Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial is set to begin in two weeks, and prosecutors have revealed he once had a chance to take another way out. In court on April 25, prosecutors confirmed the Bad Boy founder was offered a plea deal, but he rejected it and chose to move forward to trial to fight for his freedom.
According to Rolling Stone, prosecutors asked Judge Arun Subramanian if he “could ‘allocute’ Combs on the plea agreement, essentially meaning, ask him in court and on the record if he understands the plea he was offered and rejected. Subramanian said he would address the plea at a hearing next Thursday, May 1.”
Although the specific conditions of the plea deal remain unknown, there was never any confirmation about the long-rumored deal until now. Friday’s hearing also resulted in Judge Subramanian ruling that the 2016 video of Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel could be shown to the jury.
Sean “Diddy” Combs attends TimesTalks Presents: An Evening with Sean “Diddy” Combs at The New School on September 20, 2017 in New York City.
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It was also confirmed this week that the prosecution plans to use the audio from a 2011 phone call to 911 detailing how the 55-year-old artist allegedly broke into one of his victims’ homes in Los Angeles.
Previously, Combs’ legal team attempted to delay the trial by two months, but that motion was swiftly denied. His attorneys were requesting more time to prepare as more charges stacked up, but according to CBS, the decision was made “immediately” in court on April 18. Judge Subramanian said to the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper’s lawyers that the motion was filed “last minute” and they did “have sufficient time to prepare.” Subramanian also said he “did not understand” why Combs wasn’t prepared when he has “four different law firms working on his case.”
The trial will begin on May 5 as originally scheduled.
On Sept. 16, 2024, the Love Album creator was arrested in NYC and charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. Disturbing details from the court documents accused Diddy of using his companies to fund and facilitate “Freak Offs,” where he’d allegedly drug his victims and put them in sexually abusive situations. He is currently being held at the MDC Brooklyn and has been denied bail several times.
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