He reigned over the music industry, embodying American success in all its flamboyant and ambitious aspects. Sean Combs, known as P. Diddy, Puff Daddy or simply Diddy, was much more than a rapper. Today, the influential producer is fighting not for a new artistic project, but for his freedom. Incarcerated in a Brooklyn prison, Diddy saw his request for release refused once again on Wednesday. A hard blow in a legal saga that could seal his fate.
The charges weighing on P. Diddy are as heavy as the hits that have marked his career. This essential figure in East Coast hip-hop is facing a double legal offensive. On the one hand, he is being criminally prosecuted by the federal authorities who accuse him of having set up a sex trafficking system. In particular, he allegedly forced his victims to take drugs such as GHB or ketamine, and to have filmed relationships with sex workers.
Justice “for all victims, without exception”
On the other hand, 120 victims, including 25 minors, filed separate civil lawsuits. They accuse him of having orchestrated a system of exploitation and violence over several decades, and demand compensation for the suffering suffered.
These civil proceedings detail chilling facts. The plaintiffs depict an organized modus operandi, where the artist allegedly abused his power to silence his victims, sometimes forcing them to sign confidentiality agreements in exchange for payments. The 25 minors involved in these complaints underline the seriousness of the case: adolescents were allegedly recruited and manipulated during private events, before being confronted with psychological and physical abuse.
According to the victims' lawyers, these civil proceedings complement the criminal case and offer a platform to witnesses who did not wish or be able to express themselves within the framework of the criminal investigation. “We want justice on all fronts, for all victims, without exception,” said one of the plaintiffs’ lawyers.
“The seriousness of the facts is beyond comprehension”
Since his arrest in New York last October, Diddy has been held at Brooklyn federal prison. His lawyers denounce “unbearable” detention conditions, aggravated by the tensions of the case. Placed under surveillance, he would suffer from severe emotional disorders, amplified by the isolation and the weight of the accusations. His lawyers had proposed bail of $50 million, arguing that their client, a father of six, had no intention of fleeing. But American justice was not convinced. The risk of fleeing abroad and putting pressure on witnesses was considered too great, especially since the artist still has a huge network and considerable resources.
“The seriousness of the facts is beyond comprehension, and we will not take the risk of compromising the trial,” declared the prosecutor during the last hearing. The criminal trial, scheduled for May 2025, is already shaping up to be one of the most scrutinized of the decade.
Shock wave in the United States
To understand the shock wave on the other side of the Atlantic, we must measure the aura of P. Diddy who founded the legendary Bad Boy Records label. He was also the mentor of The Notorious BIG, and performed worldwide hits like I’ll Be Missing You.
But this isn't the first time Diddy has been at the center of controversy. Violence, threats, professional conflicts… The artist has often navigated the fine line between legality and excesses of power. However, suspicions had never reached such scale. The image of the American rapper, once a figure of authority and success, is now indelibly associated with this scandal.
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