Latest news with #It'sAllAbouttheBenjamins'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs could lose his freedom – and his vast empire of mansions, art and cars
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' 1997 hit 'It's All About the Benjamins' sums up the rap mogul's voracious thirst for the good life and ostentatious trappings of wealth: 'Colossal-sized Picassos,' 5-carat diamond rings, Cristal Champagne and skiing in Aspen with 'chicks who win beauty pageants.' By becoming a successful entrepreneur in the music, fashion, liquor and other realms, Combs became a mogul. He bought all that and more – private jets, exotic cars, mansions on both coasts. Now, as Combs faces a jury trial that could send him to prison for life, he's also fighting a Justice Department forfeiture action that could cost him much – if not most – of an empire that prosecutors allege he used as part of a criminal racketeering enterprise from 2008 to the present. Combs and his defense team have denied all allegations against him, characterizing some as baseless 'money grabs.' He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. But in a sign of how serious the disgraced entrepreneur is taking the asset forfeiture effort, his lawyers have hired as a consultant the former deputy chief of the Justice Department's Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, USA TODAY has learned. Stefan Cassella, who serves as an expert witness and consultant to law enforcement agencies and wrote two books on the topic, has trained thousands of prosecutors and federal law enforcement agents across the United States and their counterparts overseas. Cassella said he could not comment on the specifics of the case because of his involvement in it. Broadly speaking, though, he told USA TODAY that by charging Combs under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, the government is taking an aggressive approach to seizing as many of Combs' assets as possible. 'RICO forfeiture is intended to be very broad, and so it has significant consequences' for Combs, Cassella said in an exclusive interview. 'So, it's going to boil down to what they can prove was part of the enterprise.' Prosecutors declined to comment, citing the ongoing case. In many RICO cases, prosecutors include very specific allegations of what 'instrumentalities' were used as part of an alleged racketeering enterprise, legal speak for what people, cars, planes, houses and companies helped facilitate the criminal behavior, said James Trusty, the former longtime chief of DOJ's Organized Crime and Gang Section. But in an ominous sign of prosecutors' intentions, Trusty said, the Combs indictment and related court documents essentially target all his business and personal assets. 'They've written a very broadly worded forfeiture allegation,' Trusty said. 'It's so vague and so broad that I would think the defense would push for a bill of particulars,' or a more specific explanation of what the feds are going after. One thing for certain, Trusty said, is that the fancy cars, houses and planes that Combs has accumulated are in the prosecutors' crosshairs, as are any of his companies that could broadly be construed as being part of the racketeering enterprise in the slightest of ways. For instance, if an assault took place at a record studio, it could implicate not only that studio but the record company Combs used to pay musical artists to record there, Trusty said. If Combs is convicted, the jury must then decide how much of his empire is subject to forfeiture, according to Cassella, Trusty, Justice Department law and a breakdown of RICO and asset forfeiture statutes by Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. So how much is Combs worth? What is the government explicitly seeking? And how accessible are his assets after years of Combs trying to protect himself from growing accusations of criminal misconduct? In 2024, Forbes magazine estimated Combs' net worth at $400 million – a significant drop from its 2019 figure of $740 million. Both Combs and his team later claimed he was a billionaire, Forbes said, despite offering no documentation to back up the claim. According to publicly available documents and news reports, Combs' most valuable personal possession is likely his 17,000-square-foot, 10-bedroom mansion, appraised at more than $61 million, in the tony Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles. It was raided as part of a criminal probe and listed for sale last September. Combs also owns a 9,600-square-foot house in Toluca Lake just northwest of the Hollywood Sign. And he owns a $48 million mansion at 2 West Star Island in Miami and the adjacent property at 1 West Star Island. On Aug. 20, 2024, Combs paid off the $18.9 million mortgage so he could put up 2 West Star as collateral in his failed efforts to obtain bail and stay out of jail while awaiting trial, documents show. Combs also owns a Gulfstream G550 jet valued at more than $25 million, known as LoveAir, which he rents out while also seeking a sale to help pay his enormous legal expenses. Also, potentially open to forfeiture: Combs' Bad Boy Records, which still generates money from recordings and music publishing rights since he launched the company in 1993. Combs is not known to own any 'Colossal-sized Picassos,' as he sings about in his hit song. But he is believed to have an extensive art collection, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. In 2018, he was revealed as the mystery buyer of the renowned painting 'Past Times' by Kerry James Marshall for $21.1 million. At one time, his fleet of at least 20 luxury cars included a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and an ultra-luxury Mercedes known as a Maybach. In February 2023, Combs announced that 'after three decades of entrepreneurial success across his renowned brands,' he was 'rebranding' and changing the name of his parent company from Combs Enterprises to Combs Global. That, Combs said, more accurately reflected his ambitious vision for the future, including his 'landmark acquisition of becoming the largest minority-owned, vertically integrated multi-state operator in the cannabis industry' for $185 million. At its founding in 2013, Combs Enterprises included his New York City-based Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Wines and Spirits, the AQUAhydrate water firm, Revolt Media, Sean John fashion and fragrances, Capital Preparatory Charter Schools and The Sean Combs Foundation. Over the years, it expanded to include new business units and ventures such as Empower Global, Our Fair Share and Love Records, which focused on R&B. "Combs Global represents the next chapter in my journey as a business leader and a bigger vision to build the largest portfolio of leading Black-owned brands in the world," Combs said. "I've enlisted world-class teams of top executives, specialists and strategic partners to bring this new dream to life and put us in the best position to keep making history while leading another 30 years of dominance across industries." In November 2023, Combs' empire began to crumble following allegations of rape, beatings and abuse by his former girlfriend Cassie, also known as Casandra Ventura Fine. His Bad Boy music catalog, once worth $125 million, plummeted in value because of bad publicity. Combs had struck gold through his partnership with global distilled spirits conglomerate Diageo, which has said it paid him more than $1 billion for promoting its Ciroc vodka over the years. It also partnered with Combs to launch the DeLeón Tequila brand. But Combs sold his half of the tequila company in January 2024 for about $200 million. His Sean John 'urban streetwear' clothing and fragrance line once sold more than $500 million annually but was reportedly dropped by Macy's department store in November 2023. In June 2024, Combs sold his stake in Revolt Media, which he'd founded a decade earlier as a music industry-focused cable channel meant to boost Black representation on TV. Combs' partnerships also ended with Love Records, Capital Preparatory Schools and the Empower Global online Black business marketplace. And the cannabis venture ultimately failed due to merger complications. Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, or Manhattan, have unsealed the indictment against Combs. Other alleged coconspirators are indicted under seal. But the indictment also mentions Combs' business, 'headquartered at various times in Manhattan and Los Angeles,' under a variety of U.S.-based corporate entities, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global. Collectively, it refers to all of them as the "Combs Business.' And while it avoids specific entities, it says they include 'among other things, record labels, a recording studio, an apparel line, an alcoholic spirits business, a marketing agency, and a television network and media company.' According to federal law, anything that's forfeited following a criminal conviction could conceivably be used to help some or all of those alleged to have been victimized by Combs. Both Cassella and Trusty said, however, that the federal RICO statute is designed more to punish the convicted rather than compensate the victims. It does not, for instance, include the kind of headline-grabbing multimillion-dollar awards for the pain and suffering and reputational damage caused by the accused that is common in civil suits like the one brought by Ventura Fine. Instead, victims in a criminal case would be eligible for using asset forfeiture money for repayment of medical expenses, funeral expenses if a death was involved, 'literal out of pocket reimbursement for victims' costs like that,' Trusty said. 'It's not a full picture of the restitution that they're actually owed under the law,' he said. 'The criminal law has just never been as expansive as civil law' when it comes to making whole victims of criminal acts. Victims of alleged Combs criminal acts can, however, seek a share of forfeited assets through civil lawsuits and prosecutions, Trusty and Cassella said. To date, more than 70 lawsuits have been filed against Combs, many of them claiming sexual abuse. In Combs' case, prosecutors and FBI investigators are likely looking for assets that the embattled music mogul may have hidden, especially in recent years as his legal problems mounted. Combs himself might have alluded to a propensity to stash money away in the 1997 hit that helped launch his rapping career after years as a producer and impresario. 'And what you can't have now, leave in your will,' Combs sings in 'All About the Benjamins.' 'But don't knock me for tryin' to bury, seven zeros over in Rio de Janeiry.' (This story was updated to meet our standards.) Josh Meyer is a veteran correspondent focusing on domestic, national and global security issues, including transnational criminal organizations. Reach him at JMeyer@ Follow him on X at @JoshMeyerDC and Bluesky at @ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy net worth is huge. Prosecutors think 'Benjamins' up for grabs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Uppers, downers and Obama-shaped ecstasy: The Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial is a window into drug culture
Sean 'Diddy' Combs appeared to be living like a 'shot-caller' referenced in his 1997 hit 'It's All About the Benjamins' right up until his arrest in September. Attorneys for the entrepreneur and music mogul told CNN at the time that they had been negotiating his voluntary surrender before he was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations. Among the evidence found Inside the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan where Combs had checked in days before, investigators found bags of lubricant, $9000 in cash, a bottle of clonazepam, and two small bags with pink powder. The contents of the bags tested positive for MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and ketamine, according to a stipulation read in court during his criminal sex trafficking trial. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, probably would not want the world to know about his past drug use, given his other business and cultural accomplishments. After all, he has publicly said he avoided the fate of his father, Melvin Combs, who reportedly was a drug dealer before he was fatally shot when his son was a toddler. The ongoing trial, however, has laid bare allegations that drugs have seemingly been as much a part of Combs' past as professional success. Prosecutors have argued that drugs were part of Combs' alleged racketeering conspiracy. 'The defendant used his employees to get and distribute drugs. They delivered those drugswhenever the defendant asked, including so he could give those same drugs to the women he was forcing to have sex with male escorts,' Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson said in her opening statement last month. Combs' defense team has acknowledged his past drug use and violence, but maintain it is not related to the criminal charges he's facing. 'We are telling you right now that he is physical, that he is a drug user, and I'm telling you he had a bit of a different sex life,' Teny Geragos, an attorney for Combs, said in her opening statement. 'Is that a federal crime? No. You will hear that he got IVs after ingesting drugs. Is that a federal crime? No. He will be responsible. He will be accountable for the things that he did. But we will fight for his freedom throughout the next eight weeks for what he did not do.' Part of the defense strategy seems to involve suggesting Combs' behavior was influenced by his drug use and jealousy, asking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who testified about her past substance abuse, about symptoms of withdrawal she may have noticed with Combs in their time together. 'It felt unfair when he was so hard on you when he, himself, was a full blown drug addict, right?' Combs' attorney Anna Estevao asked Ventura during cross-examination. 'Yes, you could say,' Ventura responded. Ventura was asked if she believed Combs was an addict and she replied, 'I would say he was an addict' before being asked what Combs was addicted to. 'Success,' Ventura quipped, adding later that she believed he was addicted to various substances over the years. 'Was he addicted to opiates?' Estevao asked. 'At a point, yes,' Ventura responded. 'How do you know that he was addicted to opiates?' Estevao continued. 'Because he told me,' Ventura said. She testified Combs once overdosed on painkillers in February 2012. David James, who formerly worked as a personal assistant to Combs, testified he frequently saw Combs take opiates during the day and ecstasy at night, including a pill once shaped like former President Barack Obama's face. On a couple of occasions, James procured drugs for Combs and his friends, he testified. Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction specialist who was recently featured as an on-air contributor in 'Hollywood Demons' on Max, told CNN, 'People could use a lot of drugs and not be a drug addict. 'Addict' is a very specific, progressive illness,' he explained. Pinsky has not met or treated Combs. In a video shared on social media by Combs in May 2024, he said, 'I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab.' He did not specify what he sought help for, though his post came days after CNN published 2016 hotel surveillance video that showed Combs physically assaulting Ventura. Pinsky gained insight into celebrities and substance abuse through his reality series 'Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,' which aired from 2008 to 2011. 'There's nothing special about celebrities in addiction, except that they can progress more than the average person because there's not an employer pulling them back,' he told CNN. That means there are fewer guardrails for the rich and famous, given that they don't have the same level of accountability that comes with having to hold down a regular job or even have those in their lives empowered to get them into treatment. 'As such, their disease progresses more,' Pinsky said. 'So it can be more outrageous looking.' The public can develop 'a naive sense' of what larger-than-life personalities may be like behind closed doors, Pinsky said. 'The question I always get all the time is, 'So what's up with this person?,'' he added. 'As though there's some separate manual for celebrities.' 'No, they're the same, and they tend to be sicker,' Pinsky said. The Combs trial is expected to continue on for several more weeks.
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Uppers, downers and Obama-shaped ecstasy: The Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial is a window into drug culture
Sean 'Diddy' Combs appeared to be living like a 'shot-caller' referenced in his 1997 hit 'It's All About the Benjamins' right up until his arrest in September. Attorneys for the entrepreneur and music mogul told CNN at the time that they had been negotiating his voluntary surrender before he was taken into custody by Homeland Security Investigations. Among the evidence found Inside the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan where Combs had checked in days before, investigators found bags of lubricant, $9000 in cash, a bottle of clonazepam, and two small bags with pink powder. The contents of the bags tested positive for MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and ketamine, according to a stipulation read in court during his criminal sex trafficking trial. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, probably would not want the world to know about his past drug use, given his other business and cultural accomplishments. After all, he has publicly said he avoided the fate of his father, Melvin Combs, who reportedly was a drug dealer before he was fatally shot when his son was a toddler. The ongoing trial, however, has laid bare allegations that drugs have seemingly been as much a part of Combs' past as professional success. Prosecutors have argued that drugs were part of Combs' alleged racketeering conspiracy. 'The defendant used his employees to get and distribute drugs. They delivered those drugswhenever the defendant asked, including so he could give those same drugs to the women he was forcing to have sex with male escorts,' Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson said in her opening statement last month. Combs' defense team has acknowledged his past drug use and violence, but maintain it is not related to the criminal charges he's facing. 'We are telling you right now that he is physical, that he is a drug user, and I'm telling you he had a bit of a different sex life,' Teny Geragos, an attorney for Combs, said in her opening statement. 'Is that a federal crime? No. You will hear that he got IVs after ingesting drugs. Is that a federal crime? No. He will be responsible. He will be accountable for the things that he did. But we will fight for his freedom throughout the next eight weeks for what he did not do.' Part of the defense strategy seems to involve suggesting Combs' behavior was influenced by his drug use and jealousy, asking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who testified about her past substance abuse, about symptoms of withdrawal she may have noticed with Combs in their time together. 'It felt unfair when he was so hard on you when he, himself, was a full blown drug addict, right?' Combs' attorney Anna Estevao asked Ventura during cross-examination. 'Yes, you could say,' Ventura responded. Ventura was asked if she believed Combs was an addict and she replied, 'I would say he was an addict' before being asked what Combs was addicted to. 'Success,' Ventura quipped, adding later that she believed he was addicted to various substances over the years. 'Was he addicted to opiates?' Estevao asked. 'At a point, yes,' Ventura responded. 'How do you know that he was addicted to opiates?' Estevao continued. 'Because he told me,' Ventura said. She testified Combs once overdosed on painkillers in February 2012. David James, who formerly worked as a personal assistant to Combs, testified he frequently saw Combs take opiates during the day and ecstasy at night, including a pill once shaped like former President Barack Obama's face. On a couple of occasions, James procured drugs for Combs and his friends, he testified. Dr. Drew Pinsky, an addiction specialist who was recently featured as an on-air contributor in 'Hollywood Demons' on Max, told CNN, 'People could use a lot of drugs and not be a drug addict. 'Addict' is a very specific, progressive illness,' he explained. Pinsky has not met or treated Combs. In a video shared on social media by Combs in May 2024, he said, 'I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab.' He did not specify what he sought help for, though his post came days after CNN published 2016 hotel surveillance video that showed Combs physically assaulting Ventura. Pinsky gained insight into celebrities and substance abuse through his reality series 'Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,' which aired from 2008 to 2011. 'There's nothing special about celebrities in addiction, except that they can progress more than the average person because there's not an employer pulling them back,' he told CNN. That means there are fewer guardrails for the rich and famous, given that they don't have the same level of accountability that comes with having to hold down a regular job or even have those in their lives empowered to get them into treatment. 'As such, their disease progresses more,' Pinsky said. 'So it can be more outrageous looking.' The public can develop 'a naive sense' of what larger-than-life personalities may be like behind closed doors, Pinsky said. 'The question I always get all the time is, 'So what's up with this person?,'' he added. 'As though there's some separate manual for celebrities.' 'No, they're the same, and they tend to be sicker,' Pinsky said. The Combs trial is expected to continue on for several more weeks.
USA Today
14-05-2025
- USA Today
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs could lose his freedom – and his vast empire of mansions, art and cars
Sean 'Diddy' Combs could lose his freedom – and his vast empire of mansions, art and cars In a sign of how serious the disgraced entrepreneur is taking the asset forfeiture effort, his lawyers have hired as a consultant the former senior Justice Department official, USA TODAY has learned Show Caption Hide Caption What we know about the case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs The trial against Sean 'Diddy' Combs is kicking off. How strong is the case against him? Here's what we know now. Sean 'Diddy' Combs's 1997 hit 'It's All About the Benjamins' sums up the rap mogul's voracious thirst for the good life and ostentatious trappings of wealth: 'Colossal-sized Picassos,' five-carat diamond rings, Cristal Champagne and skiing in Aspen with 'chicks who win beauty pageants.' By becoming a successful entrepreneur in the music, fashion, liquor and other realms, Combs became a mogul. He bought all that and more – private jets, exotic cars, mansions on both coasts. Now, as Combs faces a jury trial that could send him to prison for life, he's also fighting a Justice Department forfeiture action that could cost him much – if not most – of an empire that prosecutors allege he used as part of a criminal racketeering enterprise from 2008 to the present. Combs and his defense team have denied all allegations against him, characterizing some as baseless 'money grabs.' He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution But in a sign of how serious the disgraced entrepreneur is taking the asset forfeiture effort, his lawyers have hired as a consultant the former deputy chief of the Justice Department's Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, USA TODAY has learned. Stefan Cassella, who serves as an expert witness and consultant to law enforcement agencies and wrote two books on the topic, has trained thousands of prosecutors and federal law enforcement agents across the U.S. and their counterparts overseas. Cassella said he could not comment on the specifics of the case because of his involvement in it. Broadly speaking, though, he told USA TODAY that by charging Combs under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, the government is taking an aggressive approach to seizing as many of Combs' assets as possible. 'RICO forfeiture is intended to be very broad, and so it has significant consequences' for Combs, Cassella said in an exclusive interview. 'So, it's going to boil down to what they can prove was part of the enterprise.' Prosecutors declined to comment, citing the ongoing case. 'A very broadly worded forfeiture allegation' In many RICO cases, prosecutors include very specific allegations of what 'instrumentalities' were used as part of an alleged racketeering enterprise, legal speak for what people, cars, planes, houses and companies helped facilitate the criminal behavior, said James Trusty, the former longtime chief of DOJ's Organized Crime and Gang Section. But in an ominous sign of prosecutors' intentions, Trusty said, the Combs indictment and related court documents essentially target all his business and personal assets. 'They've written a very broadly worded forfeiture allegation,' Trusty said. 'It's so vague and so broad that I would think the defense would push for a bill of particulars,' or a more specific explanation of what the feds are going after. One thing for certain, Trusty said, is that the fancy cars, houses and planes that Combs has accumulated are in the prosecutors' crosshairs, as are any of his companies that could broadly be construed as being part of the racketeering enterprise in the slightest of ways. For instance, if an assault took place at a record studio, it could implicate not only that studio but the record company Combs used to pay musical artists to record there, Trusty said. If Combs is convicted, the jury must then decide how much of his empire is subject to forfeiture, according to Cassella, Trusty, Justice Department law and a breakdown of RICO and asset forfeiture statutes by Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute. So how much is Combs worth? What is the government explicitly seeking? And how accessible are his assets after years of Combs trying to protect himself from growing accusations of criminal misconduct? Still wealthy but now worth almost half as much: Forbes In 2024, Forbes magazine estimated Combs' net worth at $400 million – a significant drop from its 2019 figure of $740 million. Both Combs and his team later claimed he was a billionaire, Forbes said, despite offering no documentation to back up the claim. According to publicly available documents and news reports, Combs' most valuable personal possession is likely his 17,000 square foot, 10-bedroom mansion in the tony Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles. Appraised at more than $61 million, it was raided as part of a criminal probe and listed for sale last September. Combs also owns a 9,600 square foot house in Toluca Lake just northwest of the Hollywood Sign. And he owns a $48 million mansion at 2 West Star Island in Miami and the adjacent property at 1 West Star Island. On Aug. 20, 2024, Combs paid off the $18.9 million mortgage so he could put up 2 West Star as collateral in his failed efforts to obtain bail and stay out of jail while awaiting trial, documents show. Combs also owns a Gulfstream G550 jet valued at more than $25 million, known as LoveAir, which he rents out while also seeking a sale to help pay his enormous legal expenses. Also, potentially open to forfeiture: Combs' Bad Boy Records, which still generates money from recordings and music publishing rights since he launched the company in 1993. Combs is not known to own any 'Colossal-sized Picassos,' as he sings about in his hit song. But he is believed to have an extensive art collection, including works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. In 2018, he was revealed as the mystery buyer of the renowned painting 'Past Times' by Kerry James Marshall for $21.1 million. At one time, his fleet of at least 20 luxury cars included a Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini and an ultra-luxury Mercedes known as a Maybach. A 2023 'rebranding' of his empire to Combs Global In February 2023, Combs announced that 'after three decades of entrepreneurial success across his renowned brands,' he was 'rebranding' and changing the name of his parent company from Combs Enterprises to Combs Global. That, Combs said, more accurately reflected his ambitious vision for the future, including his 'landmark acquisition of becoming the largest minority-owned, vertically integrated multi-state operator in the cannabis industry' for $185 million. At its founding in 2013, Combs Enterprises included his New York City-based Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Wines and Spirits, the AQUAhydrate water firm, Revolt Media, Sean John fashion and fragrances, Capital Preparatory Charter Schools and The Sean Combs Foundation. Over the years, it expanded to include new business units and ventures such as Empower Global, Our Fair Share and Love Records, which focused on R&B. "Combs Global represents the next chapter in my journey as a business leader and a bigger vision to build the largest portfolio of leading Black-owned brands in the world," Combs said. "I've enlisted world-class teams of top executives, specialists and strategic partners to bring this new dream to life and put us in the best position to keep making history while leading another 30 years of dominance across industries." The Combs empire begins to crumble In November 2023, Combs' empire began to crumble following allegations of rape, beatings and abuse by his former girlfriend Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra "Cassie" Ventura. Combs' partnerships also ended with Love Records, Capital Preparatory Schools and the Empower Global online Black business marketplace. And the cannabis venture ultimately failed due to merger complications. What is the government going after? Prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, or Manhattan, have unsealed the indictment against Combs. Other alleged co-conspirators are indicted under seal. But the indictment also mentions Combs' business, 'headquartered at various times in Manhattan and Los Angeles,' under a variety of U.S.-based corporate entities, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global. Collectively, it refers to all of them as the "Combs Business.' And while it avoids specific entities, it says they include 'among other things, record labels, a recording studio, an apparel line, an alcoholic spirits business, a marketing agency, and a television network and media company.' According to federal law, anything that's forfeited following a criminal conviction could conceivably be used to help some or all of those alleged to have been victimized by Combs. Both Cassella and Trusty said, however, that the federal RICO statute is designed more to punish the convicted rather than compensate the victims. It does not, for instance, include the kind of headline-grabbing multimillion-dollar awards for the pain and suffering and reputational damage caused by the accused that is common in civil suits like the one brought by Ventura. Instead, victims in a criminal case would be eligible for using asset forfeiture money for repayment of medical expenses, funeral expenses if a death was involved, 'literal out of pocket reimbursement for victims' costs like that,' Trusty said. 'It's not a full picture of the restitution that they're actually owed under the law,' he said. 'The criminal law has just never been as expansive as civil law' when it comes to making whole victims of criminal acts. Victims of alleged Combs criminal acts can, however, seek a share of forfeited assets through civil lawsuits and prosecutions, Trusty and Cassella said. To date, more than 70 lawsuits have been filed against Combs, many of them claiming sexual abuse. In Combs' case, prosecutors and FBI investigators are likely looking for assets that the embattled music mogul may have hidden, especially in recent years as his legal problems mounted. Combs himself might have alluded to a propensity to stash money away in the 1997 hit that helped launch his rapping career after years as a producer and impresario. 'And what you can't have now, leave in your will,' Combs sings in 'All About the Benjamins.' 'But don't knock me for tryin' to bury, seven zeros over in Rio de Janeiry.' Josh Meyer is a veteran correspondent focusing on domestic, national and global security issues, including transnational criminal organizations. Reach him at JMeyer@ Follow him on X at @JoshMeyerDC and Bluesky at @
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sex-Trafficking Trial Expected To Last Nearly Three Months, Judge Tells Potential Jurors
Hundreds of potential jurors are being interviewed starting today for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial by the judge & lawyers in a case that could see the one-time mimi-mogul behind bars for life if found guilty. Making a joke that the process of selecting a panel for the Combs trial resembles the density of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, Judge Arun Subramanian opened Monday's session by informing potential jurors and the courtroom he expects the multi-charge trial to last up to eight weeks. That's eight weeks from when opening statements from the U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District and the Marc Agnifilo- and Teny Geragos-led legal team begin on May 12. More from Deadline Sean "Diddy" Combs Admits Rejecting Feds' Sex Trafficking Plea Deal Just Before Trial; Jury Selection Begins Next Week Tom Cruise Shows Support For 'Sinners' Congratulating Ryan Coogler & Michael B. Jordan: "Must See In A Cinema" Canada Rebukes Trump & Tariffs With Big Election Win For PM Carney & Once Flailing Liberals As he has been for almost every hearing since his arrest back in September, a sweater wearing Combs was in court this morning. The much accused 'It's All About the Benjamins' performer came straight t the Manhattan courthouse from Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. Jury selection Monday for the incarcerated Combs' case comes over six months after the Bad Boy Founder was arrested in a New York City hotel lobby by law enforcement. Claiming innocence and entering a not guilty plea, the 55-year-old Combs was initially facing one claim each of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. This year, subsequent indictments have added forced labor allegations and two additional charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution – which were put on paper last month. Amidst disarray at the powerful SDNY office since Donald Trump returned to power, Combs was offered a plea deal with a reduced sentence. The defendant rejected the deal, Diddy told the court last week. With four victims listed in the indictments, the feds allege that Combs and his inner circle coerced ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, other women and men into marathon sordid sexual encounters called 'freak-offs.' The sessions included male and female prostitutes, drug use, threats of violence and imprisonment in the hotel rooms where the acts were staged and videotaped. To that, the testimony of Victim-1 a.k.a. Ventura, who had a quickly settled ($30 million) assault and abuse suit with Combs in November 2023, could prove pivotal in the trial. Despite the efforts and legal moves of the defense, Judge Subramanian has decided the jury will see the brutal 2016 LA hotel security footage of a half-naked Combs chasing an escaping Ventura down a hallway, beating her and dragging the singer back to their room where a 'freak-off' was underway. The video, which Combs bought for $50,000 the day after the event, was first made public by CNN last spring and is widely seen as the most damning piece of evidence against Combs. After the footage was broadcast wall-to-wall on cable news, the defendant first apologized for the attack on Ventura. Combs has now deleted that apology from his social media and his attorney have tried to undermine the footage from a variety of angles. Aiming to get a jury out of over 150 prospects in the next three days, Judge Subramanian also noted that the trial will run from 9:30 am – 5 pm ET for the first week. The matter will go to 9 am – 5 pm ET beginning the week of May 19. In the first round of jurors, all of whom have already filled out an extensive questionnaire on their fitness for the trial and knowledge of the high-profile case, there were discussions of celebrity relationships (Michael B Jordan and Mike Myers came up), family connections and careers, instances of sexual abuse and the death penalty. As is the case during cases like this, the defense challenged several potential jurors, but to little effect as the time conscious Judge Arun Subramanian wanted to keep the process moving. In addition to this criminal case, Combs is charged in dozens of civil actions (mostly from Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee) claiming assault and abuse. A couple of the cases have been tossed out, while one involving Jay-Z, who vehemently denied any misconduct as a co-defendant in allegations of raping a 13-year-old after the 2000 MTV VMAs, was dismissed by the plaintiff Jane Doe in February. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery Brad Pitt's Apple 'F1' Movie: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 So Far
