Diddy Denied Gag Order Request Ahead of Sexual Assault Trial
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request for a gag order leading up to his trial has been denied.
Judge Arun Subramanian reportedly rejected the rapper’s gag order request, which would prevent government officials from leaking information about his case as he remains in jail, on Friday, October 25, according to multiple outlets.
However, Subramanian reportedly issued a similar gag order, ruling that federal agents, investigators and Diddy’s team must follow laws preventing them from sharing grand jury proceedings details that could affect a fair trial.
“To be clear, this order isn’t based on a finding that there has been any wrongdoing thus far, as the Court has made no findings at this juncture relating to defendant’s allegations that information related to the case has been leaked,” Subramanian wrote on Friday, per multiple outlets. “The point of this order is to help ensure that nothing happens from now on that would interfere with a fair trial. … The Court will take appropriate action for any violation of the rules.”
Diddy, 54, was arrested in Manhattan on September 16 after being indicted by a grand jury.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community.”
Agnifilo added: “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
The unsealed indictment claimed that Diddy abused, threatened and coerced women for years “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.”
Diddy allegedly “relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice,” according to the indictment.
One day after his arrest, Diddy pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was repeatedly denied bail, with a judge ordering him to remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn until his trial.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images While Sean “Diddy” Combs has fervently denied ex-girlfriend Cassie’s rape and assault allegations, multiple women have come forward with similar claims of alleged misconduct by the music mogul. Us Weekly confirmed in November 2023 that Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of rape and repeated physical […]
During an October 10 hearing, a judge set Diddy’s trial start date as May 5, 2025. Prosecutors believed their case would take three weeks to argue, while Diddy’s attorneys said they would need approximately one week to make their case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said during the hearing that 96 electronic devices were seized in March when authorities raided Diddy’s Miami and Los Angeles homes and a private airport in Florida. Johnson stated that another four devices were seized when Diddy was arrested in September. According to Johnson, eight devices that were seized in Miami contained over 90 terabytes of information, which she described as “extraordinary.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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