New York: Sean “Diddy” Combs has entered a not guilty plea to an expanded federal indictment that now includes five criminal charges, among them racketeering and sex trafficking. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul made his appearance before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan on Monday.
This plea follows an earlier not guilty plea Combs submitted in response to a previous three-count indictment. The case marks a deepening legal crisis for the music icon, who has been in custody at a Brooklyn detention facility since September.
In a statement issued earlier this month through his media team, Combs’ legal representatives said, “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships.” The defense has continued to maintain that all interactions were consensual and denies any wrongdoing.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin on May 5 with jury selection, and opening statements are set for May 12. However, Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo indicated that the defense might seek a two-week postponement to review requested emails from an alleged victim. Judge Subramanian instructed that any such motion for delay must be filed within two days. “We are a freight train moving towards trial,” the judge stated during the hearing.
Federal prosecutors allege that between 2004 and 2024, Combs used his entertainment empire to facilitate the abuse of women. The indictment describes claims that women were coerced into participating in filmed sexual encounters referred to as “freak offs”—some involving male sex workers transported across state lines.
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Combs also faces numerous civil lawsuits from both women and men accusing him of sexual misconduct. His defense team continues to argue that none of the acts were non-consensual. Agnifilo emphasized that the events in question were part of “consensual sexual activity”, and that Combs never forced anyone to participate.
Widely known by his stage names Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, Combs is the founder of Bad Boy Records and is credited with launching the careers of major artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, The Notorious B.I.G., and Usher throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
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Despite his success, prosecutors contend that Combs’ fame masked a darker reality. The expanded indictment references an incident from March 2016, captured on surveillance footage, in which Combs was allegedly seen kicking, dragging, and throwing a vase at a woman attempting to exit a Los Angeles hotel.
In 2023, CNN released surveillance footage showing Combs striking and dragging his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, also known as Cassie. Following its release, Combs issued a public apology. Agnifilo responded by stating that while the video was disturbing, it “was not evidence of sex trafficking,” and noted that Combs and Ventura shared “a toxic, loving 11-year relationship.”
