The US government has filed a high-profile human trafficking and extortion case against music mogul Sean Combs, known as Diddy, for orchestrating forced and abusive sexual acts in luxury hotels. As reported by The New York Times, the indictment, which also includes charges of arson, bribery, kidnapping and obstruction of justice, focuses on what prosecutors call a “freak-off,” an “elaborately staged sexual performance” that involved drugs, prostitutes and recordings. But Combs’ lawyers maintain that the acts were consensual.
According to a 14-page federal criminal indictment, these “freak-offs” were organized by Combs and his associates in hotel suites filled with baby oil, drugs, and video equipment. Prosecutors allege that participants were coerced, with some needing IV drips to recover from the ordeal after several days. The government alleges that Combs filmed the sessions and used the footage to intimidate participants into silence.
“Freak-off conduct is at the heart of this case, and freak-offs are inherently dangerous,” said one of the prosecutors, Emily A. Johnson. That description is echoed in a civil lawsuit filed last year against Combs by singer Cassie (whose real name is Cassandra Ventura). Cassie alleged that Combs frequently directed the freak-offs, coerced her into sex acts and filmed them.
Combs, who has maintained her innocence, faces an entirely different argument presented by her defense team. Her lawyer, Mark Anifilo, has argued that the incident was consensual and part of an unconventional but voluntary relationship between Combs and Ventura. Anifilo noted that several of the men involved deny they were coerced and don’t consider themselves sex workers.
The organized crime charges stem from allegations that Combs arranged the acts through a network of supporters who helped him secure prostitutes, book hotels and clean up after them. Prosecutors have argued the acts often involved violence, a charge the defense denies.
In addition to the Ventura lawsuit, Combs is facing a series of civil lawsuits from women who claim he sexually abused them through drugs. One plaintiff, Adria English, claims that Combs solicited sex from patrons at his famous “white parties.”
Combs’ lawyers dismissed the lawsuit as a piggyback bid.
Combs, who has been denied bail and is in federal custody, is accused of trying to cover up evidence of the abuse. Prosecutors allege that Combs bribed hotel employees to destroy security footage after he allegedly assaulted Ventura in 2016. The investigation is ongoing, and Combs’ legal battle is far from over.
According to Forbes, the allegations against Combs date back to the 1990s, when he founded his own record label, Bad Boy Records. In 2022, he earned an estimated $90 million that year, ranking him 14th on Forbes’ list of highest-paid entertainers.
