Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs claims freak-off recordings were consensual
Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs has alleged that many of the videos being used in his racketeering and sex trafficking case show “fully consenting adults.” Combs’ lawyers filed a letter to the court on January 14th, claiming his “innocence” in the sexual encounters known as “freak-offs.”
The Bad Boy rapper was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering in September and pled not guilty. He’s currently jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, having been denied bail three times, and his trial is set to begin on May 5th.
His ex-girlfriend, Cassie, who filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023 that began the investigation behind his charges, allegedly handed over nine videos to prosecutors. Combs’ lawyers say the clips depict the singer “not only consenting; she is evidently happy, dominant and completely in control.”
The letter obtained by Rolling Stone reads, “Any fair-minded viewer of the videos will quickly conclude that the prosecution of Mr Combs is both sexist and puritanical. The videos depict clearly consensual sex among willing adults in a decades-long relationship and fundamentally undermine the government’s case and Victim-1’s claims.”
His attorneys claim that, due to the videos being under a protective order, they have only been able to assess the footage while being monitored by law enforcement. According to them, complete, unabridged electronic copies are required so they can use their own experts to exploit the videos’ “full exculpatory value” ahead of the trial in May.
They say the videos make up the core of Combs’ defence and that he has a constitutional right to review undisclosed audio portions and metadata to build a “meaningful defence,” given that the footage isn’t highly classified material or child pornography.
“Protective orders are common in criminal cases, and we have one in this case that prevents the defense from physically possessing certain evidence,” Combs’ lead defence attorney Marc Agnifilo said. “So, we applied to the Court to allow us to possess the video evidence so we can, for instance, enhance the audibility.”
Earlier this week, Combs was accused of drugging and sexually assaulting a 16-year-old high school student in 2000. The woman, who remains anonymous, was walking home from a babysitting job in Manhattan when the alleged incident happened, claiming the rapper raped her inside a car. He denies the allegation.