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Sean “Diddy” Combs rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors at a listening to on Thursday in his intercourse trafficking case, which is about to start out on May 5.
After asking Diddy to substantiate if he was once of sound thoughts and now not on any medication, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who’s overseeing his trial in New York, requested the rapper in regards to the plea deal.
“Have you rejected the government’s offer?” Subramanian requested him, in keeping with NBC News.
“Yes, your honour,” Diddy responded.
Maurene Comey, a prosecutor with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s place of job, stated the rejected deal would have allowed for diminished jail time, however different main points of the deal weren’t shared.
Diddy has in the past pleaded now not responsible to fees of intercourse trafficking, racketeering and transportation to have interaction in prostitution. If he’s convicted on all counts, he has the possible to stay in the back of bars for existence.
He wore olive-coloured clothes over a white thermal blouse as he entered the court and waved at his supporters within the gallery ahead of hugging his legal professionals.
During the listening to, Subramanian additionally denied the request from Diddy’s suggest to exclude the safety digicam pictures CNN received of Diddy violently attacking former female friend Cassie Ventura in a hallway of a Los Angeles resort in 2016.
Cassie arrives at “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum on May 1, 2017 in New York City.
Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan by way of Getty Images
The ruling will permit prosecutors to turn the jury the video, which Diddy’s legal professionals in the past claimed was once altered and non-admissible within the trial.
Ventura is anticipated to testify on the trial underneath her personal title. Jury variety starts on May 5 and opening statements for the trial are scheduled for May 12. The trial is anticipated to final 8 to 10 weeks.
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Subramanian stated he sought after to seat a jury of 12 and 6 alternates in 3 days.
The courtroom is about to name 50 jurors every day to the court in Manhattan. Each juror shall be both excused for motive or requested to go back for additional wondering.
Subramanian is aiming to slender the gang to 45 folks, who will every be interviewed one at a time with two legal professionals from every facet of the case provide. There had been 600 doable jurors asked.
In Thursday’s listening to, Diddy’s attorney Teny Geragos took goal at Lisa Bloom, a attorney representing a John Doe and Dawn Richard, who was once a member of 2 track teams shaped via Diddy, referred to as Danity Kane and Dirty Money.
Geragos stated Bloom had seemed at the BBC to take a look at and reinforce her consumer’s credibility.
“It is deeply disturbing to us and could violate the rules of judicial conduct,” Geragos stated.
Bloom stated it was once “hypocritical” that Diddy and his legal professionals “have made public statements many times” and 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,” Bloom added Thursday.
“I look forward to attending Mr. Combs’ upcoming criminal trial in New York and continuing to advocate for my clients consistent with the law and the ethical rules.”
(L-R) Shannon Bex, Aundrea Fimbres, Aubrey O’Day and Dawn Richard of Danity Kane attend the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on the Barclays Center on Aug. 25, 2013 within the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
In September 2024, Richard sued the track manufacturer, describing years of mental and bodily abuse, together with groping, that she says she suffered as he helped release her profession.
Richard, who changed into extra widely recognized after showing at the fact display Making the Band, is suing for unspecified damages in addition to hundreds of thousands of bucks in source of revenue that she says she was once denied.
She argues that damages, together with punitive, are warranted as a result of she suffered financial hurt, bodily harm, ache and struggling, and severe mental and emotional misery.
Diddy’s representatives stated in a commentary that he was once “shocked and disappointed” via the lawsuit.
They stated Richard was once making “an attempt to rewrite history” via production “a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a payday — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.”
They added that if her revel in was once so detrimental, Richard don’t have persisted running without delay with Diddy for goodbye, together with returning in 2020 for a Making the Band reboot and agreeing to be featured on The Love Album final yr.
“It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him, but Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court,” they stated.
According to the lawsuit, Richard witnessed Diddy many times abusing his female friend and persevered threats that led to her to concern for her existence as Richard labored on songs, steadily with out a meals or sleep for an afternoon or two at a time, whilst turning into recognized in track circles as a member of Danity Kane and later as a member of Combs’ band Diddy — Dirty Money.
She says within the lawsuit that Combs frequently exploded in rage, hurling mobile telephones, laptops, meals and studio apparatus around the room or at folks. At different instances, the lawsuit says, Richard witnessed him choking and strangling his protege and longtime female friend, Ventura. The occasions befell from 2004 via 2011, in keeping with the swimsuit.
In her lawsuit, Richard says she “now adds her voice to the growing chorus of victims bravely sharing their harrowing stories. Together, they seek justice and stand in solidarity, as the latest victims of the #MeToo movement in the music industry.”
In courtroom papers, she accused Diddy of asking: “You want to die today?” And she alleges that he bragged that “I end people” as he withheld her income, stole her copyrighted works and subjected her to groping, attack and false imprisonment via locking her in a automobile for hours at one level.
Richard says within the lawsuit that between 2009 and 2011 whilst she did recordings, rehearsals and performances, Diddy many times demanded that she strip right down to her undies and made demeaning remarks about her frame, now and again calling her “lazy, fat, ugly and skinny,” even in entrance of his pals, manufacturers and bodyguards.
She incorporated the ones round Diddy and track firms that supported him as defendants, alleging that he performed such a lot of his abuse in public settings and with report corporate staff round that they may well be discovered liable.
Diddy has pleaded now not responsible to the intercourse trafficking fees lodged in opposition to him after his September 2024 arrest. He stays incarcerated with out bail.
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If you or any person you already know is experiencing abuse or is considering an abusive scenario, please discuss with the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime for assist. They also are reachable toll-free at 1-877-232-2610.
— with recordsdata from The Associated Press
