Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs have asked the judge overseeing his sex trafficking case to order prosecutors to release his accusers’ identities.
ABC News reported that Combs’ defense team sent a letter to a Manhattan federal court judge on Oct. 15. In the letter, they indicated their reasoning for this request was to adequately prepare Combs for trial.
“To the extent Mr. Combs is forced to mount a defense against criminal allegations that the government does not seek to prove at trial, he is entitled to know that,” wrote the lawyers to Judge Arun Subramanian.
The request comes after a slew of additional lawsuits against Combs, with the accusers kept anonymous for protection. Moreover, the male and female plaintiffs are part of a larger cohort. Their lawyer has stated he represents over 100 individuals with allegations against the 54-year-old.
Combs’ attorneys attributed this influx of accusers to his celebrity status. They argue its heightened
effect stems from the “publicity” of his settled lawsuit with his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit sparked an onslaught of allegations against the media mogul.Given the anonymity, the attorneys wrote that Combs did not know which of the allegations would be prominently referenced in the trial. The defense also argued that the magnitude of allegations makes Combs’ case unique. They also deemed many of the cases “outright absurd.”
The lawyers determined his fame “had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants…”
Moreover, his defense noted that the high-profile case’s “hysterical media circus” could stifle Combs’ right to a fair trial.
Combs got caught in a sweeping federal indictment for racketeering and sex trafficking charges, leading to his arrest in September. Following his detainment, the entrepreneur was denied bail, remaining in a Brooklyn, New York jail. His lawyers have also asked a federal appeals court to transfer him to home detention as he prepares for trial.
His trial date remains set for May 5, as Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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