November 28, (THEWILL) – Embattled music mogul, Sean Combs, a.k.a Diddy has been denied a $77 million bail request, marking the third time his bid for bail has been rejected since his arrest.
Diddy will remain incarcerated ahead of his May 5, 2025, trial on sex-trafficking charges.
A US District judge ruled against the request, citing concerns over Diddy’s potential for witness tampering and evidence of prohibited communications while in custody.
“Given the nature of the allegations in this case and the information provided by the government, the court doubts the sufficiency of any conditions that place trust in Combs and individuals in his employ, like a private security detail, to follow those conditions
“There is compelling evidence of Combs’s propensity for violence,” the judge wrote.
The 55-year-old has pleaded not guilty to charges of using his business empire, including Bad Boy Entertainment, to sexually abuse women.
Prosecutors alleged he organised freak-offs involving women and male sex workers, some of whom were transported across state lines.
A prosecutor presented a 2016 hotel surveillance video showing Diddy assaulting former girlfriend Casandra Ventura aka Cassie, as evidence of his violent tendencies.
Diddy’s lawyers proposed home confinement at a Manhattan apartment, monitored by private security, with strict conditions barring contact with witnesses or alleged victims.
His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said there’s a zero percent chance of Diddy acting violently.
Still, he acknowledged a past incident of violence against Cassie captured on video but argued it was unrelated to the current charges.
Prosecutors said Diddy violated jail policy by using other inmates’ identification numbers to make unmonitored calls. They argued this conduct underscored the risk of him tampering with witnesses.
Diddy has denied wrongdoing, maintaining the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
Ivory Ukonu is a versatile journalist with many years of experience, with entertainment and society reporting as her area of core competence.
