The hip-hop mogul's legal troubles have shocked the entertainment world. Join us as we break down the serious federal charges against Sean "Diddy" Combs, from racketeering to trafficking allegations. We'll examine the controversial "freak offs," his rejected plea deal, key players in the courtroom drama, and his current detention situation. Warning: this video contains discussion of sensitive topics.
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00:00The decision guarantees Combs will face trial beginning just four days from now.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're detailing everything you need to know about Sean Diddy Combs and his federal trafficking trial.
00:11Warning, certain information contains distressing details.
00:15All measure of walks of life come in and out of that courthouse. Sean Combs is only the latest.
00:21The charges.
00:23On September 16th, 2024, hip-hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs was hit with a bombshell federal indictment.
00:30Facing charges of trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution.
00:34The indictment alleges that Combs abused and exploited women and other people for years, and in a variety of ways.
00:41The arrest came at a Manhattan hotel, where Combs had reportedly been staying in anticipation of the indictment.
00:47This is the hotel where Sean Combs was arrested a week ago.
00:50At the heart of the charges lies an alleged pattern of coercion and exploitation.
00:54Prosecutors claim Diddy used his sprawling business empire to conduct elaborate erotic acts, or freak-offs, involving unwilling participants, some youths.
01:03Videos of elaborately produced sex performances, with multiple victims that Combs allegedly referred to as freak-offs.
01:11The most serious count, however, is racketeering.
01:13If convicted, Combs could face life behind bars.
01:17Prosecutors argue he ran a full-blown criminal enterprise, backed by his employees and fueled by influence, money, and fear tactics.
01:24The indictment alleges that between at least 2008 and the present, Combs abused, threatened, and coerced victims to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.
01:37Diddy has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
01:41Freak-offs.
01:42For decades, an invite to one of Sean Diddy Combs' infamous parties was a ticket to rub shoulders with Hollywood's elite.
01:50The term freak-offs has since become synonymous with Diddy's name and the scandals that surround him.
01:56Prosecutors describe freak-offs as highly choreographed sex parties, featuring individuals flown in from across the country to participate.
02:03He's accused of trafficking women and male sex workers to perform depraved freak-offs.
02:09Drug-fueled sex parties for his own twisted enjoyment.
02:14Some of these events allegedly lasted for days and were fueled by heavy substance use.
02:19Investigators claim Diddy kept, quote,
02:21freak-off supplies in his homes, including over a thousand bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
02:27It's purported that women were coerced, sometimes unknowingly recorded, and afterwards given IV treatments to recover from the sessions.
02:35He used the embarrassing and sensitive recordings he made of the freak-offs as collateral against the victims.
02:42Prosecutors also allege Diddy's business associates played roles by booking rooms, supplying the illegal substances, and paying the workers.
02:50Diddy's team, however, insists all encounters were consensual.
02:55Plea deal rejected.
02:56What he decided in court today and what this now means, the move coming just four days before his trial is set to begin.
03:02Just days prior to the trial start date, Sean Diddy Combs officially rejected a last-minute plea deal from federal prosecutors.
03:10The disgraced business mogul, who appeared somber in court, confirmed during the pretrial hearing in New York that he declined the offer from the opposition.
03:17When asked if he turned down the offer, Combs answered, yes, I do, Your Honor.
03:21While the exact terms of the proposed deal remain hidden,
03:25prosecutors indicated that Combs could have faced a significantly reduced prison sentence had he chosen to accept the plea and been found guilty.
03:32Despite the opportunity to avoid a lengthier sentence in the event of a guilty verdict,
03:36the Bad Boy Records founder and his counsel opted to proceed to trial with no deals in place,
03:41showing extreme confidence in their case.
03:44Not really a surprise that when one was put on the table, he said,
03:47no, he has vehemently maintained his innocence this entire time.
03:50I could not see a world where he would accept any kind of plea deal, so we heard that today.
03:56Who's who in the trial?
03:57The trial, taking place in the Southern District of New York, will be presided over by Judge Arun Subramanian,
04:03who was appointed by President Biden in 2023.
04:07Leading Diddy's defense?
04:08That would be legal heavyweights Mark Agnifilo and Tenny Garagos.
04:12Interestingly, Tenny is the daughter of famed defense attorney Mark Garagos,
04:16who gained notoriety for defending high-profile clients like Scott Peterson and the Menendez brothers.
04:21Diddy's team also includes Brian Steele, fresh off representing rapper Young Thug in his own racketeering trial.
04:28But not all has been smooth sailing for Diddy's defense team.
04:31He's making the best of the situation.
04:33A situation one of Diddy's attorneys won't be part of moving forward.
04:38One of Combs' original lawyers, Anthony Rico, abruptly quit, citing, as per court documents, that,
04:44quote,
04:44Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel.
04:48In a motion filed on Thursday, Rico stopped short of revealing why he's stepping down from Diddy's legal team.
04:56On the other side of the courtroom, federal prosecutors will include several assistant U.S. attorneys and Maureen Comey,
05:02the daughter of former FBI director James Comey.
05:05She's an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York,
05:08and she's known for working on other high-profile sex trafficking cases.
05:12Maureen previously prosecuted Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in her trafficking trial.
05:17Diddy's defense strategy.
05:20Everybody thinks this is a slam dunk for prosecutors.
05:23It's not.
05:24Given the plethora of damning accusations and alleged evidence against him,
05:28many are curious what Diddy's defense will consist of.
05:31Well, for one, his team plans to argue that all the encounters were consensual,
05:35and were simply part of a so-called, quote,
05:37swinger lifestyle.
05:38Diddy's team is arguing that he might have lived a swinger lifestyle,
05:41but he's never done anything inappropriate or criminal,
05:44and that was coming from the head of his legal team, Mark Agnifilio.
05:48According to ABC News, defense attorney Mark Agnifilo plans to show how Combs was in an
05:53appropriate swinger-like lifestyle, and what he did was, quote,
05:56so common.
05:57Basically, Diddy is being prosecuted, according to his team,
06:00for something that is a common lifestyle,
06:02and that's what they're going to lean into heavily when he goes to court.
06:05As per TMZ, Diddy's legal team also strives to argue that their client may have been
06:10too intoxicated to even form criminal intent.
06:13They're planning on bringing in a doctor to testify on his altered state during the alleged
06:17crimes.
06:18While the federal indictment claims Diddy provided substances to his victims to force
06:22their compliance, a key question is whether Diddy himself was under the influence and or
06:27mentally impaired at the time of the alleged offenses.
06:29Almost everybody has an opinion about this case.
06:32What the defense wants is people who are able to change their opinions.
06:39Who Will Testify
06:40It's still unclear exactly who will take the stand in Diddy's upcoming trial,
06:45as the judge has granted alleged victims the option to testify under pseudonyms to protect
06:49their identities.
06:50While many are suspected to remain anonymous, Diddy's ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura,
06:55has chosen to testify using her real name.
06:57After years in silence and darkness, she's finally ready to tell her story.
07:02Her 2023 lawsuit, alleging years of abuse and indecent assault,
07:06arguably served as the catalyst for the federal charges facing Combs.
07:10Of course, one of the most crucial pieces of evidence is a surveillance video from March 2016,
07:15which appears to show Combs attacking Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
07:20We're going to begin tonight with the alarming images now emerging of Sean Diddy Combs.
07:23The new video obtained exclusively by CNN.
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07:43Diddy's current state.
07:44Since his arrest, Diddy has been locked up in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center,
07:49or MDC as it's referred to.
07:51From his $48 million Miami mansion to hell on earth where chaos reigns.
07:56The MDC is also currently housing Luigi Mangione, who is the suspect in the killing of United
08:02Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
08:04There have been several complaints made about the facility, with Diddy and his team decrying
08:08its conditions.
08:09However, despite multiple attempts to get out on bail, three federal judges have said no.
08:15Their concerns have mostly revolved around the potential for witness tampering.
08:18They couldn't prove that he's not a danger to the community,
08:21and that he couldn't corrupt the case by trying to reach out to victims, something
08:27that the prosecutors have said he had tried to do multiple times.
08:31During his court appearances, Combs has appeared in a tan prison uniform and sporting a gray
08:36beard.
08:36However, for the duration of his trial, the rapper has been granted permission to wear
08:41civilian clothing.
08:42A judge did approve Sean Diddy Combs' request to wear non-prison clothing to his trial.
08:48It's reported that he's allowed a limited wardrobe including up to five pairs of pants,
08:53shirts, and socks, along with just two pairs of shoes, provided they have no laces.
08:58Interestingly, there was no mention of restrictions on jewelry, meaning Diddy could potentially
09:03add some trademark bling to his courtroom look.
09:05Will you be following Sean Diddy Combs' federal trial?
09:08What do you make of his defense?
09:10Share your take in the comments below.
09:12Perspective jurors have already started answering written questions.
09:15If Combs is convicted, he faces what could amount to a life sentence.