Sean “Didi” Comb pleaded not guilty to the new indictment Friday, adding to the charges that the hip-hop tycoon forced employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who did not assist him in the two-year sex trafficking program.
Combs, 55, made a call for a new indictment to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian at a hearing in the federal court in Manhattan. The trial is scheduled to be held on May 5.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of extortion, sex trafficking and transportation. Although the new indictment did not add new charges, it describes what prosecutors call “forced labor” and Combs demands are related to 20 years of alleged extortion plot.
It said the comb and his colleagues forced them to sleep for a long time to “maintain control” by using or threatening physical force, financial injury, psychological injury and reputational hazards.
Combs defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said his client never forced anyone to engage in sexual acts against his will.
Combs face dozens of civil lawsuits
Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys in Manhattan said the comb used his business empire, including his record label Bad Boy Entertainment, to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024.
Combs’ so-called abuse involves having women attend recorded sex shows with male sex workers, called “freaks” who sometimes travel across states.
Agnifilo said that freaks are voluntary sexual activities.
The comb also faces dozens of civil lawsuits against men and women who accused him of sexual assault and other misconduct. He denied all wrongdoing.
Friday’s hearing is also expected to discuss the jury’s choice, including given Combs’ reputation and extensive coverage of his criminal case, including the potential difficulties in finding a fair jury.
Prosecutors hope the jury will begin on April 21 to help ensure that the trial does not pass the July 4 holiday. Defense attorneys hope the jury will begin on May 5, saying earlier dates are unfair to them.
Since his arrest in September 2024, Combs has been held in Brooklyn prison awaiting trial.
Combs are famous for the power of stars
During his career, Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, founded Bad Boy Records and helped rappers and R&B singers (such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans), the infamous Big and usher became stars in the 1990s and 2000s.
He has been cheating in his career since federal agents raided his Los Angeles and Miami Beach, Florida, a home in early 2024, as part of a sex trafficking investigation that led to his prosecution.
