SEAN “Diddy” Combs will remain in jail ahead of his trial on sex-trafficking charges after a judge denied his bid for freedom.
The disgraced music mogul is currently imprisoned in a Brooklyn jail where he has been held for 10 weeks.
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Combs had already been denied bail twice, with judges citing a risk he might tamper with witnesses.
Combs is in prison awaiting a May, 2025, trial on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
His latest shot at freedom was set to cost $50m, with the rapper subject to strict 24-hour security monitoring and restrictions on his ability to contact anyone but his lawyers.
He pleaded not guilty on September 17 to claims he used his business empire to sexually abuse women.
Prosecutors said the abuse included having women take part in recorded sexual performances called “freak offs” with male sex workers who were sometimes transported across state lines.
Combs, 55, has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian announced the decision in a written order, after hearing arguments during a two-hour hearing on November 22 in Manhattan federal court.
He said of his decision: “The Court finds that the government has shown by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community.”
State prosecutors claimed in court on Friday in the video Cassie Ventura, 38, was attempting to escape Combs’ “freak-off” party that was going on in his hotel room.
“The US has evidence a male commercial sex worker was in the hotel room at that time,” prosecutors said.
“This is devastating evidence for the trial. It shows why he cannot be released on bail.
“He is violent and is committed to covering up his crimes. The evidence against him continues to mount. We’ve learned of punching and kicking employees, partners.”
Over 100 people have come forward with similarly sexually violent complaints against Combs and brought civil suits against him.
He denies all wrongdoing and his lawyers claim the video of him allegedly attacking Ventura has had its narrative “manipulated”.
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In the hotel footage, Combs could be seen chasing Ventura down the hallway, grabbing her by the neck, shoving her to the ground, and kicking her.
He then appeared to grab her by her sweatshirt and drag her.
Combs apologized after the video was published by CNN in May, saying he had “hit rock bottom.”
With his bail declined, Diddy will spend the thanksgiving holiday on Thursday in his Brooklyn jail.
Combs will start the day with several breakfast options, including cereal, fruit, pastries, and a glass of skim milk.
He will then be able to chow down on a turkey roast or a hot and sour tofu dinner with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.
Cranberry sauce and turkey gravy will also be served.
He will also get two dinner rolls and margarine, and an assorted holiday pie with a beverage, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
NEW HOME
Combs has been jailed in the notorious Brooklyn complex since September 16 after federal agents arrested the rap mogul at the Park Hyatt hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
The jail is reportedly plagued with rat infestations, violent outbreaks, and understaffing, and has been home to many other infamous inmates, including Ghislaine Maxwell and R. Kelly.
Maxwell famously bemoaned her time at the jail, complaining about sleep deprivation, a lack of potable water, a sewage stench in her cell, and living among rodents and cockroaches.
She also alleged that guards kept her up with flashlights and repeatedly subjected her to humiliating searches.
Conditions are said to be so bad that the jail no longer accepts inmates serving their sentences, with the majority awaiting trial or prosecution.
Combs will likely remain at the jail until his trial date on May 5, 2025.
WHAT ARE DIDDY’S FREAK OFFS?
According to prosecutors, Combs threw wild parties he called “freak offs” where he would fly in sex workers for days of raucous sessions.
However once at the party, workers would be coerced through money and intimidated into performing sick nonconsensual acts, the indictment claims.
Combs organized and directed these parties in part, prosecutors allege, so he could record sex acts while he masturbated.
After days of non-stop drug use and drinking, participants were often mailed IV bags to help recover from the revelry, the indictment claims.
The indictment references key pieces of evidence federal agents found during their raids of the rapper’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.
According to the indictment, the rapper had 1,000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil in his two homes alongside a stash of narcotics that were used during the sex parties.
Agents also found three AR-15s with their serial numbers defaced and a drum magazine, the indictment says.
But Combs’ attorney has spoken out to claim the cops are targeting the sick rapper due to his race.
Diddy’s downfall
By The U.S. Sun’s Senior Reporter Forrest McFarland, who has been reporting on Diddy’s legal battles for years
BEFORE Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest, it had been highly speculated that the rap star would find himself in custody after he was repeatedly hit with disturbing accusations – and had two of his mansions raided by the feds.
His mounting legal troubles finally came to a head on September 17, when he was charged with three federal counts, including sex trafficking, for allegedly forcing victims to take part in drug-fueled sex parties he called “Freak Offs.”
Hours before his arrest, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed the feds investigating Combs were secretly liaising with Tupac Shakur murder prosecutors on gangland activities.
The development also came after Combs was named 77 times in documents submitted by prosecutors in the Tupac murder case.
Aside from the Tupac probe, Combs was already facing a slew of lawsuits, including one he settled with his ex, Cassie Ventura, after she accused him of rape and abuse.
Disturbing hotel surveillance video from 2016 showed Combs chasing Cassie down and then punching, kicking, and beating her in a hallway.
Two months earlier, in March 2024, two of Combs’ mansions were raided by federal investigators, who seized three AR-15s, drugs, and 1,000 bottles of lube which were part of his “Freak Off” supplies.
In addition to his federal criminal charges, Combs also faces a handful of lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking dating back to the early 1990s.
Music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones filed one suit in February 2024, claiming Combs forced him to hire sex workers and participate in sex acts while he worked on his latest album.
Combs has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal sex trafficking charges against him, but his battle is far from over.
He faces life in prison if he’s convicted on all counts.
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