Disgraced rapper P Diddy, real name Sean Combs, had a two-word response before pleading “not guilty” to allegations against him described in a superseding indictment
P Diddy has pleaded not guilty to new allegations brought against him.
The hip-hop mogul, 55, is currently jailed at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre and awaiting trial after his arrest on September 16 2024. He has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution – all of which he denies.
The rapper, whose real name is Sean Combs, was rushed to hospital last month, reportedly due to an issue with his knee. His lawyer, Anthony Ricco, has also just stepped down, saying he can no longer “continue to effectively serve as counsel” for Combs.
Combs pleaded not guilty on Friday (March 14) to a new indictment. This accuses him of forcing employees to work long hours – with barely any sleep – and threatening to punish those who did not assist him in his two-decade sex trafficking scheme.
The disgraced musician was sporting greying hair, a grey beard, and a baggy jail outfit during his appearance in the courtroom. He was there at the Manhattan federal court to enter his plea to the new indictment before US district judge Arun Subramanian.
Asked by Subramanian if he wanted to read the superseding indictment, Combs simply said: “I’m fine,” before pleading not guilty to the accusations against him. The judge said prospective jurors would begin filling out questionnaires on 28 April and that in-person questioning of jurors would start on May 5, and that the trial – and opening statements – is set to begin on May 12.
The new indictment added no new charges, but it described what prosecutors called the “forced labor” that Combs allegedly demanded in connection with the alleged racketeering conspiracy. Combs’ defence lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said his client never forced anyone to engage in sexual acts against their will.
In a legal filing submitted on Thursday evening (March 13), Combs’ lawyers proposed that jury selection start on May 5 and 6 with two written questionnaire days. It read: “We propose that the Jury Clerk summon 300 jurors on May 5, 2025 to complete written questionnaires administered and supervised by the Jury Clerk on site at the courthouse.
“We propose that the Jury Clerk summon an additional 300 jurors on May 6th, 2025, to similarly complete the written questionnaires. The parties would then collect and review the completed questionnaires, and lodge for-cause challenges between May 6 and May 8, 2025, with agreed-on challenges reported to the Court on May 9, 2025.”
The rappers was said to be “astonishingly thinner” when he appeared at a hearing for his federal case in December. It was speculated that this could be because his time being behind bars is “starting to wear on him”.
Law & Crime reporter Elizabeth Milner said: “He appeared just astonishingly thinner, which you can expect [from him being] inside a federal detention centre for a couple of months now. A lot different from the luxury lifestyle that he was living before, but he appeared very noticeably thinner and maybe being locked up in detention is starting to wear on him”.
The rapper is at the centre of more than 20 civil lawsuits filed for sexual assault, harassment as well as sex trafficking. Combs has been denied bail three times and will remain in jail until his criminal trial, which is set to start on May 5.
It is believed that he could face life in prison if he is found guilty of the charges brought against him. US lawyer Tony Buzbee also said over 100 people are set to sue the musician for sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation.
Diddy’s legal team have previously denied the rapper ever sexually abused anyone, including minors. Diddy’s lawyer said: “As Mr. Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.
“That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
