Sean “Diddy” Combs has been denied bail for a second occasion as he confronts multiple charges, inclusive of sexual trafficking, drug possession, and firearm-related offences.
U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter stated that the prosecution had demonstrated “by clear and convincing evidence that no condition or combination of conditions” could guarantee the community’s safety and ensure that the rapper and music executive would not interfere with witnesses.
The 54-year-old entered a not guilty plea after he was initially apprehended by authorities at the Park Hyatt Hotel located in Manhattan, New York, on Monday.
Sean Combs (right) with his attorney Marc Agnifilo in a courtroom illustration. Pic: Reuters
He was initially refused bail and informed that he would remain in custody after asserting his not guilty plea to three felony charges during a preliminary court appearance on Tuesday.
Combs’s legal counsel appealed to a judge on Wednesday, requesting permission for him to await trial at his upscale residence on an island close to Miami Beach rather than in a Brooklyn jail.
However, prosecutors objected to this request, asserting that there existed a substantial threat that Combs might intimidate or harm witnesses.
Combs’s attorneys proposed a $50 million (£37.8 million) bail package in return for his release on home confinement, complete with GPS tracking and stringent restrictions on visitors.
In her arguments for keeping him incarcerated, prosecutor Emily Johnson informed the judge that Combs had a lengthy record of intimidating both victims and witnesses related to his alleged misconduct.
Ms. Johnson highlighted text messages received from women who claimed Combs coerced them into “Freak Offs” and subsequently threatened to disclose explicit videos of them engaged in sexual activities.
She also remarked that Combs’s own legal team was “downplaying and horrifically understating” his tendency toward violence.
The debate between the defence and prosecution over the matter continued until the judge reached a decision.
“I am feeling optimistic. We’re going to successfully secure Mr. Combs’s release,” proclaimed Combs’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo while entering the courtroom on Wednesday, prior to the judge’s ruling that Combs would remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center until his trial.
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Timeline of allegations against Diddy
Sean Combs, centre, alongside his defence attorneys Marc Agnifilo, left, and Teny Garagos, at Manhattan Federal Court. on Tuesday. Pic: Elizabeth Williams via AP
A legal indictment released following Combs’s arrest outlined accusations dating back to 2008, asserting that he has abused, threatened, and coerced women over many years “to satisfy his sexual desires, safeguard his reputation, and obscure his actions”.
He allegedly persuaded female victims and male sex workers to engage in drug-fueled sexual activities referred to as “Freak Offs”, according to the document.
Combs, previously recognized as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, was once among the most significant figures in hip-hop—renowned as a producer and manager of the late Notorious B.I.G., as well as a solo artist with hits such as I’ll Be Missing You, Come With Me, and Bad Boy for Life.
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Nevertheless, in November, his former partner, R&B singer Cassie, initiated a lawsuit accusing him of coercing her and others into non-consensual sexual encounters in drug-induced environments.
The lawsuit was settled within a day, but months later, CNN broadcast security footage revealing Combs hitting and kicking Cassie and knocking her to the ground.
He expressed remorse after the video was released, stating: “I was appalled by my actions.”
