Sean “Diddy” Combs will stay in jail until his May 5, 2025, trial on sex-trafficking charges because a U.S. judge rejected his $50-million bail request on Wednesday. The Brooklyn jail has held the music mogul for 10 weeks.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian issued the decision in a written order after a two-hour hearing on Nov. 22 in Manhattan federal court.
Combs has faced bail denial three times since his arrest, with multiple judges emphasizing the risk of witness tampering. On Sept. 17, the rapper and producer pleaded not guilty to allegations that he used his business empire, including Bad Boy Entertainment, to sexually exploit women.
Prosecutors described instances where Combs coerced women into participating in recorded sexual acts called “freak offs” with male sex workers, some of whom were transported across state lines. Combs, 55, denied these allegations, with his lawyers asserting that all described sexual activities were consensual.
His defense team proposed house arrest in an Upper East Side apartment, offering 24-hour private security funded by Combs and assurances of no contact with alleged victims or witnesses. Prosecutors, however, doubted his compliance with such conditions.
Prosecutors also revealed that Combs violated jail policies at the Metropolitan Detention Center by using other inmates’ identification numbers to make unauthorized phone calls. Defense lawyer Alexandra Shapiro argued that inmates routinely share IDs for calls.
Additionally, prosecutors presented a 2016 hotel surveillance video of Combs assaulting his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, also known as Cassie. They argued this footage demonstrated the risk of violence if he secured release.
“This video shows the defendant’s violent behavior and proves he poses a threat to the community,” prosecutor Christine Slavik stated during the hearing. “He has engaged in physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of his romantic partners for years.”
Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered, insisting that Combs posed no risk of violent behavior.
“There is a zero percent chance of him acting violently,” Agnifilo asserted during the hearing.
In May, Combs issued an apology after CNN aired the footage showing him kicking, shoving, and dragging Cassie in a hotel hallway. Agnifilo acknowledged the incident but argued the video does not serve as evidence of sex trafficking.
“This was a toxic but loving 11-year relationship,” Agnifilo told the court, defending Combs against the charges.
