Diddy, also known as Sean Combs, plans to challenge his bail rejection on Wednesday in relation to his trial for racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking allegations.
Until his court appearance before Judge Andrew Carter at 3:30 p.m. ET, Combs will be held solo in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, as per a law enforcement insider. Carter is anticipated to oversee Combs' case until its conclusion.
On a Monday night, Combs, subject to numerous sexual misconduct lawsuits and a federal human trafficking probe in the past year, was apprehended at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan by Homeland Security Investigations, as a source familiar with surrender negotiations disclosed to CNN.
In a New York court on Tuesday, Judge Robyn Tarnofsky ordered that Combs remain in custody while he faces charges. If convicted, the penalty could be a life sentence.
According to the federal indictment, Combs, 54, established and managed a "criminal enterprise" through his business empire, committing crimes such as sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
The indictment alleges that Combs "exploited, intimidated, and coerced women and others close to him to satisfy his sexual urges, protect his reputation, and conceal his actions" for over a decade.
Specifically, the indictment accuses Combs of collaborating with accomplices and employees, hosting drug-fueled "bash sessions" with victims and sex workers, and documenting instances of physical and sexual abuse.
In court, prosecutors argued against releasing Combs, citing his past contact with witnesses and victims. Conversely, Combs' legal team proposed home detention with a $50 million bond secured by his Miami property, as per a bail petition.
Judge Tarnofsky informed Combs that no conditions existed to guarantee his court appearances if released. Her concern is that the criminal acts often occur in private, even with pretrial supervision.
If the bail appeal is rejected, Combs will be returned to the detention center. Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo disclosed to CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Tuesday night that Combs is unlikely to accept a plea deal.
“I believe he’s innocent of the allegations, and he plans to fight in court, where I believe he’ll prevail,” Agnifilo stated.
Prosecutors call Combs a 'serial abuser and obstructor'
In court on Tuesday, Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson advocated for Combs' detention due to his reputation as a "serial abuser and obstructor," also supported by pretrial services' recommendations for detention.
Contrarily, Agnifilo argued that the case centered on "one victim." Federal prosecutors strongly opposed this view in rebuttal, emphasizing, "This is not a case about one victim. There are multiple victims."
Since November, Combs has faced a total of 10 lawsuits - nine directly accusing him of sexual assault.
“Members and associates of the Combs Enterprise engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other activities, sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” the indictment states.
During Combs' detention hearing, federal prosecutors claimed at least a dozen people had personally witnessed his violence against women or their injuries. Prosecutors also shared that some victims and witnesses were intimidated by Combs.
Agnifilo reported to CNN on Tuesday night that he had traveled across the country to interview numerous alleged witnesses and maintained that the "freak offs" - described in the indictment as "elaborate and produced" sex performances in which victims were coerced into extended acts with male sex workers - were consensual.
“Nobody was too drunk. Nobody was too high,” he claimed.
Sex trafficking charge based on 2016 video
The indictment accuses Combs of years of abuse, some of which was either verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual. The indictment notes that Combs "engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse towards women and other individuals."
Johnson informed the judge on Tuesday that the investigation uncovered evidence of Combs allegedly choking, hitting, kicking, and dragging victims.
The physical abuse was "recurrent and widely known" and occurred on "multiple occasions" between 2009 and continued for years, the indictment indicates.
The sex trafficking charge is based on accusations against a single, unnamed "Victim-I" from about 2009 to about 2018, the indictment states.
The indictment highlights a March 2016 incident, "which was recorded on video and later made public," displaying Combs attacking a woman by kicking, dragging, and smashing a vase. When staff intervened, Combs tried bribing them for their silence, the indictment added.
The details align with CNN's May reporting on the video showing Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel, who was not named in the indictment.
In November 2023, Ventura sued Combs and accused him of rape and years of abuse. Combs' lawyer claimed he "vehemently denies these outrageous allegations." They reached a settlement on the lawsuit the day it was filed.
Attorney Douglas Wigdor, representing Ventura, declined to comment on Tuesday's indictment.
The explosive surveillance footage went against Combs' previous assertions of innocence, prompting him to publish an Instagram apology video a few days later, which has since been removed. In the video, he acknowledged his actions in the video as utterly indefensible.
"My conduct in that video is inexcusable. I fully accept accountability for my actions during that incident," he declared.
His legal representative argued that the 2016 incident shouldn't be construed as evidence of sex trafficking, as the prosecution suggested, but rather as evidence of Combs' involvement in a romantic relationship with multiple partners and being caught.
"This was a situation of personal humiliation. The involved parties were in a 10-year relationship that was challenging at times, toxic at times, but reciprocally so," Agnifilo explained during a CNN interview on Tuesday night.
Diddy's attorney assures the court that he won't abscond and has gained its confidence
Agnifilo requested the court on Tuesday to maintain Combs on bail until the trial, asserting that he had no intentions of deserting and had "deserved" the court's confidence.
He elaborated that he had seized Combs, along with his family members' passports and reported all his domestic travel since the investigation commenced as a demonstration to prosecutors that they were taking this matter seriously. Moreover, Combs has been attending therapy and treatment, Agnifilo argued, making him a suitable candidate for release.
Agnifilo disclosed that he was aware of Combs' scheduled court appearance on March 25, following the attempted searches of his LA and Miami residences by the Homeland Security Investigations agency.
The raids resulted in the confiscation of guns, ammunition, drugs, and an extraordinary stockpile of baby oil and lubricant, according to the indictment. The indictment alleged that Combs wielded firearms to intimidate and threaten others.
By September, Agnifilo revealed, he perceived an indictment within a few weeks or months, which prompted him to urge Combs to travel to New York. Agnifilo stated that he approached federal prosecutors and disclosed that his client was willing to surrender.
When confronted with how Combs' defense team would guarantee the court that he would not absent himself or interfere with witnesses, as the prosecution contended on Tuesday, Agnifilo emphasized: "The most crucial factor, even beyond the passport, is that Mr. Combs arrived in New York on September 5."
Agnifilo vowed to reiterate these points on Wednesday and "persistently advocate until we secure his release."
CNN's Emma Tucker, Eric Levenson, John Miller, Laura Dolan, Elise Hammond, and Kara Scannell collaborated on this report.
After expressing their concerns about Combs' potential contact with witnesses and victims, his legal team proposed home detention with a substantial bond secured by his Miami property. However, Judge Tarnofsky stated that no conditions could guarantee his court appearances if released. (first sentence)
Under the supervision of Judge Robyn Tarnofsky, Combs is currently facing multiple charges, including sex trafficking, forced labor, and assault. If convicted, he could face a lifetime sentence. (second sentence)
