Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who was arrested on Monday night, pleaded not guilty in court to the charges against him. He was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The hip-hop legend was arraigned in a Lower Manhattan court on Tuesday, where the judge ruled that he will be held in jail without bail.
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Diddy pleaded not guilty in court
Diddy was arrested at a New York City hotel and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges. At a press conference, the American rapper’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said, “Mr. Combs is a fighter… He’s not afraid of the charges. He’s been waiting for this day; he’s been waiting to clear his name. He didn’t do that.” During the criminal investigation, Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided in March. Police officers found over 1,000 bottles of lubricant, various drugs and three AR-15s.
The unsealed indictment says the rapper-turned-mogul “for many years abused, intimidated, and coerced women and others around him to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct, thereby creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates … engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
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Diddy’s weirdest job
According to the indictment, the Bad Boy Records owner and members of Combs’ enterprise such as high-ranking executives, domestic help, security staff and others allegedly facilitated numerous sex gatherings, also known as freak offs.
The documents state that during these ceremonies, Diddy would allegedly hit, kick, throw objects at the victims and sometimes pull their hair. It further claims that he would physically, emotionally and verbally abuse the victims to force them to indulge in eccentricities. As Page Six reports, these ceremonies “often resulted in injuries that took days or weeks to heal.”
The indictment further states, “Combs maintained control over his victims through physical violence, promises of career opportunities, threats to give and withhold financial support, and other coercive methods, including tracking their whereabouts, scheduling the victims’ attendance, monitoring their medical records, controlling their housing, and supplying them with controlled substances.”
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Diddy’s lawyer reacts to his arrest
Diddy’s lawyer, Agnifilo, denounced his arrest shortly afterward, saying, “We are disappointed by the determination that the prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office against Mr. Combs is unjust.” He praised Diddy as “a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has built an empire over the last 30 years, doted on his children and worked to uplift the black community.”
He agreed that while his client may be an “imperfect person,” he is not a criminal. “To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily moved to New York last week in anticipation of these charges,” he said, and asked the public to “reserve judgment until you have all the facts.”
He concluded, “These are the actions of an innocent man who has nothing to hide and is eager to clear his name in court.” Diddy is currently facing eight lawsuits against him, accusing him of assault, rape and other charges.
