Sean “Diddy” Combs pleads not guilty to forced labor, sex trafficking charges in federal case

In response to an amended indictment that now contains fresh claims of forced labor, Sean “Diddy” Combs entered a not guilty plea.

According to the superseding indictment, the rap mogul allegedly coerced at least one employee into having sex with him and had them work excessive hours under threat of physical and reputational harm.

According to the New York Times, Mr. Combs’s attorneys have claimed that the rap mogul has never coerced anyone into having sex and that the case is about his girlfriends’ consenting relationships.

All of the charges against him in the federal case and the numerous civil cases that have been brought against him in recent months have also been “vehemently” denied by his attorneys.

“He looks forward to his day in court when it will become clear that he has never forced anyone to engage in sexual acts against their will,” Marc Agnifilo, his attorney, has stated.

One of the most popular rappers in the United States, Mr. Combs, is scheduled to go on trial soon in a federal case involving sex trafficking and racketeering.

The racketeering charge includes the new accusations described in the amended indictment.

In addition, Mr. Combs is the target of numerous lawsuits alleging violence and rape. His attorneys have dismissed the claims as “clear attempts to garner publicity.”

On Friday, Mr. Combs, who has a beard and unkempt grey hair, was escorted into a wood-paneled courtroom in the southern district federal court of New York. He was dressed in a greenish-tan prison jumpsuit.

He decided to enter his not guilty plea while standing. “Yes, sir,” he said when asked by a court if he had seen and read the indictment.

His daughter Chance, son Christian, mother Janice Combs, who was wearing big sunglasses, and friend Marvet Britto, a publicist, joined him on the public benches behind him. Two other men who identified themselves as members of the family’s “support system” also joined him.

In court, Mr. Combs was grinning, hugging his attorneys, and blowing kisses and waving to his family.

Along with the new accusations, a video last year that seemed to show CCTV evidence of Mr. Combs kicking his ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura on a hotel corridor floor in 2016 also caused a lot of debate in court between the defense and prosecution’s attorneys.

The lawyers for Mr. Combs reiterated their assertions that the film was “deceptive” and that a visual expert had discovered that timestamps were omitted, actions were sped up, and portions of the video were out of sequence.

However, the prosecution characterized it as “direct evidence” and “critical” of their case, which they will present as an exhibit during the trial. The judge urged them to come to an agreement.

Mr. Combs expressed regret for his behavior when the video was made public in 2024, stating, “I accept complete responsibility for my acts in that video. When I did it, I was disgusted. Now I’m repulsed.”

The court announced on Friday that opening statements would be made on May 12 and jury selection would begin on May 5.