Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors as he prepares for his upcoming sex trafficking trial, claiming that his actions were part of a swinger lifestyle and not criminal behavior.
At a hearing held weeks before the trial, prosecutors revealed that Diddy had been given a plea offer. They asked Judge Arun Subramanian to confirm with Diddy that he understood the terms.
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The judge said he would address the plea deal at a separate hearing scheduled for May 1.
The details of the plea deal have not been made public. Diddy and his legal team have not commented on why they decided to reject it.
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During the hearing, Diddy’s lawyer explained that his client believed his behavior was part of a lifestyle where activities like swinging are seen as normal and accepted by many people.
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“There’s a lifestyle, call it swingers or whatever you will, that he thought was appropriate because it was common,” Diddy’s lawyer said.
Prosecutors also asked the judge to allow testimony from an alleged victim who claims to have undergone a medical procedure related to the trafficking allegations.
The nature of the procedure was not disclosed. The judge has not yet ruled on whether the testimony will be allowed.
In addition, prosecutors requested that a sex tape involving Diddy be used as evidence. They asked that the video not be shown publicly because of its sensitive content. A decision on that request has not been made yet.
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However, in a major blow to Diddy’s defense, the judge ruled that prosecutors can use hotel security footage showing Diddy assaulting singer Cassie.
Diddy’s legal team had tried to challenge the authenticity of the footage, although Diddy had previously apologized for his actions shown in the video.
Diddy’s sex trafficking trial is set to begin on May 12. The proceedings will be open to the public but will not be livestreamed.
