Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers want his alleged victims named: What to know

Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs want to know details of the evidence the government has against him as they mount a defense for the music mogul's 2025 trial.

In a Tuesday court filing obtained by USA TODAY, Combs' legal team addressed U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in a letter requesting a ruling that would require prosecutors "to identify its alleged victims" who helped them build a case against Combs. The 54-year-old is accused of using his status in the industry to engage in a "recurrent and widely known" pattern of abuse involving sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York "opposes disclosure of alleged victims’ names at this stage," Combs' lawyers claim.

In a letter dated Oct. 7 that was included as an exhibit, his defense asked prosecutors for the identities of the music mogul's alleged victims, writing, "In order for Mr. Combs to defend against the charges against him effectively, it is imperative that he know the identity of the alleged victims. ... Accordingly, we demand that the government provide the names of all individuals it considers to be victims of Mr. Combs’ alleged criminal conduct."

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.

Combs has maintained his innocence, pleading not guilty to all federal criminal charges amid mounting civil lawsuits over the past year accusing him of sexual assault, abuse, battery and sex trafficking, among other allegations.

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Diddy's lawyers accuse prosecution of 'forcing him ... to play a guessing game'

In their Oct. 7 letter, Combs' team requests any information gathered by investigators that might work against the government's case, including possible witness statements about participation in his so-called "freak offs" being consensual and consumption of drugs and alcohol being voluntary.

They also ask for any failures at finding corroborating evidence to back witnesses' allegations. Per Brady v. Maryland, a landmark 1963 ruling, the prosecution in a case is required to share Brady material, which is evidence that is favorable to the person accused of a crime.

"Without clarity from the government, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on for purposes of the Indictment," his lawyers wrote to Judge Subramanian on Tuesday. "Absent a bill of particulars, the government is forcing him, unfairly, to play a guessing ... game — one made all the more challenging by the onslaught of baseless allegations that desperate plaintiffs are lodging at him (for the most part anonymously) in civil suits designed to exact a payoff from Mr. Combs and others."

A bill of particulars details claims against a defendant.

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At least a dozen civil lawsuits have been launched against the hip-hop legend over the past year, since his ex-girlfriend Cassie accused him of raping and abusing her over the course of a decade in a lawsuit that was quickly settled. Combs' attorneys noted to the judge that just one day prior, six more suits were filed against him, alleging the sexual assault of a minor and multiple rape claims between 1995 and 2021.

"Mr. Combs’ right to a fair and impartial jury is becoming increasingly jeopardized every day. His case is being litigated in the press, largely by nameless accusers with uncorroborated stories, who seek to capitalize on the government’s allegations and are looking for a quick payday," his team wrote in their Oct. 7 letter to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

This runs the risk of "taint(ing) the jury pool," they added.

Diddy's 'freak offs' involved 'unambiguously consensual sex,' his lawyers say

Combs anticipates "voluminous evidence of consensual sexual activity" to be shown in materials the government has gathered for his case, his attorneys wrote to the judge. The rapper is accused of orchestrating dayslong sex performances, which were allegedly recorded, involving people he allegedly coerced into participating through narcotics and intimidation.

When the government presents its evidence, which U.S. Attorney Damian Williams has said includes "dozens" of videos depicting Combs' so-called "freak offs," Combs' team believes the footage will reflect "unambiguously consensual sex."

In a Sept. 17 letter to a federal judge arguing for Combs to be jailed until he is brought to trial, Williams claimed his office has "the testimony of dozens of witnesses and victims to his serial abuse, and evidence from dozens of his own electronic devices and those of his co-conspirators."

Investigators have taken in more than 90 cellphones, laptops, cloud storage accounts as well as at least 30 storage devices, Williams said.

In a TMZ documentary released last month, "The Downfall of Diddy: The Indictment," one of Combs' lawyers, Marc Agnifilo, suggested Combs' "freak-offs" were simply "threesomes."

Despite multiple attempts by his team to free him before his May 5, 2025, trial, Combs has been in jail since he was arrested at a Manhattan hotel on Sept. 16. The following day, he was arraigned on sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution charges and denied release on a $50 million bond.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Espa?ol RAINN.org/es.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy lawyers want victims named, new letter to judge says