Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has voluntarily dropped his bail appeal, meaning he will remain jailed until his 2025 trial.
The rap mogul pleaded not guilty to an indictment that has seen him charged with racketeering and sex trafficking, and his trial in the federal criminal case is set to begin on May 5 next year.
Diddy has – through legal representatives – denied all allegations against him to date. Should he be found guilty, he could face 15 years to life in prison.
He has been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn since his arrest on September 16, and has been denied bail on multiple occasions, with the first denial coming after he offered a $50million (£38.4million) bond. He was subsequently reportedly placed on suicide watch.
Combs was denied bail for the third time last month, with the judge declaring 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”.
Although Combs’ legal team already had a bail appeal pending in the Second Circuit, on Friday (December 13) they filed paperwork dismissing the appeal. Per Rolling Stone, the court documents noted: “Mr. Combs does not seek to appeal the district court’s denial of his renewed motion and hereby moves to voluntarily dismiss the appeal.”
Another reason for the denial of bail is due to prosecutors claiming that Combs has attempted to misuse jail resources to influence witnesses in his case and coercing at least eight other inmates to use their phones.
Earlier this month, he and his team sought access to a laptop in his detention centre to assist in his defence, with defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo writing a request “that the Court direct the MDC [Metropolitan Detention Centre] to provide Mr. Combs with the laptop prepared for him by the government, and allow him to use that laptop on his unit, consistent with the way other inmates on his unit are permitted to use their laptops”.
Prior to that, last month another wave of sexual misconduct lawsuits were filed against him by five more anonymous accusers. Three men and two women claim they were drugged and sexually assaulted by the rapper in incidents in New York and Miami dating back to 2001.
Those allegations follow an accusation in late October of Diddy allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in 2005. Before that, it was reported that over 120 people had come forward with new allegations – including 25 minors.
Concurrently, Jay-Z has now been accused in a lawsuit of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2000 with Combs. The rapper – real name Shawn Carter – was named in a lawsuit that was originally filed in October, with Carter’s name refiled last Sunday (December 8).
The lawsuit was filed by Texan lawyer Tony Buzbee, and claimed Combs – as well as another, unnamed male celebrity – raped a 13-year-old girl at a VMAs after-party in 2000. So far, Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with his lawyers also dismissing accusations as “clear attempts to garner publicity”, adding: “Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone – adult or minor, man or woman.”
Per NBC News, the unnamed celebrity accused of being involved is revealed to be Carter, who has since responded to the allegations in a statement to Roc Nation, which you can read in full below.
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) December 9, 2024
“Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?” Carter, who recently filed a petition to reveal the identity of the accused, wrote. “These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”
Carter levelled accusations against Buzbee, whom he called a “deplorable human” and an “ambulance chaser in a cheap suit” with no “honour nor dignity”. Per CNN, the lawsuit claims that attorneys representing the unnamed accuser originally reached out to Carter to request “a mediation to resolve this matter.”
The lawsuit continues: “Upon present information and belief, Jay-Z responded to said letter by not only filing an utterly frivolous lawsuit, but by also orchestrating a conspiracy of harassment, bullying and intimidation against Plaintiff’s lawyers, their families, employees and former associates in an attempt to silence Plaintiff from naming Jay-Z herein.”
“This effort was meant to scare Plaintiff and to discredit her counsel. That effort failed. Indeed, Plaintiff chose to file this amendment as a result of the egregious conduct perpetuated by Carter.”
“My only heartbreak is for my family,” Carter continued in his statement. “My wife and I will have to sit our children down, one of whom is at the age where her friends will surely see the press and ask questions about the nature of these claims, and explain the cruelty and greed of people.”
https://t.co/3JJ9SoT4eL pic.twitter.com/o8lW4ywWWz
— Roc Nation (@RocNation) December 14, 2024
Following reports that there were inconsistencies in the allegations, Carter issued a statement to NBC News yesterday (December 13). “This incident didn’t happen,” Carter said, “and yet he filed it in court and doubled down in the press. True Justice is coming. We fight FROM victory, not FOR victory. This was over before it began. This 1-800 lawyer doesn’t realize it yet, but, soon.”
For more help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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