Diddy & SBF Shares Jail Cell & Lawyer: What Will They Share Next?
Hip-hop icon Sean "Diddy" Combs, facing serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking, has reportedly turned to the legal counsel of Alexandra Shapiro, the same attorney representing FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF).
Court filings reveal that Diddy is appealing a New York judge's decision to deny his release on $50 million bail, leaving him incarcerated until his trial.
Interestingly, both Diddy and SBF are housed in the same jail unit, residing in a dormitory-style room alongside other inmates.
Will they share the same jail terms next? Who knows!
Diddy's Heinous Charges
On 12 September, New York prosecutors formally charged Diddy with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking of minors, and transporting individuals for prostitution.
The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York alleges that he orchestrated a criminal enterprise involving coercion of women into participating in "freak-off" sex parties, alongside a broader scheme involving forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
The sex trafficking charge alone could result in a life sentence, with minimum terms ranging from 10 to 15 years depending on the victims' ages.
Additional charges of racketeering conspiracy and transportation for prostitution carry maximum sentences of 20 and 25 years, respectively.
Over 100 Victims to Sue Diddy
On 1 October, a lawyer announced that over 100 individuals, including numerous children, are filing lawsuits against Diddy, accusing him of rape, sexual assault, and exploitation.
This legal action adds to the mounting pressure on the former rap star, who has faced long-standing allegations of violence against women and is currently in jail awaiting trial on criminal charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
At a Houston press conference, attorney Tony Buzbee revealed that more than 3,000 people have come forward with accusations against Diddy, urging additional victims to step forward:
“The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, that really wasn’t a secret at all, has finally been revealed to the world.”
He added:
“The wall of silence has now been broken, and victims are coming forward.”
Buzbee described a disturbing pattern of abuse, including repeated sexual assaults on teenagers, allegedly orchestrated by Diddy and his associates.
He told reporters:
“I would say 90 per cent of the cases, these individuals were drugged.”
“One individual who was 22 years at the time she was assaulted, said that... when you were handed a drink – and now we know that the drink is laced with something – if you refused to drink it, you were kicked out of the party.”
Many of these incidents reportedly involved promises of fame and success in the music industry, with minors often being lured under false pretenses.
One particularly harrowing account involved a nine-year-old boy who was taken to New York for an audition at Diddy's label, Bad Boy Records.
Buzbee stated:
“This individual was sexually abused, allegedly by Sean Combs and several other people at the studio, in the promise to both his parents and to himself of getting a record deal.”
“Another incident, an individual, 15 years old at the time, flown to New York City to attend a party, was drugged and then taken into a private room, allegedly in the presence of Mr. Combs, where this female individual, a minor, was raped, and then other individuals took turns raping her.”
Buzbee commended the bravery of the survivors who have spoken out, despite fears of retaliation or backlash from their communities:
“I expect that through this process, many powerful people, many dirty secrets will be revealed. We know what we are potentially up against, and as is always the case in situations like this, when a celebrity is involved, people can be downright mean and nasty.”
Lawyer of Victims Warn Revelation of Name List of Perpetrators and Bystanders
Buzbee has warned that Diddy is merely the beginning, as many "powerful individuals" who were complicit in or participated in criminal activities at the rapper's parties will soon face charges.
Buzbee promised that a day will come when he reveals the full list of perpetrators and bystanders involved in Diddy's crimes.
During the conference, he said:
“We will expose the enablers who enabled this conduct behind closed doors. We will pursue this matter no matter who the evidence implicates."
He assured:
“The day will come when we will name names other than Sean Combs, and there's a lot of names. It's a long list already, but because of the nature of this case, we are going to make damn sure – damn sure – that we're right before we do that.”
He emphasised that the "names will shock you."
His legal strategy includes filing lawsuits across multiple states within the next 30 days, with more defendants to be named later.
Buzbee emphasized his commitment to exposing not just the direct participants but also those who stood by and encouraged the behaviour.
He urged those individuals to come forward now before being implicated in court.
He expressed:
“I would imagine that as we speak here, there are a myriad of people who are very nervous.”
He warned the yet-to-be-identified perpetrators that they "can't hide the skeletons in the closet forever.”
He added:
“I would expect there are many people out there right now who are desperately searching their memories as they delete their texts and data.”
During a press conference, Buzbee revealed that the majority of the victims he represents are male, with the crimes spanning several states, including New York, Georgia, California, and Florida, dating as far back as 1991.
Twenty-five of the victims were minors at the time, the youngest being just nine years old.