Diddy Seeks to Appeal Federal Court Order Denying Him Bail

Sean “Diddy” Combs. Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to appeal a federal court order that denied him bail as he awaits trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. 

The disgraced music mogul, 54, filed a notice of appeal on Monday, September 30, seeking to overturn a ruling by U.S. District Judge Andrew Carter, who flagged Diddy as a risk to witnesses involved in the case against him. Diddy’s two-page filing, obtained by Us Weekly, made no specific arguments.

Diddy was arrested on Monday, September 16, and taken into custody in Manhattan after a grand jury indicted him following a string of sexual assault lawsuits and a federal investigation. The 14-page indictment, unsealed the following day, accuses Diddy of abusing, threatening and coercing women for years “to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct.” 

The indictment continues: “To do so, Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multifaceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.”

Diddy has denied all allegations against him and pleaded not guilty. Following his arrest, his attorney Marc Agnifilo defended his client in a statement to Us.

“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Agnifilo said, adding, “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

However, a Texas law firm has since announced their plans to represent 50 of Diddy’s alleged victims, who include both men and women, many of whom were minors when the abuse allegedly occurred. 

“Each individual story is gut wrenching and heartbreaking. The acts complained of occurred at hotels, private homes, and also at the infamous P. Diddy ‘Freak Off’ parties,” attorney Tony Buzbee shared in an Instagram statement on Thursday, September 26. “The violations against this group of individuals are mind boggling and can only be described as debauchery and depravity, exacted by powerful people against minors and the weak.”

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).