Cliff Notes
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pleads not guilty to new criminal charges
- Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to additional charges of sex trafficking and prostitution, raising the total number of criminal charges against him to five.
- Combs’ lawyers may seek a two-week adjournment for his trial set to begin on 5 May, citing a lack of access to critical evidence, while prosecutors oppose any delays.
- The allegations against Combs include claims of using his business to sexually abuse women from 2004 to 2024, which he strongly denies, asserting that all relationships were consensual.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pleads not guilty to new criminal charges
Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to additional charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, which were added to the indictment against him earlier in April.
The new allegations take the total number of criminal charges against the rap mogul to five – following the three original counts, which also included racketeering conspiracy, filed in September.
Combs, 55, has already pleaded not guilty to the original charges and strenuously denied all allegations against him.
He appeared in court on Monday to enter his additional plea before US District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan, New York.
Combs, with grey hair and a goatee, and wearing tan prison clothing over a white thermal shirt, was more subdued than in previous hearings.
Today’s hearing also saw Combs’ lawyers suggest they may request a two-week adjournment for his trial, scheduled for May, if they do not receive certain critical evidence from prosecutors.
Combs’ lawyer, Teny Geragos, said the defence had not been sent some 200,000 emails between the rapper and one of the alleged victims.
Assistant US attorney Christie Slavik said prosecutors oppose any delay and accused Combs’ lawyers of using “gamesmanship” to delay the trial.
Judge Subramanian admonished the defence, saying: “We are on a freight train speeding towards trial, if you want an adjournment, you need to make that application within the next forty-eight hours.”
Both sides will be back in court for another hearing on Friday.
Addressing the additional charges in a statement, lawyers for Combs previously said: “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals… who were involved in consensual relationships.”
Prosecutors claim the rapper and producer used his business empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024.
He has been accused of organising “freak offs” – allegedly inducing women and male sex workers into drug-fuelled sexual performances.
Combs has denied allegations of wrongdoing, saying all relationships and sexual encounters were consensual.
His trial is due to start on 5 May, with jury selection expected to take about a week before the opening statements, which are scheduled to begin on 12 May.
Combs has been jailed in Brooklyn since the charges were announced in September, having been denied bail.
He also faces dozens of civil lawsuits by women and men who have accused him of sexual abuse.