On his 55th birthday, Sean “Diddy” Combs, currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, is requesting a federal judge to impose a gag order in his ongoing sex trafficking criminal case and related civil cases.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs’ attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, expressed concern over extensive pretrial publicity that they believe threatens Combs’s right to a fair trial and the integrity of the grand jury proceedings.
The lawyers urged the court to limit extrajudicial statements from potential witnesses and their attorneys while the motion is pending, citing the potential harm caused by such comments.
Combs, who was arrested on September 15 and denied bail, faces serious charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking, which could result in life imprisonment if convicted; his trial is scheduled for May 5, 2025.
In their proposed gag order, Agnifilo and Geragos sought to define “potential witnesses” as anyone claiming to be a victim of Combs in connection with the allegations.
This request was triggered by Courtney Burgess, a friend of the late Kim Porter, who recently held a press conference claiming to have testified before the grand jury.
Burgess and his lawyer alleged that they possess footage of Combs committing sexual assaults at parties, including involving minors, which they say was found on a flash drive belonging to Porter.
Combs’ legal team has dismissed Burgess’ claims as “false and outrageous,” emphasizing that their client has faced multiple accusations, including allegations of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old in 2005. They also criticized previous civil lawsuits against him, which include accusations of raping minors.
Despite previous claims that government agents leaked damaging security footage from 2016, Combs’ lawyers are now attempting to extend their gag order to the numerous civil cases filed against him, suggesting that these lawsuits are simply efforts at extortion. They argue that the government’s handling of the allegations is exacerbating online conspiracy theories and hindering Combs’s ability to secure a fair trial.
The U.S. Attorney’s office has contended that the civil cases are separate from the criminal case, but Combs’ legal team argues that this separation contradicts the spirit of justice, as civil litigants are profiting from the criminal allegations.
Judge Subramanian has not yet made a decision on the proposed gag order.
