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A New York federal judge ruled on Monday that Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain jailed until sentencing.
TMZ reported Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’ bail request for the second time, concluding there were no “exceptional reasons” that warranted his release before his October 3 sentencing hearing. Combs proposed a $50 million bail package, which required him to remain at home in Miami, Florida, until sentencing.
On July 2, a jury convicted Combs of transportation to engage in prostitution, but acquitted him of sex trafficking and racketeering. However, his lawyers argued that the 1910 Mann Act — which was invoked in this case — has never been used to prosecute someone in a consensual “swingers” lifestyle.
Immediately upon Combs’ conviction, his lawyers sought to have him released on a $1 million bond. Judge Subramanian denied that request, citing their own words about Combs’ violent behavior towards his former girlfriends. He noted that Combs’ violence and illegal activity continued even after federal agents searched his home.
Subramanian concluded that Combs’ actions showed his “disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence.” A lawyer for Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, also submitted a letter to the court, urging against Combs’ release.
Jurors heard testimony from three women who accused Combs of physical or sexual abuse. Ventura, who dated Combs from 2007 to 2018, testified that Combs “stifled” her music career while forcing her to participate in “freak offs,” which often entailed her having sex with other men in Combs’ presence. Ventura said the drug-fueled ordeals left her sleep-deprived and dehydrated, as they would last for days on end.
Another victim, who used the alias “Mia,” worked as Combs’ assistant for eight years. She accused Combs of forcing her to perform oral sex and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her without her consent. She also claimed Combs hurled objects at her and threw her against a wall.
A third woman, who used the pseudonym “Jane,” dated Combs from 2021 to 2024. She testified about “hotel nights,” which allegedly were sexual rendezvous arranged by Combs. Combs reportedly watched these encounters, which Jane said she had to be under the influence of drugs to participate.
The defense did not call a single witness to testify. Instead, they presented texts between Combs and the alleged victims, which they believe proved the sex encounters were consensual and non-coercive. They compared Combs and Ventura to “swingers” — and claimed the issues in their relationship stemmed from Combs dating other women, not from the alleged “freak offs.”
Combs turned down a plea deal days before his trial began.
[Feature Photo: Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File]