Diddy rejects last chance to take plea deal three days before trial

Sean “Diddy” Combs is maintaining his innocence in a bold move just three days before his federal sex trafficking trial.

According to ABC News, the music mogul rejected a last-minute plea deal that would have reduced his prison sentence if he agreed to plead guilty.

During a final pre-trial hearing in Manhattan on Thursday, May 1, Judge Arun Subramanian asked if he was declining the offer made by federal prosecutors.

“Yes, I do, your honour,” Combs responded as he appeared in court wearing a beige jail uniform, reportedly smiling and fist-bumping his lawyer.

Combs, 55, has been behind bars at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre since his September 2024 arrest, following federal raids on his LA and Miami homes. He faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for prostitution. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Jury selection starts May 5, with opening statements scheduled for May 12.

Prosecutors allege the Bad Boy Records founder ran a criminal enterprise centred on coercive “freak-off” parties involving drugs, abuse, and non-consensual sex.

Witnesses at trial are expected to include his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, who was the first of many to accuse him of rape and abuse in a 2023 lawsuit that was settled within 24 hours.

Prosecutors warn the jury should prepare for “graphic testimony” detailing years of alleged violence and exploitation.