NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs, the hip-hop mogul and founder of Bad Boy Records, was denied bail on Wednesday by a federal judge who ruled he posed a significant risk of witness tampering ahead of his sex trafficking trial set for May.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian issued the ruling in a five-page order, agreeing with prosecutors that Combs remains a danger to the community. Subramanian cited evidence that the 54-year-old entrepreneur had attempted to hide prohibited communications with third parties while in custody and expressed concerns about his “propensity for violence.”
The ruling followed a bail hearing last week where Combs’ legal team proposed a $50 million bail package, which they argued was sufficient to guarantee his compliance with pretrial restrictions. Prosecutors, however, contended that Combs’ access to substantial financial resources and influence over associates made him a flight risk and a potential threat to prospective witnesses.
Subramanian is the third judge to deny bail for Combs since his arrest earlier this year, reinforcing prosecutors’ assertion that he should remain in detention pending trial.
“There is compelling evidence of Combs’s propensity for violence,” Subramanian wrote, pointing to past allegations and actions linked to the case.
Combs, who built a multimillion-dollar empire through music, fashion, and business ventures, has consistently denied the charges. His legal team has indicated they will continue to fight the allegations, which they have described as baseless.
The denial of bail underscores the high-profile nature of the case, which has drawn national attention and intensified scrutiny of the entertainment industry.