Diddy asks court to release identities of sex-trafficking accusers
Combs has been arrested and charged with sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy in New York City.
Attorneys for embattled Hollywood music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs on Wednesday asked the court to provide the identities of the women who have accused Combs of sex-trafficking, claiming he needs the information to prepare for trial.
Combs was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy last month, in New York City. The charges come after a months-long investigation, which included raids on his homes in Miami and Los Angeles. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The rapper is currently being held without bail and is expected to go to trial on May 5, 2025.
Defense attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos urged the court to force prosecutors to disclose the women's identities, after the prosecution reportedly rejected such requests on their own, according to ABC News.
"This case is unique, in part because of the number of individuals levying allegations against Mr. Combs due to his celebrity status, wealth, and the publicity of his previously settled lawsuit and the grand jury leaks and false inflammatory statements by the DHS agents," the attorneys wrote. "This has had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants, spanning from the false to outright absurd."
The attorneys claimed that none of the women were identifiable except for the first accuser, whom they believe is Combs' ex-girlfriend and singer Casandra Ventura.
Prosecutors have alleged that Combs hit and abused women for over a decade and presided over an underworld of sexual crimes, per the Associated Press. Combs also allegedly “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals,” the indictment read.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.