By Sean “Diddy” Combs returned to his cell in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center Friday after a U.S. federal judge delayed ruling on the music mogul’s ambitious $50 million bail proposal, extending his 10-week imprisonment while new allegations of witness tampering emerged.
“I will rule promptly,” U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said following a nearly two-hour hearing in Manhattan, where prosecutors revealed Combs had attempted to orchestrate a social media campaign from behind bars and used unauthorized channels to communicate with his lawyers.
The 55-year-old music producer, who appeared in court wearing standard-issue beige prison attire, blew kisses to family members before being led back to custody by U.S. Marshals. His legal team had proposed a bail package secured by his $48 million Florida mansion and including round-the-clock security monitoring.
Prosecutor Christine Slavik opposed release, unveiling evidence that Combs had previously attempted to bribe hotel staff to delete surveillance footage of him assaulting former girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in 2016. “The defendant here has demonstrated that either he cannot or will not follow rules,” Slavik argued. “The defendant, simply put, cannot be trusted.”
The Bad Boy Entertainment founder faces charges of using his business empire to facilitate sexual abuse, with prosecutors alleging he organized recorded sexual performances involving male sex workers transported across state lines. He has pleaded not guilty and been denied bail three times, with multiple judges citing witness tampering concerns.
Earlier this week, Judge Subramanian ordered prosecutors to destroy copies of Combs’ jailhouse notes, photographed during a facility sweep, pending review of attorney-client privilege claims. The case has drawn comparisons to that of former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries, though prosecutors note Combs’ criminal history and the discovery of rifles with defaced serial numbers at his residences as factors against release.
