Federal prosecutors have dropped certain allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs in his ongoing criminal trial in New York City, including attempted kidnapping, attempted arson, and aiding and abetting s3x trafficking.
The development, which came just a day before closing arguments, was revealed in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian. Prosecutors said the decision was made in line with the judge’s directive to “streamline” the jury instructions.
While Diddy still faces multiple s3x trafficking charges, the government appears to have struggled to substantiate claims involving the alleged kidnapping of former employee Capricorn Clark, who was reportedly taken to a building and subjected to a lie detector test over missing jewelry—and singer Cassie, who was allegedly held at the London Hotel.
In addition, the prosecution is no longer pursuing the attempted arson allegation that Diddy orchestrated the explosion of rapper Kid Cudi’s car in a fit of jealousy. During the trial, no direct evidence was presented linking Diddy to the incident.
These dropped allegations were all part of the broader racketeering case against the music mogul.
Though prosecutors are not abandoning the s3x trafficking charges entirely, they have chosen to remove some elements, including aiding and abetting. They did not specify which aspects of the s3x trafficking counts would be excluded from jury consideration.
In the same letter, prosecutors requested that jurors be instructed that prior consent to sexual acts does not mean that consent cannot later be withdrawn. They also emphasized that compensation does not rule out the possibility of forced labor, a key component of s3x trafficking laws.
Furthermore, the government asked that jurors be made aware that coercion in s3x trafficking does not require physical restraint or commercial s3x acts to be proven.
