Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Singer’s lawyers ask judge to release identities of accusers

Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs have asked a New York judge to force prosecutors to disclose the names of his accusers in his sex trafficking case.

The lawyers wrote in a letter to a Manhattan federal court judge that the hip-hop star needs to know the identities of his alleged victims so he can prepare adequately for trial.

Last week, a May 5 trial date was set for Combs. He has pleaded not guilty.

A spokesperson for prosecutors declined to comment.

Combs, 54, remains incarcerated without bail after his September 16 federal sex trafficking arrest. His lawyers have asked an appeals court to let him be freed to home detention so he can more easily meet with lawyers and prepare for trial.

So far, judges have concluded he is a danger to the community and cannot be freed.

The request to identify accusers comes a day after six new lawsuits were filed against Combs anonymously to protect the identities of the alleged victims.

Two of the accusers were identified as Jane Does while four men were listed in the lawsuits as John Does. The lawsuits claimed he used his fame and promises of boosting their own prospects in the music industry to persuade victims to attend lavish parties or drug-fuelled hangouts where he then assaulted them.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuits are part of what their lawyers say is a group of more than 100 accusers who are in the process of taking legal action against Combs.

In their letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, lawyers for Combs said the case against their client is unique in part because of the number of accusers.

They attributed the quantity to “his celebrity status, wealth and the publicity of his previously settled lawsuit.”

That reference appeared to cite a November lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura. Combs settled the lawsuit the next day, but its allegations of sexual and physical abuse have followed him since.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Ventura did.

Combs’ lawyers said the settlement of Cassie’s lawsuit, along with “false inflammatory statements” by federal agents and Combs’ fame have “had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants, spanning from the false to outright absurd.”