Sean “Diddy” Combs will stay in jail until his trial on sex-trafficking charges scheduled for May 5, 2025, after a U. S. judge turned down his request on Wednesday for $50-million bail from the Brooklyn jail where the music mogul has been held for 10 weeks.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian stated his decision in a written order, following arguments presented during a two-hour hearing on Nov. 22 in Manhattan federal court.
Combs had earlier been denied bail three times since his arrest, with several judges pointing to the possibility that he might interfere with witnesses.
The rapper and producer pleaded not guilty on September 17 to allegations that he leveraged his business empire, including his record label Bad Boy Entertainment, to sexually exploit women.
Prosecutors claimed the abuse involved women participating in recorded sexual acts known as “freak offs” with male sex workers who were sometimes transported across state lines.
Combs, 55, has denied any wrongdoing, and his attorneys asserted that the sexual activities described by prosecutors were consensual.
His defense attorneys contended that he should be confined to an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he would be monitored 24/7 by private security personnel at his expense, and would be prohibited from contacting alleged victims or witnesses.
However, prosecutors argued it was improbable that Combs would adhere to those conditions.
While incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Combs allegedly used other inmates’ identification numbers to make phone calls, which violated jail policies meant to regulate communications, claim prosecutors. Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro argued that such sharing among inmates was common practice.
Additionally, prosecutors indicated that a 2016 hotel surveillance video showing Combs assaulting former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie, demonstrated a potential risk for violent behavior if released.
“This video is proof that the defendant is a violent abuser and poses a danger to the community,” prosecutor Christine Slavik stated during the hearing. “The defendant has subjected his romantic partners to physical, sexual and emotional abuse for years. ”