Sean "Diddy" Combs will continue to languish behind bars until his sex trafficking trial in May 2025, as the defense's third bid to secure the release of the 54-year-old music mogul was rejected on Wednesday. The federal case against the Bad Boy Records founder has seen a whirlwind of events unfold over the past two weeks.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian concurred with the government's assertion, acknowledging the presentation of "clear and convincing evidence" that no set of conditions could reasonably assure the safety of the community if Combs were to be freed. The judge took into account the "nature and circumstances of the offense charged," the "weight of the evidence" stacked against the music mogul, Combs's "history and characteristics," and the "seriousness of the danger posed by his potential release."
Combs has already been denied bail twice before, prompting his lawyers to propose an elaborate $50 million bail package in a desperate bid to secure his freedom. This latest offer included home confinement with GPS monitoring in a New York City apartment, a strictly approved guest list that reportedly prohibited any female visitors aside from family members, and round-the-clock surveillance by private security. However, the government vehemently opposed this, accusing Combs of witness tampering even from within the confines of his cell and asserting that he posed a danger to others.
In his written ruling, Subramanian cited the federal indictment against Combs, detailing decades of alleged misconduct where Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others to satisfy his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his actions." To accomplish this, Combs reportedly leveraged the employees, resources, and influence of his vast business empire, fostering a criminal enterprise involved in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him.
Subramanian also referenced compelling evidence of Combs's propensity for violence, citing a 2016 video footage that appeared to show the rapper assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Combs publicly apologized after the hotel surveillance footage of the incident was leaked earlier this year.
The judge has yet to deliver a verdict on Combs's jailhouse notes, which were the focal point of a contentious hearing last week. Prosecutors gained access to these notes following a raid on the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, N.Y., on October 28. The government claimed that the notes indicated the entrepreneur's attempts to bribe witnesses from within prison. Combs's defense team, however, argued that the notes in question contained "attorney-client privileged material" integral to their legal strategy.
At the November 19 hearing, Subramanian stated that he would review whether the notes contained privileged information, a process that could take weeks. However, he clarified that he would not consider these notes when ruling on the bail issue. Nevertheless, he posed some questions to the defense at the November 22 hearing regarding whether the defense retroactively labeled some of the notes as "legal." The defense team indicated that they were investigating when the "legal" annotation was made on some of the notes, according to Inner City Press.
Combs's continued incarceration comes as no surprise. Legal experts previously told Yahoo Entertainment that it was likely the judge would uphold the previous rulings, given that the circumstances had not drastically changed.
On September 16, Combs was apprehended by federal agents at a Manhattan hotel and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. He also faces a slew of civil sexual assault lawsuits but has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
