Sean “Diddy” Combs has said no to a deal offered by federal prosecutors, which could lead to a big trial happening in New York next week. During the pretrial meeting, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian asked Diddy if he was sure about refusing the offer. Diddy answered, “Yes, your honor.”
What was this deal about? The court has kept the details secret, but the prosecutors hinted that accepting it would have meant a lighter punishment than if he went to trial. Diddy faces serious charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and taking people across state lines for prostitution. Right now, he has pleaded not guilty.
Diddy is accused of running a group that hid and supported sexual abuse. Several civil lawsuits against him claim he has done wrong. One of the most talked-about cases was filed in 2023 by Cassie Ventura, who said she faced years of abuse and pressure from Diddy.
When Diddy arrived in court, he wore olive-colored clothes over a white thermal shirt. He had a black binder and greeted his legal team and supporters. Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said they all decided together to reject the deal. Another lawyer, Teny Geragos, added that the offer was troubling and might break court rules.
Now, the courtroom is getting ready for jury selection to start on Monday. Judge Subramanian plans to question jurors carefully, especially about sensitive topics like past abuse. About 600 people have been called to possibly serve, and the goal is to narrow it down to 45 for closer interviews.
Diddy’s lawyers have asked that the lawyers for the accusers, like Douglas Wigdor and Lisa Bloom, stop making public comments until after the trial. Geragos pointed out Bloom’s recent BBC interview where she talked about her client Dawn Richard’s fear of Diddy. Bloom responded by calling it hypocritical for Diddy and his lawyers to want to silence her after making their own statements.
Wigdor also promised to strongly fight against any efforts to silence victims and their lawyers, saying this goes against legal and ethical standards.
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