Diddy Faces New Forced Labor Allegations in Explosive Federal Case.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has entered a not guilty plea to an updated indictment that introduces fresh allegations of forced labor.
The 55-year-old music mogul, sporting a visibly grayer beard than in recent appearances, stood before Judge Arun Subramanian with his hands clasped. When asked if he had read and understood the charges, Combs calmly responded, “Yes, I have, sir.”
The indictment accuses Combs of coercing employees to work excessively long hours under threat of physical and reputational harm. It also claims that he forced at least one employee to engage in sexual acts with him.
Combs’s legal team has firmly denied the accusations, maintaining that he has never forced anyone into sexual acts and that his past relationships were consensual. According to The New York Times, his lawyers have described the case as being centered around mutual relationships with his girlfriends.
Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs’s attorneys, stated, “He looks forward to his day in court when it will become clear that he has never forced anyone to engage in sexual acts against their will.”
Combs, one of the most successful rap artists in the United States, is facing trial in a federal case involving sex trafficking and racketeering. The new forced labor allegations are tied to the racketeering charge.
In addition to the federal case, Combs is also facing numerous civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and rape. His legal team has dismissed these lawsuits as “obvious attempts to gain publicity.”
During Friday’s court appearance at the Southern District Federal Court in New York, Combs wore a greenish-tan prison jumpsuit, with overgrown gray hair and a beard. He appeared composed, standing to enter his plea. His son Christian, daughter Chance, mother Janice Combs—wearing large sunglasses—and family friend Marvet Britto were present in the courtroom to support him, along with two other men identified as part of his support circle.
Combs smiled during the proceedings, blowing kisses to his family and embracing his lawyers.
A key point of contention in court was a video released by CNN in 2024. The footage, reportedly from 2016, appears to show Combs kicking his former girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura, in a hotel hallway. Combs’s lawyers claimed the video was “deceptive,” arguing that a visual expert determined parts of the video were edited out of order, the actions sped up, and the timestamps manipulated.
Prosecutors, however, described the footage as “critical” and said they intend to present it as direct evidence during the trial. The judge encouraged both sides to find a resolution regarding the video’s use.
CNN and a lawyer representing Ventura have denied the claims about the video’s authenticity.
Following the release of the video last year, Combs publicly apologized, saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Judge Subramanian has scheduled jury selection to begin on May 5, with opening statements expected on May 12.
