Attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs have requested all potential witnesses in a federal trial against him be barred from speaking in public about the case after one apparent grand jury witness gave a press conference that included "false and outrageous claims" about Combs' involvement in the sexual assault of celebrities and minors. (Here is a complete list of the allegations against Combs.)
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Combs has denied all of the allegations against him, with his attorneys characterizing some of the lawsuits and their accusations to Forbes as money grabs, "baseless" or "sickening." In a statement in October, Combs' attorneys said they have "full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone -- adult or minor, man or woman."
If he'll be released on bail. Combs has been in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest, and a third attempt by his attorneys to have him await his federal trial from home is currently awaiting review. The initial bail offer included a $50 million bond, house arrest, GPS monitoring and strict limitations on visitors, but a district judge denied the request. His attorneys asked for bail again several weeks later and were again denied by an appeals court judge.
Combs was arrested on federal charges in September and, the next day, an indictment against him was unsealed. The document alleges Combs "abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct," and also accused him of using his business empire to engage in "sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice." Prosecutors allege Combs manipulated women into engaging in "extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers" in what the mogul described as "Freak Offs," and that he and his associates drugged women to keep them "obedient and compliant." Prosecutors accuse Combs and his associates of using bribery, threats and violence to cover up his alleged abuse, and said he would leverage the financial support he provided to coerce women, making them feel they couldn't resist his demands "without risking their financial or job security" or subjecting themselves to abuse. Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo said at the time he was "disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the US Attorney's Office."
Sean Combs was once on the path to becoming a billionaire thanks to his extensive music career, business ventures that included the Sean John fashion and fragrance lines and founding the Revolt TV network and since unrealized plans to become a cannabis mogul. Forbes estimated Combs' personal wealth at $740 million in 2019 (he and his team later claimed he was a billionaire, but offered no supporting evidence). Today, Forbes conservatively estimates he is worth $400 million. Combs founded his own record label, Bad Boy Records, in 1993, which Rolling Stone has called "one of the most influential hip-hop labels of all time." The label has signed major artists like The Notorious B.I.G., Janelle Monáe and Cassie, and has put out several of Combs' own albums, including "Press Play" and "Last Train To Paris." Combs sold a 50% stake in Bad Boy to Warner Music Group in a reported $30 million deal in 2005. Combs has built a fortune through Bad Boy Records, several liquor brands, a fashion label and other ventures. He sold his share in the DeLeón tequila brand for $200 million earlier this year. He was ranked No. 14 on Forbes' list of the highest-paid entertainers in 2022, making an estimated $90 million that year. One of the rapper's raided homes is located in Holmby Hills, an affluent neighborhood where Combs purchased a home for $40 million ten years ago.