Sean “Diddy” Combs has been indicted for the second time in as many months, this time on charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The 55-year-old music mogul’s trial is set to begin on May 12.
Combs’ legal team claims that the allegations against him are based on consensual relationships with his former long-term girlfriends, who were defined by consent, not coercion. However, prosecutors argue that Combs and his inner circle coerced women into marathon sexual encounters featuring male and female prostitutes, drug use, threats of violence, and imprisonment.
The latest indictment includes four additional charges against Combs, which are centered on an unnamed Victim-2. The U.S. Attorney’s office claims that Combs recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, and maintained Victim-2, and attempted to cause them to engage in commercial sex acts knowing they were being forced.
Combs’ defense team is expected to push back against the prosecution’s request for measures to protect the identities and dignity of three of the four victims set to testify. The government had requested that these witnesses be referred to using pseudonyms, have personally identifying details excluded from questioning, and exhibits containing their names redacted.
The case has already received extensive media coverage, and prosecutors aim to prevent public disclosure of the victims’ identities, which could lead to harassment and other adverse consequences. Combs has previously denied all charges, but faces a potentially lengthy prison sentence if found guilty by a jury.
Source: https://deadline.com/2025/04/diddy-new-indictment-reaction-1236360035