Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs latest: Rapper sent back to jail as shocking texts after Cassie hotel attack revealed
Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain in jail until his federal trial on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, as shocking text messages following his attack on ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura were revealed in court.
The rapper appeared again in a New York City courthouse to propose a $50 million bail package to avoid the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center.
Diddy’s lawyers told District Court Judge Andrew Carter that he was not a flight risk or dangerous, but the request was denied, with the judge reasoning there is “no condition or set of conditions” that would ensure the safety of the community or that Diddy would not contact witnesses.
The prosecution shared alleged text messages from Diddy to his ex to strengthen the argument that he should remain behind bars until trial.
The court heard Diddy allegedly text Ventura: “Call me, the cops are here. I got six kids. You, please call. I’m surrounded. You gonna abandon me all alone.”
Diddy pleaded not guilty to racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, insisted his client is “an innocent man with nothing to hide”.
Key Points
Judge denies Combs request for bail, again
Damning messages Diddy allegedly sent Cassie following brutal assault
When will Diddy’s trial take place?
Fox News host peddles wild conspiracy connecting Trump and Diddy
Thursday 19 September 2024 16:00 , Rhian Lubin
A Fox News host has peddled the wild theory that the timing of Diddy’s arrest was purposely coordinated to distract from news of the second assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Anchor Maria Bartiromo said: “The timing of the P Diddy arrest, please. They must’ve had the P Diddy arrest on the shelf waiting to take it off-the-shelf for when they needed it.”
Watch here.
Kesha takes a swipe at Diddy
Thursday 19 September 2024 15:00 , Rhian Lubin
Kesha has teased a new version of her hit song “Tik Tok”, which contains a reference to the disgraced music mogul.
The 37-year-old singer, who originally released the 2009 track with the opening lyric “Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy”, has shared a new version with the alternative line, “feeling like f*** P Diddy”.
Kesha first teased the lyric change when singing the alternative version onstage with Reneé Rapp at Coachella in March, and has since promised fans she will officially release the song on streaming platforms when she secures the legal rights.
Ellie Muir reports.
Kesha teases changed P Diddy reference in hit song
Diddy’s first meal behind bars revealed
Thursday 19 September 2024 13:47 , Rhian Lubin
Diddy’s first meal behind bars at a notorious New York prison has now been revealed.
The music mogul has switched his sprawling multi-million-dollar mansions in LA and Miami for the comfort of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, an infamous facility that has previously counted Ghislaine Maxwell and R Kelly among its inmates.
As he awaits trial in the facility, the disgraced rapper will be served three meals a day which will be delivered to his cell.
Read more here.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s first meal behind bars at notorious New York jail revealed
Text messages from other alleged victims revealed in court
Thursday 19 September 2024 13:17 , Rhian Lubin
In court yesterday, prosecutor Emily Johnson read out text messages from other alleged victims.
The prosecution used the messages to argue that Diddy should not be granted bail.
Johnson read a text message from a woman who claims Diddy dragged her down a hallway by her hair.
“You always want to show me that you have the power, and you knock me around. I’m not a rag doll, I’m someone’s child,” the woman allegedly told the rapper.
Another alleged victim messaged Diddy after reading the allegations made in Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit in November, the prosecutor said.
“I feel like I’m reading my own sexual trauma,” the message, read aloud by Johnson, said.
“It makes me sick how three solid pages word for word is exactly my experiences and my anguish.”
Diddy has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
When will Diddy’s trial take place?
Thursday 19 September 2024 12:41 , Rhian Lubin
No trial date has been set for Diddy yet and he could be waiting a while behind bars.
Diddy faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution for allegedly running a decades-long “criminal enterprise” that forced victims to carry out sex acts. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said he wants the case to go to trial as soon as possible, but his team is considering the next steps following Wednesday’s bail denial.
What is Diddy’s net worth?
Thursday 19 September 2024 12:00 , Rhian Lubin
In 1999 Diddy said in an interview he “wanted to be very, very rich”. He accomplished that, but his millions couldn’t keep him out of jail.
According to Forbes, Diddy’s estimated net worth is approximately $400 million. As the string of shocking allegations have come out against him in the last year, his wealth has dropped. In 2019 his net worth was an estimated $740 million.
His lawyers said he was trying to sell his private jet - dubbed “Combs Air” - which set him back $60 million.
He purchased his sprawling Miami mansion - which he has now switched for the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn - for $14.5 million in 2003. It is now worth upwards of $48 million, his lawyers said.
Legal win in one of Diddy’s sexual assault lawsuits
Thursday 19 September 2024 11:28 , Rhian Lubin
Diddy and his team can celebrate one legal win amid the drama in New York.
Yesterday a judge in Michigan dismissed a default judgement that required Diddy pay $100 million to a Michigan inmate who is suing him over sexual assault.
Last week Diddy was ordered to pay $10 million a month to accuser Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, starting in October, after the rapper failed to show up for a civil court hearing.
The judgement was set aside after Diddy’s legal team filed a 83-page motion to vacate it. His attorneys argued Cardello-Smith did not properly serve Diddy in accordance with Michigan law, the LA Times reported.
Cardello Smith, who is serving time for a number of criminal sexual offenses, sued Diddy in June. He alleged the music mogul drugged and sexually assaulted him in 1997 while at a gathering at a Michigan Holiday Inn.
Damning texts Diddy allegedly sent his ex Cassie following brutal assault
Thursday 19 September 2024 10:45 , Rhian Lubin
Damning text messages Diddy allegedly sent his ex, Cassie Ventura, following the brutal assault in 2016 were revealed in court.
At Wednesday’s hearing, prosecutor Emily Johnson shared alleged messages from Diddy to Ventura in a bid to strengthen her argument that he should remain behind bars until trial.
While Ventura’s name was not mentioned in court, the attack on her was referenced by the date - March 5, 2016 - which was made public by CNN earlier this year.
Diddy allegedly text Ventura: “Call me, the cops are here. I got six kids. You, please call. I’m surrounded. You gonna abandon me all alone.”
She replied: “I have a black eye and a fat lip. You are sick for thinking it’s okay to do what you’ve done. I still have crazy bruising.”
Video shows grim conditions inside prison where Diddy is held
Thursday 19 September 2024 10:15 , Rhian Lubin
Video gives a glimpse of the grim conditions inside the notorious Metropolitan Center in Brooklyn.
The rapper is being held in the prison on pretrial detention.
The footage, obtained by Spectrum News NY1, shows cockroaches in the cereal and mold growing in the showers.
Watch here.
RECAP: Diddy is a ‘serious flight risk’
Thursday 19 September 2024 09:40 , Rhian Lubin
On Wednesday, Diddy was refused bail for a second time.
A New York federal judge remanded the rapper into custody after prosecutors argued he was a “serious flight risk”.
Lawyers argued for Diddy to remain under house arrest, but yesterday he was sent back to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The bail package his lawyers put forward included: $50 million bond co-signed by the musician’s family members, the surrender of his passport, for him to undergo a weekly drug test, and a visitor log that would be submitted to pretrial services every night.
But Judge Andrew Carter slapped it down.
“My bigger concern deals with the danger of obstruction of justice and the danger of witness tampering,” he said. “That is a real concern that I have here.”
Watch: Jimmy Kimmel brings up how Trump once called Diddy a 'good guy'
Thursday 19 September 2024 09:01 , Alex Lang
‘He’s a good friend’: Jimmy Kimmel brings up Trump’s glowing past comments about Diddy
Thursday 19 September 2024 07:00 , Myriam Page
Jimmy Kimmel has reminded Donald Trump of the glowing comments he previously made about Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was arrested by federal agents in New York on Monday following months of civil lawsuits accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual abuse and rape.
After the judge denied the rapper bail on Tuesday, the Jimmy Kimmel Live host said: “in the meantime, he’s getting his character references lined up.”
Kimmel then played a clip from Trump’s days hosting The Celebrity Apprentice (a spin-off of his original show The Apprentice), showing viewers then-contestant Aubrey O’Day explaining to the business mogul that she was “a very strict and focused businesswoman because working for Diddy for six years trained me to have to be perfect.”
“Working for Diddy?” Trump interjected.
“Absolutely,” O’Day said.
“I love Diddy. You know he’s a good friend of mine, he’s a good guy,” Trump responded. “Is he a good guy?”
O’Day briefly looked to the side before sheepishly replying, “I don’t want to answer that question.”
“Oh well I think he’s a good guy, I’m gonna stick up for him,” the former president said.
“To be fair he also thinks Kim Jong-Un is a good guy,” Kimmel cracked. “Only the best people.”
In depth: The epic fall from grace of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Thursday 19 September 2024 05:00 , Ariana Baio
More than three decades after Sean Combs named his label Bad Boy Records, he’s been arrested on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges, accused of everything from arson to kidnapping. As authorities outline the shocking activities allegedly carried out at Combs’ direction by his “criminal enterprise,” Sheila Flynn charts the star’s epic fall from grace
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and the rise of his ‘criminal enterprise’
Woman who claims Diddy shot her in face at NYC club celebrates arrest
Thursday 19 September 2024 03:00 , Rhian Lubin
A woman who claims Sean “Diddy“ Combs shot her in the face in a New York City nightclub back in 1999 has described the news of his arrest as “one of the best days ever.”
Natania Reuben was at Club New York in Manhattan in December 1999 when gunfire broke out, injuring three people. She miraculously survived, but the bullet scarred her brain.
Diddy was acquitted in 2001, but Reuben is hopeful that the latest charges against him – sex trafficking and racketeering, which he denies – means he might finally face justice, even if it’s not in her own case.
Reuben described the moment that her teenage daughter, Nirvana, broke the news of Diddy’s arrest to her on Monday. Reuben told The Daily Beast: “I said, ‘Are you kidding me, really?’ She said, ‘Yes!’ I just screamed out to God, ‘Thank you, merciful father!’”
“One of the best days ever,” she added.
Watch: Diddy is ‘a fighter and not afraid of charges’ says lawyer
Thursday 19 September 2024 01:00 , Ariana Baio
Inside the New York jail where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is currently being held
Thursday 19 September 2024 00:00 , Rhian Lubin
Deadly stabbings, “barbaric” living conditions and maggots in the food: this is the state of the New York prison where Sean “Diddy” Combs is being held.
Diddy is currently being housed in pretrial detention in the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and will stay there until he faces trial on racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Read more about it here:
Inside jail where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is being held, once home to Ghislaine Maxwell
50 Cent mocks Diddy
Thursday 19 September 2024 16:44 , Rhian Lubin
50 Cent mocked Diddy with a message on social media.
In the indictment unsealed on Tuesday morning, federal prosecutors allege Combs threatened and abused women “to fulfill his sexual desires” by forcing them to engage in recorded sexual activity which he referred to as “Freak Offs.”
Diddy denies all the allegations and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Among the details released by the FBI are that searches of Combs’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles led to officers seizing “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.”
In a post on Instagram, 50 Cent captioned a photograph of himself during a recent appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talk show with the message: “Here I am keeping good company with @thedrewbarrymoreshow and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house.”
Kevin E G Perry reports.
50 Cent mocks P Diddy after 1,000 baby oil and lube bottles seized in FBI arrest
Diddy’s future looks ‘bleak’ former prosecutor says
Wednesday 18 September 2024 23:00 , Ariana Baio
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs should prepare himself for a long trial process that may result in a minimum of 15 years in prison and most certainly will hurt his reputation, a former federal and state prosecutor forewarned.
Disturbing and shocking revelations that Combs ran a “criminal enterprise” that aided him in engaging in violent sex crimes were laid out in a three-count criminal indictment that was unveiled in the Southern District of New York on Tuesday.
Elie Honig, an attorney with experience trialing “complex international sex trafficking rings” and who worked in the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, said his review of the indictment wasn’t great for Combs.
“Given what I know about the SDNY and its racketeering and sex trafficking prosecutions – the outlook for Combs is bleak,” Honig wrote in an op-ed for Intelligencer on Wednesday.
Read more here:
Ex-prosecutor says Diddy’s defense may paint rapper as ‘sex freak’ not a criminal
Two judges have denied Combs’ request for bail. Here’s what they said
Wednesday 18 September 2024 22:40 , Ariana Baio
Combs’ request for bail, and $50 million proposed bail package, were not enough to convince two judges he should be released from custody.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky voiced concern about Combs contacting potential witnesses as the government continues to investigate the allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
“The alleged victims are people with whom there is a power imbalance,” Judge Tarnofsky said. She added they are “susceptible to coercion”.
On Wednesday, District Court Judge Andrew Carter issued a similar ruling.
“I’ve heard from the parties, I find that the government has proven the defendant is a danger,” Carter said.
Judge denies Combs request for bail
Wednesday 18 September 2024 22:11 , Ariana Baio
Judge Carter denied Combs’ second request for bail, saying he is dangerous and the bail package does not address flight risk concerns.
Combs will return to Metropolitan Detention Center.
Judge appears skeptical of house arrest
Wednesday 18 September 2024 22:00 , Ariana Baio
Judge Carter hounded defense attorneys about the dangerousness of Combs, citing security camera footage of him physically assaulting a victim in 2016.
Combs’ defense attorneys claimed the actions in the video were a result of intense emotions from a couple who “loved” each other. The lawyers said the two were fighting due to infidelity.
Carter responded, “What does that have to do with him punching her, throwing a vase at her? What’s love got to do with that?”
Combs’ defense attorneys say he will not have access to a cell phone
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:40 , Ariana Baio
Combs’ attorneys assured a judge that the music mogul would not have access to a cell phone or the internet if he was granted house arrest instead of jail.
They proposed they would use a private intelligence company, Sage Intelligence, to monitor Combs 24/7.
Additionally, they would maintain a visitor log and only pre-approved guests, such as his mother, sister, children or the mothers of his children, would be permitted to come into his home.
They argue that Combs is “responsible” and “deeply respects” the court’s authority because he flew to New York ahead of the charges being brought against him.
Defense attorneys argue Combs contacted witness
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:35 , Ariana Baio
Defense attorneys for Combs argue that the music mogul and rapper only contacted a witness multiple times because she was concerned about media attention in the aftermath of Cassie’s 2023 lawsuit.
Federal prosecutors have little faith Combs’ team can control him
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:15 , Ariana Baio
“The risk of obstruction in this case is heightened because of the defendant’s power,” the assistant US attorney said. “His influence makes it so difficult for witnesses to share their experiences…and to trust that the government can keep them safe from him”
Prosecutors argue Combs is dangerous
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:06 , Ariana Baio
Federal prosecutors are trying to convince a district court judge that Combs poses a danger to the community and should be jailed while awaiting trial, accusing the music mogul of extorting his victims.
They cited examples from victims who allege he filmed “Freaks Offs” and then used them as blackmail.
Prosecutors said the “investigation is ongoing” and therefore they believe Combs should be held in jail while they continue to investigate the allegations. They fear that his associates or witnesses would refuse to speak about the alleged crimes they witnessed.
“Half a dozen escorts is just the tip of the iceberg of the number of escorts that have participated in ‘Freak Offs’," federal prosecutors told the judge.
Combs’ children attend court for bail hearing
Wednesday 18 September 2024 21:00 , Ariana Baio
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ children, Quincy Brown, Christian “King” Combs and Justin Combs arrived at a New York courthouse on Wednesday afternoon to attend their father’s bail hearing.
Combs’ adult sons attended his first appearance and arraignment on Tuesday afternoon. All three agreed to co-sign their father’s $50 million bail which a judge denied yesterday.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attends bail hearing
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:40 , Ariana Baio
Music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attended his bail hearing at the Thurgood Marshall U.S. courthouse in New York City on Wednesday to ask a judge to allow him to remain under house arrested, instead of jailed, as he awaits his sex trafficking and racketeering trial.
Around 3:30 p.m., Combs sat in the courtroom at the defense table. He was wearing a black shirt, according to Inner City Press.
Combs’ lawyers arrive for bail hearing
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:28 , Ariana Baio
Diddy’s lawyers describe ‘horrific’ conditions of jail where Combs is being held
Wednesday 18 September 2024 20:15 , Ariana Baio
Combs’ lawyers highlighted the poor conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center where Combs is currently being held, in their letter asking a judge to let the musician remain under house arrest.
“Numerous Courts in this district have raised concerns with the horrific conditions of detention there,” Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lawyer, wrote in the letter.
Agnifilo cited numerous court cases where the jail was described as “dreadful”, “dirty”, “plagued by violence” and “inhuman.”
Lawyers ask federal judge to release Combs from custody
Wednesday 18 September 2024 19:43 , Ariana Baio
Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attempted to smother fears that the music mogul poses a flight risk or a danger to others in asking a New York judge to allow the music mogul to remain under house arrest until his trial instead of sitting in jail.
“Sean Combs has never evaded, avoided, eluded or run from a challenge in his life. He will not start now,” Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lawyer, said in a letter to District Court Judge Andrew Carter on Wednesday.
Agnifilo addressed several concerns that led a magistrate judge to jail Combs, including that he is unpredictable and dangerous.
“Aside from his actions since the inception of this investigation, Mr. Combs’ character is shown through his demonstrated contributions to society,” Agnifilo said.
He cited examples like donating to charity, raising money for Covid-19 relief, advancing the careers of Black people in music and creating thousands of jobs.
The lawyer also said there were major differences between Combs’ case to other sex trafficking cases like the one involving Jeffrey Epstein because Combs is not accused of trafficking minors and has not flown internationally since last year.
Similarly, Agnifilo said that the difference between Combs’ case and the government’s case against R. Kelly was that Kelly is accused of abusing minors over a prolonged period of time whereas Combs is not.
Judge issues ‘Brady’ order
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:50 , Ariana Baio
Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky has issued a Brady order, which requires government prosecutors to disclose evidence and materials that could be used for impeachment.
Jimmy Kimmel brings up Trump’s glowing past comments about Diddy
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:30 , Ariana Baio
Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel reminded people that Donald Trump once referred to Sean “Diddy” Combs as a “good friend” on his show – hours after the music mogul pleaded not guilty to three federal crimes.
Myriam Page reports:
‘He’s a good friend’: Jimmy Kimmel brings up Trump’s glowing past Diddy comments
What is a racketeering charge?
Wednesday 18 September 2024 18:00 , Ariana Baio
Diddy was charged with racketeering, or violating RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), for running a “criminal enterprise” that allegedly aided him in carrying out sex crimes.
Racketeering is a form of organized crime in which a group of people set up a fraudulent coordinated scheme to repeatedly collect a profit.
RICO is a statute that was created to prosecute the Mafia and other organized crime rings. It made it easier for prosecutors to bring multiple charges against multiple people so long as it was part of the same criminal enterprise. It also added new penalties that prosecutors can use to leverage a plea deal.
In Combs’ case, prosecutors are alleging he ran the “criminal enterprise”, made up of close associates, assistants and others, to help coerce women into his orbit, abuse them and then conceal any abuse from outside individuals.
Attorney for Diddy accuser applauds indictment
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:30 , Ariana Baio
An attorney for Dawn Richard, a singer and former member of “Danity Kane”, said she applauds the indictment against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and called it “strikingly similar” to the complaint her client made against the music mogul.
“We applaud the grand jury’s new indictment of Sean Combs, which is strikingly similar to the federal complaint we filed last week on behalf of our brave client, Dawn Richard,” Lisa Bloom said in a statement to The Independent.
“Given the brutal beating of Sean Combs’ girlfriend caught on video and the eight people who have now accused him of abuse in court filings, including Dawn, this arrest seems long overdue. It’s a big, moving day for victims, but an arrest is only the beginning. May justice be delivered to Mr. Combs. We implore other accusers to come forward in solidarity and join us in this fight.”
Richard filed a lawsuit against Combs in early September, accusing him of acting inhumanely toward her, abusing her and sexually harassing her.
Former prosecutor says outlook for Diddy is ‘bleak,’
Wednesday 18 September 2024 17:00 , Ariana Baio
Elie Honig, an attorney with experience trialing “complex international sex trafficking rings”, said his review of the indictment showed a “bleak” outlook for Combs.
“Given what I know about the SDNY and its racketeering and sex trafficking prosecutions – the outlook for Combs is bleak,” Honig wrote in an op-ed for Intelligencer on Wednesday.
Although prosecutors did not provide extremely specific details about their evidence in the indictment, Honig said the allegations they’ve made in the indictment, letter to the judge requesting Combs remain jailed and U.S. attorney’s press conference indicate the prosecution has “valuable” backing.
He said prosecutors’ reference to “dozens of victims and witnesses” means the defense team will have a “tough” time undermining each one.
Honig said prosecutors likely will use a public video of Combs physically assaulting an individual which could support their allegation that physical violence was a core aspect of the racketeering charge.
“Racketeering (or ‘RICO’) charges are a cheat code of sorts for prosecutors,” Honig said.
Federal prosecutors allege Combs used those around him to create a “criminal enterprise” that continuously enabled his alleged criminal behavior – like coercing women to participate in his so-called “Freak Offs”.
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, asserts that his client is an “innocent man with nothing to hide”. During the arraignment, Agnifilo indicated that the charges brought against him stemmed from nothing more than a consensual but strained relationship due to infidelity.
Although the case is in its early stages and nowhere near trial-ready, Honig said he can “already see the defense taking shape… ‘He’s a sex freak, but he’s not a criminal’.”
‘One of the best days ever’: Woman who claims Diddy shot her in face in NYC club celebrates arrest
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:30 , Ariana Baio
A woman who claims Sean “Diddy“ Combs shot her in the face in a New York City nightclub back in 1999 has described the news of his arrest as “one of the best days ever.”
Natania Reuben was at Club New York in Manhattan in December 1999 when gunfire broke out, injuring three people. She miraculously survived, but the bullet scarred her brain.
Reuben described the moment that her teenage daughter, Nirvana, broke the news of Diddy’s arrest to her on Monday. Reuben told The Daily Beast: “I said, ‘Are you kidding me, really?’ She said, ‘Yes!’ I just screamed out to God, ‘Thank you, merciful father!’”
Rhian Lubin reports:
Woman who claims Diddy shot her in face in NYC club celebrates arrest
Watch: Video from Combs’ home raid shows moment FBI breach his house
Wednesday 18 September 2024 16:00 , Ariana Baio
Diddy was hit with three civil lawsuits in November
Wednesday 18 September 2024 15:20 , Ariana Baio
In November, Combs was hit with three lawsuits filled with allegations of sexual and physical abuse, in just one week – a startling occurrence that would open a floodgate of other allegations and investigations.
Here’s a look back at that moment.
Sheila Flynn reported:
How P Diddy came to face three sexual assault accusations in a week
Reminder of the charges against Combs
Wednesday 18 September 2024 14:06 , Rhian Lubin
Here’s a reminder of the charges Combs faces.
According to a three-count criminal indictment unsealed on Tuesday, Combs ran a decades-long criminal enterprise that aided him in egregiously abusing women through sex crimes, physical violence and emotional manipulation, federal prosecutors said.
The rapper, who has been accused of rape and sexual abuse in at least nine civil lawsuits this past year, was arrested in New York Monday night and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
On Tuesday morning he appeared in Manhattan federal court to plead not guilty to the charges.
Today is he expected to appear in court to appeal the decision to deny him bail.
Prosecution alleges there are more than 50 victims
Wednesday 18 September 2024 13:35 , Rhian Lubin
The prosecution alleges there are more than 50 potential victims in relation to the charges against Combs.
In a memo supporting the request Combs remain in jail until trial, the prosecution said the government has conducted interviews with “over 50 victims and witnesses, many of whom saw or experienced the defendant’s abuse”.
The total number of alleged victims is unclear, but the memo added the prosecution “only expects that number to continue to grow”.
Combs ‘anticipated’ charges were being brought against him
Wednesday 18 September 2024 13:03 , Rhian Lubin
Combs, who was arrested on Monday night at a hotel in Manhattan, knew the charges were coming.
His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said the rapper travelled to New York last week in anticipation of the charges being brought.
“He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,” Agnifilo added.
Combs being held in prison where Ghislaine Maxwell and R Kelly were once housed
Wednesday 18 September 2024 12:34 , Rhian Lubin
More details about the conditions inside the Metropolitan Detention Center are being reported as Combs is being held there in pretrial detention.
It’s a facility that is no stranger to famous faces, having previously housed sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, Fyre Festival fraudster Billy McFarland and rapper R Kelly, who was found guilty of child sexual abuse.
Many have spoken out about the “barbaric” conditions inside the prison, with one inmate claiming the jail sees stabbings “at least a couple of times a week.”
“One guy was stabbed in the eye with a makeshift knife,” the inmate, only named as Eli, told NY1.
“And these knives, again, I have never been to jail. This is my first time in jail, but these knives are six, nine inches long sometimes, you know, homemade with materials from the steel walls. It’s very violent. There’s stabbings, there’s stabbings at least a couple times a week.”
Read more here.
Inside jail where Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is being held, once home to Ghislaine Maxwell
What will happen in court today?
Wednesday 18 September 2024 12:04 , Rhian Lubin
Combs is due to appear in court again today at approximately 3.30pm ET.
He is appealing the decision to be held without bail in front of US District Court Judge Andrew Carter.
If the appeal is denied, Combs will be remanded back to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and could remain there until trial.
His laywers yesterday requested he remain under house arrest, which was denied.
50 Cent mocks Combs after 1,000 bottles of lube seized
Wednesday 18 September 2024 11:33 , Rhian Lubin
50 Cent has mocked Combs with a message on social media shortly after the embattled music mogul was arrested by federal agents in New York City.
The rapper was responding to details released by the FBI - that searches of Combs’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles led to officers seizing “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.”
In a post on Instagram, 50 Cent captioned a photograph of himself during a recent appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talk show with the message: “Here I am keeping good company with @thedrewbarrymoreshow and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house.”
Kevin E G Perry reports.
50 Cent mocks P Diddy after 1000 lube bottles seized in FBI arrest
Inside notorious prison where Combs is being held
Wednesday 18 September 2024 11:07 , Rhian Lubin
Combs is currently being held in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The notorious prison has also housed Ghislaine Maxwell, R Kelly and Billy McFarland to name a few.
It has been plagued by outbreaks of violence, unsanitary conditions and chronic understaffing, according to reports.
The rapper is reportedly being kept away from other prisoners at the moment.
WATCH: Diddy’s lawyer says he is ‘a fighter and not afraid of charges’ after bail refused
Wednesday 18 September 2024 10:30 , Rachel Sharp
‘A win for women all over the world’: Aubrey O’Day celebrates Diddy’s arrest
Wednesday 18 September 2024 10:00 , Rachel Sharp
Singer Aubrey O’Day has praised the arrest of Sean “Diddy” Combs on sex trafficking and racketeering charges as “a win for women all over the world.”
O’Day, who was a member of Diddy’s Danity Kane girl group, is one of a growing list of accusers who have filed civil lawsuits against the music mogul.
In a post on X, O’Day said she felt “validated” following his arrest.
“The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter,” she said.
“Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing.”
IN DEPTH: The saga continues... authorities name Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as architect and leader of a ‘criminal enterprise’
Wednesday 18 September 2024 09:30 , Rachel Sharp
More than three decades after Sean Combs named his label Bad Boy Records, he’s been arrested on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges, accused of everything from arson to kidnapping.
As authorities outline the shocking activities allegedly carried out at Combs’ direction by his “criminal enterprise,” Sheila Flynn charts the star’s epic fall from grace:
Authorities name Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs as architect and leader of ‘criminal enterprise’
Combs will be back in court for bail hearing
Wednesday 18 September 2024 09:00 , Ariana Baio
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is expected to appear back in court today for a bail hearing after a judge denied his request for bail and ordered him to remain in jail until his trial.
Combs’ attorney, Marc Angifilo said outside of the courthouse, that they would be appealing the judge’s decision.
“Mr. Combs is a fighter. He’s going to fight this to the end. He’s innocent,” Angifilo said on Tuesday.
The bail hearing is expected to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET.
ICYMI: Read the indictment against Combs
Wednesday 18 September 2024 08:00 , Ariana Baio
Sean “Diddy” Combs, the rapper and music mogul, was charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion by a federal grand jury on Monday evening in New York. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Federal prosecutors have accused Combs of using “employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled” to attempt to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”
Watch: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs LA home sealed off by police after singer’s arrest on Monday night
Wednesday 18 September 2024 07:00 , Ariana Baio
U.S. Attorney urges people with information to come forward
Wednesday 18 September 2024 05:00 , Ariana Baio
Although Combs is the only one charged in the indictment, he wasn’t the only one to engage in the abusive behavior, according to prosecutors.
Combs’ “enterprise”, made up of personal assistants, security staff, household staff and high-ranking supervisors, allegedly lured women to music mogul and were complicit in his abuse.
“If you have been a victim of Combs’ alleged abuse – or if you know anything about his alleged crimes – we urge you to come forward. This investigation is far from over,” Williams said.
Prosecutors say those individuals assisted in providing materials for “Freak Offs” that took place in hotels, like bottles of baby oil and lubricants, drugs, lighting, sheets and more.
Federal agents discovered more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricants in Combs’ Miami home last year while conducting a raid. They also discovered three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers and electronic devices that contained photos and videos of “Freak Offs”.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said the investigation is ongoing and indicated others could be charged in connection or further charges could be brought against Combs.
The epic rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Wednesday 18 September 2024 03:00 , Ariana Baio
From Harlem to Hollywood — including the 1990s East Coast vs. West Coast rap rivalry, recent sexual harassment lawsuits, and the name changes from Sean Combs to “Love” Sheila Flynn explores Diddy’s wild and legally fraught path to fame
