Rap mogul Diddy was only pursuing a swinger lifestyle, not committing sex trafficking as charged, his lawyer said at a hearing in New York on April 25.
Diddy's lawyer Marc Agnifilo said at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan: "There is a lifestyle, called swinging, that he considers acceptable because it is popular."
Diddy (real name Sean Combs) believed having multiple sex partners or hiring prostitutes was acceptable, the lawyer argued, proving the rapper had no criminal intent.
Diddy. Photo: InvisionThe plea came after Diddy rejected a plea deal ahead of his upcoming trial, prosecutors said. Details of the deal were not released in court.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that Diddy's lawyers could argue about the "switching" lifestyle, but they were not allowed to name other celebrities who allegedly hired prostitutes or engaged in the lifestyle.
The 55-year-old rapper is facing charges of sex trafficking and soliciting prostitution. Prosecutors allege that the Bad Boy Records boss coerced women into sexual acts at notorious parties hosted by the rapper.
Several witnesses, including Diddy's ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, are expected to testify during the eight-to-10-week trial to detail his alleged "years of beatings and forced sex under the influence of drugs."
During a hearing on Friday, the judge allowed Cassie Ventura to provide the jury with a video of herself being assaulted by Diddy in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. The video was published by CNN in May 2024.
Diddy is currently being held in a Brooklyn, New York, jail after being arrested in September 2024. Previously, federal police searched the rapper's mansions in Los Angeles and Miami, finding about 1,000 bottles of baby oil, lubricants, drugs, and three guns. These items were allegedly used in the American rap star's sex parties.
Diddy's trial is scheduled to begin on May 5. If convicted, the rapper could face life in prison.
(According to Page Six)