because it's common.'
Witnesses including Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura are expected to testify during the trial, which will run eight to ten weeks. The RnB singer famously accused Combs of rape and abuse in 2023.
The case was quickly settled within 24 hours, and no details about the terms of the settlement were publicly disclosed.
Prosecutors explained in court papers that during the trial, witnesses will give 'graphic testimony' regarding 'years' worth of beatings, drug-fuelled coercive sex marathons and multiple rapes.
The I'll Be Missing You rapper has been incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest, following raids of his lavish Los Angeles and Miami estates that infamously yielded AR-15 firearms and 1000 bottles of lubricant.
This article originally appeared in Page Six and was reproduced with permission
Originally published as Sean 'Diddy' Combs rejects last-minute plea deal just days ahead of sex trafficking trial
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Sean "Diddy" Combs twice rebuffed a former girlfriend's requests that male entertainers wear condoms when having sex with her as Combs watched, the woman said during often tearful testimony at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial. The woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, said Combs would "guilt trip" her when she asked that the entertainers wear condoms during their frequent, lengthy sexual encounters. The sexual interactions resembled what another one of Combs' exes, Casandra Ventura, referred to as "Freak Offs" during her testimony last month. Jurors in the Manhattan federal court trial heard an audio recording in which Combs intervened after Jane asked a male entertainer named Don if he had a condom. As the recording was played, Combs rapidly tapped his fingers against his leg while seated at the defence table. "Why didn't you just insist that Don wear a condom?" prosecutor Maurene Comey asked. "Because I just didn't want to disappoint my lover," Jane responded, referring to Combs. Jane said she and Combs dated from 2021 through 2024. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he coerced women over two decades to take part in elaborate, drug-fueled sexual performances during Freak Offs over two decades. The Bad Boy Records founder's defence lawyers have acknowledged that Combs was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in Freak Offs did so consensually. During the first day of her testimony on Thursday, Jane said she was "head over heels" for Combs and wanted to have a one-on-one relationship with him, but that starting five months into their relationship most of their time together involved sexual interactions with male escorts in hotels. Jane said that when she told Combs she wanted those encounters to stop, he threatened to stop paying her rent. On Friday, Jane frequently sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she told jurors how Combs would encourage her to keep going even after she grew tired during the encounters, which she said often lasted 24 hours or more. She recounted one instance in which she broke down crying after Combs said he had to leave following an encounter with an entertainer, despite having promised Jane a one-on-one date night and that the entertainer would be there for "just a little bit." "I hung onto those words, 'just a little bit'," Jane said. "I was feeling terrible that he was going to leave me alone." Combs' defence lawyers are expected to cross-examine Jane next week. They may focus on sexually explicit text messages that she sent Combs in between their encounters to show she was a willing participant in their relationship. Combs has been in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Sean "Diddy" Combs twice rebuffed a former girlfriend's requests that male entertainers wear condoms when having sex with her as Combs watched, the woman said during often tearful testimony at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial. The woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, said Combs would "guilt trip" her when she asked that the entertainers wear condoms during their frequent, lengthy sexual encounters. The sexual interactions resembled what another one of Combs' exes, Casandra Ventura, referred to as "Freak Offs" during her testimony last month. Jurors in the Manhattan federal court trial heard an audio recording in which Combs intervened after Jane asked a male entertainer named Don if he had a condom. As the recording was played, Combs rapidly tapped his fingers against his leg while seated at the defence table. "Why didn't you just insist that Don wear a condom?" prosecutor Maurene Comey asked. "Because I just didn't want to disappoint my lover," Jane responded, referring to Combs. Jane said she and Combs dated from 2021 through 2024. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he coerced women over two decades to take part in elaborate, drug-fueled sexual performances during Freak Offs over two decades. The Bad Boy Records founder's defence lawyers have acknowledged that Combs was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in Freak Offs did so consensually. During the first day of her testimony on Thursday, Jane said she was "head over heels" for Combs and wanted to have a one-on-one relationship with him, but that starting five months into their relationship most of their time together involved sexual interactions with male escorts in hotels. Jane said that when she told Combs she wanted those encounters to stop, he threatened to stop paying her rent. On Friday, Jane frequently sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she told jurors how Combs would encourage her to keep going even after she grew tired during the encounters, which she said often lasted 24 hours or more. She recounted one instance in which she broke down crying after Combs said he had to leave following an encounter with an entertainer, despite having promised Jane a one-on-one date night and that the entertainer would be there for "just a little bit." "I hung onto those words, 'just a little bit'," Jane said. "I was feeling terrible that he was going to leave me alone." Combs' defence lawyers are expected to cross-examine Jane next week. They may focus on sexually explicit text messages that she sent Combs in between their encounters to show she was a willing participant in their relationship. Combs has been in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Sean "Diddy" Combs twice rebuffed a former girlfriend's requests that male entertainers wear condoms when having sex with her as Combs watched, the woman said during often tearful testimony at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial. The woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, said Combs would "guilt trip" her when she asked that the entertainers wear condoms during their frequent, lengthy sexual encounters. The sexual interactions resembled what another one of Combs' exes, Casandra Ventura, referred to as "Freak Offs" during her testimony last month. Jurors in the Manhattan federal court trial heard an audio recording in which Combs intervened after Jane asked a male entertainer named Don if he had a condom. As the recording was played, Combs rapidly tapped his fingers against his leg while seated at the defence table. "Why didn't you just insist that Don wear a condom?" prosecutor Maurene Comey asked. "Because I just didn't want to disappoint my lover," Jane responded, referring to Combs. Jane said she and Combs dated from 2021 through 2024. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he coerced women over two decades to take part in elaborate, drug-fueled sexual performances during Freak Offs over two decades. The Bad Boy Records founder's defence lawyers have acknowledged that Combs was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in Freak Offs did so consensually. During the first day of her testimony on Thursday, Jane said she was "head over heels" for Combs and wanted to have a one-on-one relationship with him, but that starting five months into their relationship most of their time together involved sexual interactions with male escorts in hotels. Jane said that when she told Combs she wanted those encounters to stop, he threatened to stop paying her rent. On Friday, Jane frequently sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she told jurors how Combs would encourage her to keep going even after she grew tired during the encounters, which she said often lasted 24 hours or more. She recounted one instance in which she broke down crying after Combs said he had to leave following an encounter with an entertainer, despite having promised Jane a one-on-one date night and that the entertainer would be there for "just a little bit." "I hung onto those words, 'just a little bit'," Jane said. "I was feeling terrible that he was going to leave me alone." Combs' defence lawyers are expected to cross-examine Jane next week. They may focus on sexually explicit text messages that she sent Combs in between their encounters to show she was a willing participant in their relationship. Combs has been in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts.
