Sean Diddy Combs rejected a plea deal proposed by prosecutors on Thursday, May 1, three days before his sex trafficking trial. Judge Arun Subramanian asked the rapper in court if he rejected the offer made by federal prosecutors, and P. Diddy replied that he did.
Under the offer, P. Diddy would be spared a longer prison sentence if he pleaded guilty. Further details were not made public.
Combs' trial is scheduled to begin on Monday and will examine charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, sexual abuse, rape and transporting persons involved in a prostitution ring. Testimony and depositions are scheduled to begin on May 12.
The charges allege that one of the most well-known and influential names in music used blackmail and violence to convince various women to attend "white parties," parties that included the use of various substances and sexual intercourse.
P. Diddy risks being sentenced to life in prison if he is found guilty of the charges against him.
However, Diddy seems calm, judging by the witnesses in the trial. He reportedly entered the courtroom smiling and greeted his complicated case lawyer, Mark Geragos.
The rapper was accused of sex trafficking in 2024 and was subsequently arrested in September of last year. Further accusations followed, alleging that the rapper had sexually abused women and men for many years. The founder of the famous company "Bad Boy Records" has denied the charges and declared his innocence.
According to "The Post", the rapper's lawyers plan to present the argument in court that P. Diddy was not, in fact, a rapist, but practiced a "swinger" lifestyle.
Swingers - refers to couples or individuals who engage in sexual relations with other partners by mutual consent, usually as part of a sexually open lifestyle. Swingers refers to couples who exchange sexual partners.
“There's a lifestyle, call it 'swingers' or whatever you want, that he thought was appropriate because it was common,” said Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs' lawyers, at a preliminary hearing in Manhattan on April 25.
Witnesses, including Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, are expected to testify during the trial, which is expected to last 8-10 weeks. The R&B singer publicly accused Combs of rape and assault in 2023.
Prosecutors explained in court documents that during the trial, witnesses will provide "graphic evidence" regarding "years of beatings, forced and drug-fueled sex marathons, and multiple rapes."
The "I'll Be Missing You" rapper has been in custody in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024, following raids on his luxury residences in Los Angeles and Miami, which famously uncovered AR-15-type weapons and 1,000 bottles of lubricant.
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