Diddy, formerly known as Sean Combs, expresses his intent to take the stand during his trial, according to his legal representative, who voiced uncertainty about preventing his participation.
"I'm unsure if I can keep him out of the courtroom. He's quite eager to share his side of things," stated the attorney for the embattled rap tycoon, Marc Agnifilo, in an interview for a new TMZ documentary.
When contacted by CNN, a representative for Combs declined to elaborate on Agnifilo's remarks or confirm if Combs will take the stand.
A source familiar with the current case informs CNN that the discovery phase hasn't commenced yet, making it premature to confirm any potential witnesses or individuals who might appear on the stand during the upcoming trial.
Authorities unsealed a three-count indictment against Combs on September 17, accusing him of masterminding a "criminal enterprise" through his business empire, involving acts like sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, and decades of physical abuse against women, among other allegations.
A hotel surveillance video, first published by CNN in May, showing Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, is mentioned in the indictment against him. Prosecutors argue that the footage demonstrates Combs' long-standing history of physical abuse.
Regarding the video of Combs, Agnifilo told TMZ that if Combs testifies, he would explain his actions in the video.
"I think he'll cover everything, including what's on the video, so I expect it'll be explained by both of us," Agnifilo said in the interview. "He has his tale, and he has a story that only he can tell in his unique way."
Prosecutors claim Combs "bribed" a hotel staff member "to ensure silence" in 2016. (Ventura's resolved November 2023 lawsuit claimed he paid the hotel $50,000 to obtain the hallway security footage of the assault.) Allegations of bribery, covering up alleged misdeeds, and filming alleged sexual assaults have been made by the government and several accusers in 11 civil suits, which Combs has denied.
In charging Combs, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York alleged that Combs hosted what he referred to as "Freak Offs," elaborate sex shows where he drugged and coerced victims into prolonged sexual acts with male sex workers. Approximately one thousand bottles of baby oil and personal lubricant were seized during the investigation.
"I can't imagine it's thousands. And I'm not really sure what the baby oil has to do with anything," Agnifilo said during his TMZ interview. "One bottle of baby oil goes a long way. I don't know what you need a thousand for. I mean, he has a large house. He buys in bulk. Don't you know they have Costcos in every place where he has a home? Have you parked outside a Costco and seen what people carry out?"
In an interview with CNN following Combs' indictment last week, Agnifilo downplayed the number of victims he believes are involved in the criminal charges, after prosecutors stated that over 50 witnesses or victims have spoken with federal investigators.
"It's one victim," he told anchor Kaitlan Collins. "That's all that's in the indictment."
Combs is currently waiting for trial at New York City's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility that has housed musicians like R. Kelly, "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, and socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. Combs is being held in the same housing unit at the MDC as former cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried and ex-President of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez, a source informed CNN, explaining that their shared facility is reserved for high-profile inmates and isolated from the general public.
The attorney mentioned in the TMZ documentary that Marc Agnifilo might explain his actions in the controversial video during the trial, implying that entertainment could be expected in the courtroom.
Despite the numerous allegations against Combs, including filming alleged sexual assaults, the number of victims involved in the criminal charges, as stated by Agnifilo, is only one.
