What was Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' plea deal? Rapper claims he rejected the deal in ‘sound mind’
Diddy has declined a plea deal that could have resulted in a lighter sentence, as he prepares for a criminal trial on serious charges including sex trafficking.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has officially turned down a plea deal from federal prosecutors, setting the stage for this decade's highly watched criminal trial to begin in New York next week.
During the pretrial hearing on Thursday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian directly asked the music mogul if he had refused the government’s offer in a sound mind and under no influence. Combs responded plainly: “Yes, your honour.”
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What was Diddy's plea deal?
The court would seal the terms of the Diddy's plea agreement from the public, yet the prosecutors suggested this arrangement would give Combs a lesser punishment than trial-based penalties.
The disgraced musical mogul is currently charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution charges, and he has entered a not guilty plea.
Combs is accused of running a network that facilitated and concealed sexual abuse. Multiple civil lawsuits—both pending and settled—have accused him of misconduct. Among the most notable is a 2023 suit filed by Cassie Ventura, who alleged years of abuse and coercion.
What Diddy wear
Dressed in olive tones over a thermal white shirt, Combs arrived in court with a black binder, exchanged hugs with his legal team, and waved supporters in the gallery.
The I'll be Missing You singer's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, confirmed that the defence had reviewed the offer and chose to reject it together. “It is deeply disturbing to us and could violate the rules of judicial conduct,” added another of Combs’ attorneys, Teny Geragos, per BBC.
The courtroom is now preparing for jury selection to begin Monday. Judge Subramanian plans to conduct voir dire in a way that protects juror privacy, particularly around sensitive topics like past experiences with sexual or domestic abuse. Around 600 prospective jurors have been called, and the court hopes to narrow that number to 45 for detailed interviews.
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Notably, Combs’ attorneys have asked that lawyers representing accusers, including Douglas Wigdor and Lisa Bloom, refrain from making public statements until after the trial.
Geragos singled out Bloom’s recent BBC appearance, where she discussed her client Dawn Richard’s fear of Combs. Bloom fired back: “How hypocritical that Mr. Combs and his attorneys, having made public statements many times, now want to silence me.”
“Accusers and their attorneys have every right to speak out. I am very proud to represent my brave clients, Dawn Richard and John Doe, in litigation against Mr. Combs.”
Notably, earlier, Wigdor promised to give the music mogul a tough fight: “We will vigorously oppose the motion seeking an extraordinary sweeping gag order as it is an obvious attempt at controlling and silencing victims and their counsel in contravention of well-established legal and ethical precedent.”
