Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs are demanding that the government reveal the names of his alleged sexual abuse victims, arguing he cannot fairly defend himself without knowing their identities.
In a motion filed late Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, the star’s attorneys asked the judge to force prosecutors to filed a so-called bill of particulars, disclosing who exactly was accusing him of abuse.
Citing a “torrent” of anonymous civil accusations ranging from “false to outright absurd,” Combs’ lawyers say they cannot mount an adequate defense without knowing which of those claims forms the basis for the criminal charges.
“The government is forcing him, unfairly, to play a guessing a game—one made all the more challenging by the onslaught of baseless allegations that desperate plaintiffs are lodging at him (for the most part anonymously) in civil suits designed to exact a payoff from Mr. Combs and others,” Combs attorney Marc Agnifilo writes in the filing.
The defense attorneys say the wording of the sex trafficking and racketeering indictment is so vague that it “could be interpreted as treating Mr. Combs’ entire sexual history over the past sixteen years as part of the alleged criminal conspiracy.”
“Without clarity from the government, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on for purposes of the Indictment,” Agnifilo writes.
Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, was once one of the most powerful men in the music industry. But last month, he was indicted by federal prosecutors on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking over what the government says was a sprawling criminal operation aimed at satisfying his need for “sexual gratification.”
The decades-long scheme allegedly involved not only elaborate sexual parties called “freak offs” and other sex abuse, but also forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. If convicted on all of the charges at trial – currently set to start May 5 – Combs potentially faces a sentence of life in prison.
With the trial still months away, Combs’ attorneys have already begun to fight back. In a motion last week, they accused the government of leaking evidence to the press, including the infamous video of Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Prosecutors have argued back that those “baseless” claims are a strategic move aimed at preventing prosecutors from showing the video to jurors.
In Tuesday’s filing, Combs’ lawyers argued that the continued anonymity of the alleged victims would seriously hamper their practical ability to prepare for the trial
“Mr. Combs … anticipates that the discovery will contain voluminous evidence of consensual sexual activity – making it all the more difficult for Mr. Combs to ascertain which of his prior sexual partners now claim, years later, that they felt coerced,” his lawyers write.
If history is any guide, Combs’ lawyers face an uphill battle in convincing the judge to unmask his alleged victims.
In the similar racketeering case against R. Kelly, prosecutors privately disclosed the names of several alleged victims to Kelly’s legal team, but argued that others must remain hidden, citing concerns that the singer or his entourage might seek to intimidate them.
The judge eventually agreed, saying that federal courts “routinely deny requests for victims’ identities in racketeering cases, especially when the government demonstrates a risk to witness safety [or] the potential for witness intimidation.” At Kelly’s eventual trial in 2021, several victims testified under pseudonyms.