Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pleads not responsible to ‘compelled labor’ allegations in superseding indictment
Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not responsible Friday to new allegations that he compelled workers to work lengthy hours with little sleep and wielded threats to get them to conform together with his calls for.
The brand new allegations had been detailed in a superseding indictment unveiled March 6.
Combs, who appeared in a downtown Manhattan courtroom with newly grey hair and a grey beard, hugged his attorneys initially of the listening to. He sat and listened as attorneys on either side of the case mentioned numerous procedural issues with Choose Arun Subramanian.
The embattled hip-hop mogul already faces a trial on the federal prices of racketeering conspiracy, intercourse trafficking and transportation to interact in prostitution — all a part of an alleged intercourse trafficking scheme that prosecutors say spanned many years.
Combs has pleaded not responsible to all prices within the case and vehemently denied allegations of sexual assault and different misconduct detailed in dozens of civil lawsuits filed by ladies and men.
“Mr. Combs has stated it earlier than and can say it once more: he vehemently denies the accusations” made by federal prosecutors, Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo stated in an announcement forward of Friday’s listening to. “He seems ahead to his day in courtroom when it’s going to turn out to be clear that he has by no means compelled anybody to interact in sexual acts in opposition to their will.”
The choose stated jury choice will start Might 5, with the trial tentatively slated to begin Might 12.
The superseding indictment comprises no new prices. Nevertheless it describes Combs’ makes an attempt to maintain an excessive stage of management over his workers, “whom he compelled to work lengthy hours with little sleep,” prosecutors say.
Combs made these calls for “by means of using, amongst different issues, bodily pressure, psychological hurt, monetary hurt, and reputational hurt, and/or threats of the identical,” in keeping with the indictment.
In a single case, Combs compelled an worker to “have interaction in intercourse acts” with him, the indictment states.
The indictment accuses Combs of partaking in “acts of violence” when workers or witnesses threatened his “authority or fame,” together with arson, kidnapping, throwing objects at folks and — on one event — dangling somebody over an condominium balcony.
In his pre-hearing assertion, Agnifilo stated lots of Combs’ former workers “stand by his facet, ready to attest to the dedication, laborious work and inspiration they skilled whereas serving to construct groundbreaking, award-winning companies.”
Friday’s listening to partly involved footage, initially obtained and aired by CNN, displaying Combs beating an ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, at a resort in 2016.
Combs’ attorneys have alleged that the video aired by CNN was “considerably altered.” CNN has forcefully denied that declare, with a spokesperson saying in an announcement: “CNN by no means altered the video and didn’t destroy the unique copy of the footage, which was retained by the supply.”
Subramanian, the choose, advised attorneys Friday to succeed in a compromise on the function the video would possibly play throughout the trial. If they’ll’t compromise, he added, they might want to file formal motions.
