Hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has officially declined a federal plea deal just days before the start of his highly publicized sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The rejection sets the stage for a legal showdown that could lead to a life sentence if he’s convicted on all charges.
Appearing in court Thursday in a beige jail-issued uniform, Combs told Judge Arun Subramanian, “Yes I do, your honor,” when asked if he was rejecting the offer from federal prosecutors.
The proposed plea deal, whose specific terms remain undisclosed, would have reduced Combs’ potential prison time in exchange for a guilty plea. Prosecutors made clear that turning it down could mean facing the full weight of a life sentence if convicted at trial.
Combs, who has been held without bail at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since September 2024, appeared in surprisingly high spirits in the courtroom.
He reportedly smiled and fist-bumped one of his attorneys, Mark Geragos, in a display that sharply contrasted with the gravity of the charges he faces.
The charges against Combs are staggering. Federal prosecutors allege that the rapper and music industry mogul led a criminal enterprise responsible for years of sexual exploitation, coercion, and trafficking — all under the guise of what insiders called “freak-off” parties.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces multiple felony counts, including sex trafficking trial, racketeering, and transportation of individuals for illegal sexual purposes. Prosecutors claim he used threats, drugs, and manipulation to compel women into degrading and abusive sexual encounters — behavior they argue constitutes organized criminal activity under federal law.
Opening statements for the trial are scheduled for May 12, following jury selection which begins Monday. The proceedings are expected to last up to ten weeks and will feature what prosecutors describe as “graphic testimony” outlining years of abuse, manipulation, and coercion.
Combs and his legal team continue to vehemently deny all allegations. At an April 25 pretrial hearing, attorney Marc Agnifilo previewed their defense, framing Combs’ behavior not as criminal, but as part of a consensual “swinger” lifestyle that is, in their words, “common and accepted” in some social circles.
“There’s a lifestyle — call it swingers or whatever you will — that he thought was appropriate because it was common,” Agnifilo stated.
But prosecutors are expected to counter that narrative with testimony from numerous women who say they were victimized by Combs over the course of several years.
Among them is his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, who famously accused Combs of rape and abuse in 2023. That lawsuit was quietly settled within 24 hours, with terms undisclosed.
Federal indictments portray Combs not just as an individual accused of misconduct, but as the leader of a coordinated criminal network that enabled his alleged abuse.
Additional charges emerged after his arrest, supported by evidence from high-profile raids on his Los Angeles and Miami homes. Investigators reportedly discovered AR-15-style rifles and a disturbing array of personal items, including over 1,000 bottles of sexual lubricant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey emphasized the magnitude of the allegations, noting that the rejected plea deal would have provided Combs with an opportunity to limit his prison exposure. That opportunity has now passed.
“The defendant has chosen to take his chances before a jury,” said one official close to the case.
With the trial expected to feature intense media coverage, graphic witness testimony, and a defense strategy based on normalization of deviance, the next several weeks could be a legal and cultural reckoning for one of the most powerful figures in music history.
If convicted on all counts, Sean Combs could spend the rest of his life behind bars.