Sean “Diddy” Combs Prosecutors said the Bad Boy Entertainment founder repeatedly contacted victims and witnesses in the months leading up to his arrest on sex trafficking and extortion charges, with the Bad Boy Entertainment founder allegedly asking one victim to continue his “friendship and support” while hinting that he would continue to pay her rent if she complied.
Days after Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November for sex trafficking and sexual assault, the hip-hop mogul allegedly made two phone calls to an unnamed victim he was financially supporting. In response to the calls, the woman allegedly texted Combs that reading Ventura’s lawsuit was like “reading my own sexual trauma,” according to Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press.
But Combs “deceived” the woman in the recorded call and “tried to convince her that she voluntarily engaged in sexual acts with him,” prosecutors said. Court papers allege that Combs “assured the victim that if she continued to stand by him and provide support and friendship, she would not have to worry about anything else, which was merely a veiled reference to the continuation of this financial support.”
At another point in the conversation, Combs allegedly told the woman that if she continued to support him, his “financial advisor shouldn't make a mistake and not get that rent.”
Combs’ witness tampering allegations were a focal point in the arguments of prosecutors in the Southern District of New York that he should remain in federal custody as the high-profile case heads to trial. Prosecutors argued that “the former billionaire’s long history of obstruction and violence demonstrates that the defendant simply cannot overcome the presumption that there is no condition or set of circumstances that could ensure the safety of the community.” “His influence makes it extremely difficult for witnesses to share their experiences and trust that the government can protect them from him,” said attorney Emily Johnson, one of the prosecutors.
Combs’ attorney, Mark Agnifilo, has argued that his client did not intimidate potential witnesses, saying Combs only reached out to people to alert them that his attorneys wanted to speak with them. However, as part of the massive $50 million bail package, Agnifilo offered to have Combs not contact known grand jury witnesses. If granted release, Combs will also undergo weekly drug tests and bar any women who are not family members from visiting his home. A judge denied his appeal Wednesday.
In the months leading up to Combs' indictment, prosecutors alleged that Combs and his co-conspirators were in “constant contact with witnesses” through several different means — sometimes after the witnesses had received subpoenas to testify before a grand jury.
Prosecutors allege that “this contact occurred prior to the dates of the testimony or meetings with the government, and in one case with an individual who had not spoken to the defendant in the years preceding this contact.”
Most recently, prosecutors alleged that there were 128 phone calls between Combs and Diddy-Dirty Money singer Kalina Harper — 58 calls and one text message directly from Combs — after Harper was named in a lawsuit filed against Combs by her bandmate Dawn Richards on Sept. 10. Prosecutors said that after Harper issued a statement distancing herself from Richards’ lawsuit, Combs never contacted Harper again.
Combs's communications with Harper were “the furthest thing I can think of from witness obstruction,” Agnifilo, Combs' attorney, said.
In a statement submitted to Rolling StoneRichard’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, said they were “shocked but not surprised” that Combs contacted a “witness who has spoken out” against Richard. “We will be seeking these text and phone messages in our lawsuit and if they show witness tampering, we will add that allegation to our lawsuit and pursue it vigorously,” Bloom added.
Although Combs’ attorneys have argued that the business mogul was careless in contacting victims and witnesses, prosecutors have pointed to documents showing that Combs expressed concern that his calls and text messages were being monitored. According to court documents, Combs allegedly told someone, “I can’t talk on these phones and stuff like that… You know what I’m saying. I can’t even talk on the phone. Like, please don’t text or don’t do anything. People misread.”
