Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs ask judge to release identities of his accusers
NEW YORK– Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs a New York judge asked Tuesday to force prosecutors to release the names of his accusers in his case file case of sex trafficking.
The lawyers wrote in a letter to a federal court judge in Manhattan that the hip-hop music maker needs to know the identities of his alleged victims so he can adequately prepare for trial.
Last week, a trial date of May 5 was set for Combs. He has pleaded not guilty.
A spokesperson for the prosecutors declined comment.
Combs, 54, is still being held without bail after his September 16 federal sex trafficking arrest. His lawyers have asked a federal appeals court to release him to home confinement so he can more easily meet with lawyers and prepare for trial.
So far, judges have concluded that he is a danger to the community and cannot be released.
The request to identify the accusers comes a day after six new lawsuits were filed anonymously against Combs to protect the identities of the alleged victims. Two of the plaintiffs were identified as Jane Does, while four men were listed in the lawsuits as John Does. The lawsuits allege that he used his fame and promises to boost their own prospects in the music industry to convince victims to attend lavish parties or drug-fueled hangouts, where he then attacked them.
The plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuits are part of what their lawyers say is a class more than a hundred accusers who are taking legal action against Combs.
In their letter Tuesday to Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs’ attorneys said the case against their client is unique in part because of the number of plaintiffs. They attributed the amount to “his celebrity status, wealth and the publicity of his previously settled lawsuit.”
That reference appeared to refer to a November lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura. Combs settled the lawsuit the next day, but the allegations of sexual and physical abuse have haunted him ever since.
The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Ventura did.
Combs’ attorneys said the settlement of Cassie’s lawsuit, along with “false incendiary statements” from federal agents and Combs’ notoriety, “have had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a flood of allegations from unidentified complainants, ranging from false to downright absurd. ”
They said the lawsuits filed Monday, along with other lawsuits, and that their “swirling accusations have created a hysterical media circus that, if left unchecked, will irreparably deprive Mr. Combs of due process, if at all have not done.’
The attorneys wrote that the government must identify alleged victims because Combs has no way of knowing what allegations prosecutors are relying on in their accusations in an indictment.
“To the extent that Mr. Combs is forced to defend himself against criminal allegations that the government does not attempt to prove at trial, he has a right to know,” the attorneys said.
The indictment claims that Combs coerced and abused women for years, with the help of a network of associates and collaborators, while using blackmail and violent acts, including kidnapping, arson and physical abuse, to prevent victims from speaking out.