Sean "Diddy" Combs claims several videos included in his federal racketeering and sex trafficking indictment show "fully consenting adults" participating in sexual encounters known as "Freak Offs" . Combs' attorneys claim the videos prove his "innocence" and must be turned over to his defense for independent analysis.
In a letter filed in court on Tuesday, Combs' attorney revealed that nine Freak Off videos were previously turned over to prosecutors by "Victim-1," who is known to be Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura. They claimed six videos "explicitly" depicted consensual sexual encounters in which "Victim-1 not only consented; She is clearly happy, dominant and completely in control. "
"Any impartial viewer of the video would quickly conclude that the prosecution of Mr. Combs is both sexist and puritanical," rolling stones read. “The videos clearly depict consensual sex between consenting adults in a decades-long relationship, fundamentally undermining the government’s case and Victim 1’s narrative.”
Because the videos are currently under a protective order, his attorneys claim they can only view them in person and under law enforcement surveillance. They argued that full, unabridged electronic copies were necessary so they could retain their own experts and exploit the "full exculpatory value" of the videos before trial. They said the videos formed the centerpiece of Combs' defense and that given they were not highly classified material or child pornography, Combs had a constitutional right to review their undisclosed audio portions and metadata to establish "a meaningful defend".
Marc Agnifilo, Combs' lead defense attorney, explained: "Protective orders are common in criminal cases, and in this case we have one that prevents the defense from actually possessing certain evidence. ” rolling stones. "So we applied to the court to allow us to have video evidence so we could improve audibility."
Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, triggering a criminal investigation behind the accusations. Ventura alleges in the complaint that Combs engaged in widespread violence against her and that she felt forced to participate in elaborate sexual encounters with male sex workers known as "Freak Offs." She claimed Combs would provide her with "large amounts" of drugs, including ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, marijuana and alcohol, which would help her "get out of these horrific encounters."
The lawsuit was settled within 24 hours, but opened the door to more than 40 subsequent lawsuits. Combs' home was raided in March, and in May, CNN obtained harrowing hotel surveillance video that showed Combs throwing, kicking, stomping and dragging Ventura in the hallways of the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. After first denying Ventura's accusations against him, Combs released a video apology acknowledging that his "conduct in that video was inexcusable."
Combs, 55, was arrested and charged in September and has pleaded not guilty. He is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His trial is scheduled for May.
Attempts to reach Ventura's attorney were not immediately successful Tuesday. Prosecutors are expected to respond to Combs' request for an amendment in their own follow-up filing.
Ventura turned over nine videos of so-called "Freak Offs" to prosecutors, according to Coombs and his team. "These videos make it clear that the person charged in the indictment as 'Victim 1' not only consented, but was having a great time," Combs' attorneys wrote in the letter. The attorneys said some of the videos were very dark and graphic. The audio quality was grainy and poor, so they wanted to hire their own defense experts to try and enhance the recordings and analyze the metadata. They said prosecutors could designate the videos as "Attorney Possession Only," meaning the material would be "preserved in a safe and secure manner by defense attorneys."