Hip-Hop Mogul Faces Serious Allegations

Sean “Diddy” Combs, the 55-year-old music mogul, has pleaded not guilty to an expanded federal indictment that includes five criminal charges racketeering and sex trafficking among them. The plea was entered on Monday before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan.

This new indictment builds on an earlier three count case to which Combs had already pleaded not guilty.

His legal team insists that these are not fresh claims but are being brought forward by former girlfriends with whom he had “consensual relationships.”

Trial Set to Begin in May

Jury selection is expected to begin on May 5, with opening statements scheduled for May 12. However, Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, suggested a possible two-week delay to review requested emails from an alleged victim. The judge instructed that any delay must be officially requested within two days, stating, “We are a freight train moving towards trial.”

Allegations Span Two Decades

According to federal prosecutors, Combs allegedly used his music and business empire to exploit women from 2004 to 2024. The charges include organizing and recording so-called “freak offs,” where women were allegedly coerced into sex acts with male sex workers, some of whom were transported across state lines.

Combs is currently being held in a Brooklyn jail and also faces numerous civil lawsuits from both men and women alleging sexual abuse.

Defense Denies All Claims

Combs’ defense maintains that all encounters were consensual and that the accusations are part of a narrative meant to harm his legacy. “He never forced anyone,” said Agnifilo.

From Music Icon to Legal Battle

Once celebrated as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, Combs helped launch the careers of artists like Mary J. Blige, Notorious B.I.G., and Usher through Bad Boy Records. Yet prosecutors allege a darker history, including a 2016 incident caught on surveillance showing violence against a woman in a Los Angeles hotel.