SEAN “Diddy” Combs has tried again for an early jail release as the rapper seeks a $50m bail to prepare for his trial.
It comes after a judge rejected a gag order on the disgraced music mogul’s alleged victims and their lawyers.
ReutersCombs court sketch as he sits during a bail hearing in a Manhattan court[/caption]
GettySean ‘Diddy’ Combs has applied for bail again[/caption]
GettyCombs and Chris Brown perform on stage together[/caption]
Combs is awaiting a May 5 trial for racketeering and sex trafficking charges while in a Brooklyn prison.
He has pleaded not guilty to them and denies all the criminal and civil allegations that have been made against him.
Combs’ lawyers have now pitched the court a “far more robust” bail package than what they first presented in another bail hearing earlier this year.
His previous requests for bail have all been rejected, with judges saying there was a risk he may tamper with witnesses.
The new package would subject the entertainer to strict 24-hour security monitoring and near-total restrictions on his ability to contact anyone but his lawyers.
They say it will cost $50m (£38.7m) – the same as previous bail requests.
The lawyers argued that the jail conditions Combs is experiencing at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn violate his constitutional rights to participate in his defense.
They also cite new evidence that they say makes clear that the government’s case is thin.
That evidence, the lawyers said, refutes the government’s claim that a March 2016 video showing Combs physically assaulting his then-girlfriend occurred during a coerced freak off, a sexually driven event described in the indictment against Combs.
The judge is yet to rule on whether he will grant bail to Combs, but the rapper has had bail declined twice by the court.
It comes after his attorneys claimed last month that “inflammatory extrajudicial statements” from victims and their attorneys were hurting his chances of a fair trial.
But Judge Arun Subramanian ruled Friday such “an extreme remedy” would threaten free speech, reports Billboard.
It comes as male escorts who claim to have been involved in the Freak Offs has reportedly been providing details to the FBI about the sex parties.
An insider told The New York Post: “They’re all too happy to talk.
APCombs is currently imprisoned[/caption]
The Mega AgencyCombs became renowned for hosting famous people at his White Parties[/caption]
“I’m surprised how many of them can recall intricate details about what happened.”
The source claimed the men were allegedly “encouraged” to take medication including Viagra and Cialis before the parties.
A witness has also alleged he has seen bombshell sex tapes showing Combs with eight celebrities – including three minors.
Courtney Burgess, who testified before a federal grand jury in New York on Thursday last week, claimed he received 11 flash drives containing at least eight sex tapes.
He told NewsNation’s Banfield that Combs’ ex-girlfriend Kim Porter, who also happened to be Burgess’ former associate, shared the drives with him.
The court witness also claimed that “two to three” of those eight celebrities were underaged child stars.
A slew of lawsuits are now stacked against the record producer accusing him of dozens of sexual assaults over the past 20 years.
Many of these alleged incidents are said to have occurred at meetings and Diddy’s infamous parties.
The onslaught of claims was sparked after a video went viral in May of Combs beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel in 2016.
However, Combs’ lawyers have called the wave of allegations “meritless” and part of a “reckless media circus.”
WHAT ARE DIDDY’S FREAK OFFS?
According to prosecutors, Combs threw wild parties he called “freak offs” where he would fly in sex workers for days of raucous sessions.
However once at the party, workers would be coerced through money and intimidated into performing sick nonconsensual acts, the indictment claims.
Combs organized and directed these parties in part, prosecutors allege, so he could record sex acts while he masturbated.
After days of non-stop drug use and drinking, participants were often mailed IV bags to help recover from the revelry, the indictment claims.
The indictment references key pieces of evidence federal agents found during their raids of the rapper’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida.
According to the indictment, the rapper had 1,000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil in his two homes alongside a stash of narcotics that were used during the sex parties.
Agents also found three AR-15s with their serial numbers defaced and a drum magazine, the indictment says.
But Combs’ attorney has spoken out to claim the cops are targeting the sick rapper due to his race.
Diddy’s downfall
By The U.S. Sun’s Senior Reporter Forrest McFarland, who has been reporting on Diddy’s legal battles for years
BEFORE Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest, it had been highly speculated that the rap star would find himself in custody after he was repeatedly hit with disturbing accusations – and had two of his mansions raided by the feds.
His mounting legal troubles finally came to a head on September 17, when he was charged with three federal counts, including sex trafficking, for allegedly forcing victims to take part in drug-fueled sex parties he called “Freak Offs.”
Hours before his arrest, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed the feds investigating Combs were secretly liaising with Tupac Shakur murder prosecutors on gangland activities.
The development also came after Combs was named 77 times in documents submitted by prosecutors in the Tupac murder case.
Aside from the Tupac probe, Combs was already facing a slew of lawsuits, including one he settled with his ex, Cassie Ventura, after she accused him of rape and abuse.
Disturbing hotel surveillance video from 2016 showed Combs chasing Cassie down and then punching, kicking, and beating her in a hallway.
Two months earlier, in March 2024, two of Combs’ mansions were raided by federal investigators, who seized three AR-15s, drugs, and 1,000 bottles of lube which were part of his “Freak Off” supplies.
In addition to his federal criminal charges, Combs also faces a handful of lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking dating back to the early 1990s.
Music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones filed one suit in February 2024, claiming Combs forced him to hire sex workers and participate in sex acts while he worked on his latest album.
Combs has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal sex trafficking charges against him, but his battle is far from over.
He faces life in prison if he’s convicted on all counts.
AP:Associated PressCombs’ trial date is May 5[/caption]
GettyCombs’ home was raided by cops[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
