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Rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs reportedly rejected a plea deal just weeks ahead of his federal racketeering and s*x trafficking trial. During a hearing on Friday, April 25, 2025, prosecutor Madison Smyser disclosed that he rejected the offer to fight the trial, as reported by Variety on April 25.
While the terms of the deal were not revealed, as per Rolling Stone, she asked Judge Arun Subramanian to allocute the rapper on the same; she wanted Combs to state on record that he understood the offer and rejected it. Judge Subramanian then noted he would address the plea during the next scheduled hearing (May 1).
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Elsewhere during the hearing, Diddy's legal counsel argued that the rapper led the lifestyle of a "swinger," which meant he thought it was "appropriate" to have multiple partners, including s*x workers. They further noted that these actions were not criminal.
"Many people think it’s appropriate because it’s common"- Diddy's lawyer about his "swinger" lifestyle
Federal officers arrested Diddy in September 2024 on charges of s*x trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Since then, two additional counts (s*x trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution) have been added to his indictment.
Per his indictment, the Bad Boy Records founder ran a "criminal enterprise" that allegedly s*xually and physically abused "women and others" for years. This included reportedly participating in "elaborate and produced s*x performances" at his days-long "freak off" parties with male s*x workers. The victims were reportedly coerced using threats and drugged to remain compliant.
During Friday's pre-trial hearing, Diddy's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, argued that his client led the lifestyle of a "swinger," as reported by the BBC on April 25. He explained:
"There's a lifestyle, call it swingers or whatever you will, that he thought was appropriate because it was common. Many people think it’s appropriate because it’s common."
Providing an insight into their upcoming legal defense, Agnifilo reasoned that hiring the escorts to have s*x with his partners at the freak offs was "part of the lifestyle." The attorney also claimed it wasn't Combs' intention to commit a crime by doing the same.
Per BBC, Judge Subramanian ruled that Diddy's team was entitled to cite his lifestyle in their arguments, but noted they couldn't name other prominent swingers or others who have hired s*x workers.
During Friday's 90-minute hearing, Subramanian also denied defense counsel's previous request to exclude Cassie Ventura's assault video from the trial. Notably, prosecutors stated that two witnesses are set to testify to the video's authenticity during the trial.
Diddy's former girlfriend, Ventura, sued the rapper for r*pe and violence in 2023. While her lawsuit was settled within a day, it spurred several others to come forward with similar allegations against Combs. This prompted a federal s*x trafficking investigation into the I’ll Be Missing You hitmaker (eventually leading to his arrest), but he denied all claims.
However, in May 2024, CNN released security footage from 2016 taken at a hotel that showed Combs kicking and dragging Ventura. The video corroborated the claims she made in her lawsuit.
Last November, Combs' team accused prosecutors of presenting a doctored version of the CCTV footage to push for his jailing by portraying him as a danger to women. Defense had argued that the alteration made the clip non-admissible in court.
According to ABC News on April 25, prosecutors have also requested the judge to allow testimony from an alleged victim who underwent a "medical procedure" in connection with the s*x trafficking allegations against Diddy. While the procedure wasn't described, prosecutors claimed it showed the "degree of control Combs had over" the alleged victim. Subramanian did not rule on the motion on Friday.
Diddy is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, while the jury selection for his upcoming trial is scheduled for May 5.
