Sean “Diddy” Combs, the music mogul and businessman, has launched new accusations against prosecutors leading his federal case, alleging that they manipulated key evidence to justify his preventive detention.
In court papers, his attorneys say the government used video “edited and altered” of an incident that occurred in 2016, in which Combs was recorded physically attacking his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura.
Alexandra Shapiro, one of the producer’s main legal defenders, called the video a “fundamental piece of evidence” for prosecutors, but complained that it was edited to change the order of events and omit crucial details. According to Shapiro, the video presented is a “manipulated” version of the material previously published by CNN.
To back up his claims, Combs’ defense team hired forensic analyst Conor McCourt, who compared the clips turned over by the government to others available. According to the specialist, the differences in the recordings show that the evidence presented in court “does not accurately reflect events.” With this result, the defense has requested a new hearing to review the bail conditions and try to get the accused to wait for his trial in freedom.
According to USA Todayspokespersons for federal prosecutors have not commented on the accusation.
The video in question shows Combs in an episode of physical violence against his then partner, Cassie, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles, on March 5, 2016. The publication of the footage captured by a security camera emerged in the context of a civil lawsuit from the R&B singer.
However, following the investigation into the sex trafficking charges that Combs faces, the material also came to be analyzed by prosecutors.
This has been refuted by Combs’ lawyers, who insist that the images represent a “domestic conflict” within a “consensual and complicated relationship of more than a decade,” USA Today cited.
“It is a sad look at a tumultuous relationship, but it is not evidence of sex trafficking,” the artist’s defense stated.
Combs currently remains detained at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center while awaiting his trial scheduled for May 2025, where he will face charges of sex trafficking, organized crime and transportation for prostitution.
In an effort to secure his release, his attorneys have offered a new bail package of USD 50 million backed by Florida properties and a strict monitoring regime.
The conditions proposed by the defense include 24-hour surveillance by a security team approved by the court, a ban on access to the internet and mobile devices outside of lawful meetings, and a visitor list limited to close family members. Additionally, Combs would agree to submit to house arrest at one of his properties in Miami or New York.
Despite these proposals, two bail applications have been rejected so far, and one third will be evaluated this Friday.
For their part, prosecutors maintain that the artist represents a “flight risk” and could interfere in the judicial process.
The criminal case against Combs has been accompanied by a growing avalanche of civil lawsuits. To date, the lawyer Tony Buzbeewho represents a group of accusers, has filed more than 30 lawsuits including allegations of rape, assault and sex trafficking from 2001 to 2022.
In recent days, there have been five new complaints from men and women who allege they were drugged and assaulted at parties organized by Combs, including his famous “White Party” in 2004. Two of the women claim they were 17 and 18 years old at the time. of the incidents.
In response, the producer’s lawyers have characterized these lawsuits as “extortion maneuvers” designed to take advantage of media attention. “Mr. Combs has complete confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process,” his legal team assured CNN.
