Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been hit with an expanded federal indictment, now facing five criminal charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. This new indictment builds upon an earlier three-count indictment, with the additional allegations of sex trafficking and transporting individuals to engage in prostitution. Combs, 55, maintains his innocence, having previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. His trial is still scheduled for May 5 in Manhattan federal court.
The new charges accuse Combs of using his powerful business empire to sexually exploit women between 2004 and 2024. The indictment alleges that women were coerced into participating in recorded sexual performances, referred to as “freak offs,” involving male sex workers who were sometimes transported across state lines for these activities. Combs’ legal team has staunchly denied the accusations, insisting that any sexual activities were consensual and that Combs never forced anyone into acts against their will.
Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs’ defense attorneys, has stressed that the so-called “freak offs” were voluntary, consensual encounters, and that the charges of forced sexual acts are without merit. Despite the defense’s position, Combs faces serious legal challenges, including multiple civil lawsuits from both women and men who accuse him of sexual abuse.
The expanded indictment also brings new charges related to the transportation of women for prostitution. Previously, Combs was charged with a single count of transporting individuals for prostitution involving three alleged victims, but the updated indictment now includes separate charges for transporting two additional women, referred to as Victim-1 and Victim-2. The indictment also includes references to a third woman, Victim-3, who is cited in relation to Combs’ alleged racketeering activities.
Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, is widely recognized for his significant role in the careers of top artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, The Notorious B.I.G., and Usher. However, the indictment paints a darker picture of his rise to fame. Prosecutors have pointed to various incidents, such as one in March 2016, where Combs was captured on video kicking, dragging, and throwing a vase at a woman attempting to leave a Los Angeles hotel. Additionally, footage aired by CNN last year showed Combs striking and dragging his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura. Following the broadcast of the footage, Combs issued an apology, though his legal team argued that the incident was not evidence of sex trafficking, and that Combs and Ventura had a complex, toxic relationship over their 11 years together.
Combs has been incarcerated in Brooklyn since September. He faces ongoing legal battles, including numerous civil lawsuits from individuals who accuse him of sexual misconduct. While his lawyers continue to assert his innocence, the expanded charges and the looming trial present significant legal hurdles for the music mogul.
