Diddy’s legal team wants prosecutors to identify the anonymous accusers in his federal case, arguing that doing so will ensure they are able to mount an informed defense in the headlines-garnering proceedings.
Tuesday, per a report from the Associated Press, the Bad Boy Records founder’s attorneys argued to Judge Arun Subramanian in New York that their client’s chances at a “fair trial” could be denied amid numerous allegations, “if they haven’t already.” To that end, identifying alleged victims in this case specifically will allow for the legal team to more thoroughly mount a defense.
“Moreover, to the extent Mr. Combs is forced to mount a defense against criminal allegations that the government does not seek to prove at trial, he is entitled to know that,” attorneys said in their motion letter, as viewed by Complex on Wednesday.
Below, see the full statement from Tuesday’s motion:
“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, as outlined in our previous motion. This has had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants, spanning from the false to outright absurd. Yesterday alone, anonymous accusers filed an additional six lawsuits. Counsel for these accusers recently convened a press conference at which he claimed to represent 120 accusers making outrageous and deeply prejudicial allegations, including violent sexual assault and sexual abuse of minors. This publicity stunt, broadcast on Instagram, included a ‘1-800’ number that reportedly received 12,000 calls in the first 24 hours. These accusations came on the heels of more than a dozen. lawsuits previously filed and currently pending, several of which have already been discredited but only after irreparably damaging Mr. Combs’ character and reputation. These swirling allegations have created a hysterical media circus that, if left unchecked, will irreparably deprive Mr. Combs of a fair trial, if they haven’t already.”
Complex has reached out to Diddy’s reps for comment, as well as to prosecutors. This story may be updated.
Diddy is charged in the indictment in question with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for purposes of prostitution. Both the racketeering and trafficking charges, notably, come with a possible maximum sentence of life behind bars if convicted as charged. The transportation-related charge, meanwhile, could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years.
Diddy has pleaded not guilty in the case, with attorney Marc Agnifilo previously slamming the effort as an “unjust prosecution” of his client. According to Agnifilo, Diddy, who was most recently named in a new wave of lawsuits, has been “nothing but cooperative” in the New York case. He also asked the public to “reserve your judgment,” calling his client “an innocent man with nothing to hide.”
As for the latest lawsuits, led by Texas-based lawyer Tony Buzbee, Diddy’s attorneys have also issued a response to those, denying the allegations of assault from the latest round of John and Jane Does by pointing to their expectations of what will ultimately happen in the courtroom.
“Mr. Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defenses, and the integrity of the judicial process,” Diddy’s attorneys told Complex in a statement shared Monday. “In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone—adult or minor, man or woman.”
For a closer look at the latest sexual assault lawsuits, here are several key takeaways, per writer and reporter Shawn Setaro.