To most observers, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Diddy will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
But lawyers for the disgraced hip hop mogul say they’re in possession of evidence that will soon clear his name.
By now, you’ve probably heard accounts of the sordid “freak off” parties that allegedly took place in Diddy’s home.
There are nine known videos of those parties, and not surprisingly, the prosecution and the defense are making very different claims about what exactly that footage depicts.
The DA’s office alleges that the tapes contain evidence that Diddy drugged his female guests and coerced them into performing various sex acts.
But attorneys for Diddy insist that the tapes actually “confirm Mr. Combs’s innocence,” as they prove that all sexual activity at the parties took place between “consenting adults.”
“Contrary to what the government has led this Court and the public to believe, the so-called ‘Freak Offs’ were private sexual activity between fully consenting adults in a long-term relationship,” defense attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos said in documents filed today (per ABC News).
The defense went on to argue that the videos show one accuser explicitly consenting to intercourse.
“These videos unambiguously show that the person alleged in the indictment to be ‘Victim-1’ not only consented but thoroughly enjoyed herself,” the defense said.
“At bottom, this case is about whether Victim-I was or was not a willing participant in her private sex life with Mr. Combs. The videos confirm that she plainly was,” the filing continued.
Needless to say, the lawyers sound pretty confident — but then again, expressing certainty about their client’s innocence is sort of their job.
An Uphill Battle
At this point, Diddy has been accused of so many crimes by so many alleged victims that it will take a lot more than a few hours of footage to clear his name.
In addition to the many criminal counts of sex trafficking and racketeering against him, Diddy is facing more than two dozen lawsuits from people who claim they suffered abuse at his hands.
His trial is scheduled to begin in May. Diddy has been denied bail and must remain behind bars until it’s time for him to go in front of a judge.
It’s likely to be the most appalling celebrity trial since R. Kelly was convicted of numerous sex crimes in 2019.
We’ll have further updates on this ongoing story as more information becomes available.