Diddy could drop big names in sex trafficking trial: R. Kelly attorney
R. Kelly's attorney, Nicole Blank Becker, said Sean "Diddy" Combs may drop big names in a desperate attempt to regain his freedom.
Sean "Diddy" Combs pleaded not guilty to the newest version of the government's allegations against the rapper during a Friday court hearing.
The new indictment against Diddy lengthened the timeline of his alleged sex-trafficking and racketeering behavior and added two more victims. The prosecution also accused the "Last Night" rapper of forcing employees to work long hours by threatening them with physical or reputational harm and forcing an employee to engage in a sexual encounter with the musician.
Diddy appeared in court Friday with noticeably grayer hair. The rapper wore a tan jumpsuit and was supported by his family – his mother and four of his children. At the end of the hearing, Diddy turned to his family and blew a two-handed kiss.
Sean "Diddy" Combs appears in court wearing a tan jumpsuit. (Reuters)
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Sean "Diddy" Combs' mother Janice Combs supported the rapper at his federal court hearing on March 14. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
Sean "Diddy" Combs' children Chance Combs (C) and Christian Combs (R) arrive for Diddy's pre-trial hearing on March 14, 2025. (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
The prosecution and Diddy's legal team were in court to nail down a handful of issues ahead of his trial. Judge Arun Subramanian finalized a timeline for the start of the trial, scheduling questionnaires to be given to potential jurors on April 28.
The sides also discussed evidence to be used during trial – including footage previously obtained by CNN and shared publicly showing Diddy assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Prosecutors argued this was critical evidence for their case against Diddy, while his team claimed the video was deceptive. The rapper's legal team said a forensic analysis of the video showed it had been sped up and the order of events had been changed.
WATCH: SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' KIDS ARRIVE AT COURT HEARING
"From the defense standpoint, it’s a misleading piece of evidence, a deceptive piece of evidence, a piece of evidence that has been changed," Diddy's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said in court.
CNN denied the allegations in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source," a spokesperson for CNN said. "CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested."
WATCH: SEAN ‘DIDDY’ COMBS' MOTHER SUPPORTS RAPPER AT COURT HEARING
During a previous hearing, Judge Subramanian scheduled Combs' trial to begin on May 5. The prosecution expects the government's case to take six weeks to lay out, while Diddy's legal team now estimates needing two weeks to argue the rapper's defense.
The prosecution said discovery production for Diddy's team has been done 25 separate times, but claimed the defense has not turned over any evidence at this point in a letter filed Thursday.
The government seized a total of 96 devices from Combs during raids of his homes – nine at the airport, 36 in Miami and 51 in Los Angeles. Authorities also seized Combs' phone during his Sept. 16 arrest and conducted a search of his hotel room in Manhattan.
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Sean Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, previously argued for Diddy's release on bail following his arrest on racketeering and sex trafficking charges. The request was denied. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
The "I'll Be Missing You" singer is spending his time at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as he awaits his federal trial for alleged racketeering and sex trafficking. Diddy has been behind bars since September.
The disgraced music mogul has fought to be released from jail pending trial three times, with his most recent attempt denied on Nov. 27. Combs had offered up to $50 million to wait for his trial from his home on Star Island, but prosecutors insisted the musician was a threat to witnesses and victims.
Sean "Diddy" Combs pleaded not guilty in September, and a judge set his trial date for May 5. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)
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Combs has been under investigation for human trafficking since March 2024.
Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17. While Diddy has maintained his innocence, if found guilty he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams speaks at a press conference to announce the unsealing of an indictment charging music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs with federal crimes. (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)
Authorities alleged Diddy ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, among others. He used "firearms, threats of violence, coercion and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse" to fulfill his sexual desires, according to the unsealed indictment obtained by Fox News Digital.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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