Feds vs. Diddy: The Most EXPLOSIVE Trial Hip-Hop Has Ever Seen | The Full Story - Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

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[00:00]
Unknown Speaker
Foreign.
[00:05]
Ashley Banfield
Hi, everybody. I'm Ashley Banfield and it's Sunday and I am in my Sunday tracksuit. Look, I don't typically do a whole lot of work on Sundays and it's not because it's the Lord's day or anything like that. I just work really hard during the week and I try to get downtime when I can on the weekends, but I can't today because it's Diddy day tomorrow. And I had to talk to you about this. Something that I just cannot believe. And it's not about the charges and it's not about the guys. It's about the speed at which we are at trial. Because Diddy's facing a lot of really serious charges that could put him away for the rest of his natural life. And he's only been arrested till now. It's only eight months since he was arrested to trial. And all I can think is like, you know, co Burger is two and a half years. Granted, that's a quadruple murder and it's death penalty. However, eight months is like, I mean, I've got relish in the fridge. That's eight months old, right? Eight months is so fast. And to go through the amount of evidence that prosecutors had to go through and defense attorneys had to go through all the terabytes of video and emails and communications, and you name it, I don't know how they could have done it in eight months. So I can't believe that tomorrow is upon us. That said, this is drop dead serious. I've got this for you. Tonight, I am going to give you soup to nuts. If you've been following the headlines about Diddy P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, AKA his real name, Sean Combs, and you've been thinking, what the hell is actually going on with that case? You are not alone. The accusations and now the criminal charges are jaw dropping. Sex trafficking, racketeering, drug fueled orgies, surveillance, witness intimidation, and behind all of it, one of the most powerful figures in the music industry of all time. So before we go through the timeline and all the alleged facts that led up to Diddy's upcoming federal trial that starts tomorrow, I want to take a beat and I want to walk you through who this man really is. Because understanding the gravity of these charges means understanding the gravity of Diddy. This isn't just a music producer who partied a little too hard in the 90s. This is Sean Diddy Combs. A man who built an empire from the ground up. Rags to riches. He made billions and he stood shoulder to Shoulder with. With presidents and. And pop stars and everything in between. Diddy started out as an intern. Seriously, he was an intern at Uptown Records. I told you it was rags to riches, right? But by 1993, Diddy had launched Bad Boy Records. And it didn't take long for that label to become the power player on the East Coast. Like the power player. He wasn't just behind the scenes either. He was the scene. He made hits, he discovered talent, he launched careers. Faith, Evans, Mace, and of course, the Notorious B.I.G. that partnership between Biggie and Diddy, it didn't just change hip hop. It defined Find it. Their rise wasn't just meteoric, it was cultural, but it was also complicated. Biggie was reportedly considering a break from Bad Boy right before he was gunned down in 1997. That murder is still unsolved, and it left behind a cloud of grief and a whole bunch of questions. Now, fast forward two years to 1999, when Diddy was dating JLo. Jennifer Lopez. Yeah, if you're too young to know it, it was huge. Diddy and JLo, it was everywhere. Yeah, before Ben and Jen. So Diddy and jlo, that was the height of both of their fame. They were young and they were rich and they were absolutely everywhere. But then came Club New York. December 27, 1999. Diddy and JLo were at a nightclub in Manhattan where a fight broke out. And then shots rang out. Three people were injured. Diddy and JLO jumped into a Lincoln Navigator and took off. Fled the scene, but the police caught up with them both. And inside that vehicle, a loaded 9 millimeter handgun. Diddy was arrested along with his bodyguard on weapons charges. And JLo was even hauled in. It was the kind of headline that you do not forget. Lopez was cleared very, very quickly. Okay, let's be clear about that. She was cleared. But Diddy, not so fast. He was hit with charges for weapons possession and bribery. And prosecutors say he tried to pay off his driver to take the fall for the gun. It took two years, but in 2001, Diddy was acquitted. He beat the rap. Not so for the up and coming rapper named Shine who was with him that night. He got a 10 year sentence for firing the shots. So, yes, Diddy's always had fame and power and influence, but also proximity to violence, guns and scandal. Today, Diddy is worth an estimated $400 million, thanks to his empire of music and fashion and liquor and media ventures. And since the early 2000s, Diddy has racked up three Grammys, multiple MTV and BET awards, and even a CFDA fashion award, cementing his status not just as a mogul, but as a cultural force. And the question now, as he faces federal charges for sex trafficking and racketeering, is whether the same man who dodged prison back in 2001 can do it again in 2025. So today I'm going to walk you through the full timeline of how we got here, from the first explosive lawsuit to the upcoming federal trial that could put Diddy behind bars for the rest of his life. And really, if you think of this, how crazy is it to fly so close to the sun if he's guilty, right? If you have it all, how crazy is it to be so reckless if, you know, you might be, you know, pushing the envelope, even if you're not exactly sure if you're breaking the law, but you think you might be, why would you? You have it all. You have so much to lose. Again, if he's guilty. But when was the last time we had somebody this kind of flashy, right? Someone of this star power in this kind of a trial? I was thinking back to Michael Jackson. Those charges were ugly, right? Sex crimes against kids. He walked. Harvey Weinstein. That was real dirty and pretty big, right? R. Kelly. Oof. Ugly and mean. His name became a joke forever after Wesley Snipes. Some of these are federal. Some of these are state. Danny Masterson, Bill Cosby, Jared Fogle, Peter Nygaard, Martha Stewart. Whenever you get someone who is so big and flashy walking into a courtroom, cameras are there whether they are allowed inside the courtroom or not. Cameras will watch you walk in and they'll watch you walk out, and they'll watch to see if you get cuffed, and they'll watch to see if you walk. Some of those people I just listed out, they got away with a lot. Some of those people I listed out got away with nothing. Let's rewind, shall we, to November of 2023. That's when Cassie Ventura, a singer and Diddy's longtime ex girlfriend, dropped a bombshell civil lawsuit. And in that lawsuit, she accused Puff Daddy P. Diddy Sean Combs of a decade of horrific abuse. We're talking about rape, repeated beatings, and being forced to perform sex acts with male sex workers while high on drugs in what she said were elaborate camera filled sex parties that we all know now Diddy called freak offs. She also said she was trafficked across state lines and filmed without her consent. The lawsuit came under New York's Adult Survivors act just one day after it was filed, though it was settled. Gone out of court one day after it was filed. Almost like he had to be pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed until filing day. For whatever reason, he let filing happen and settled right away, hoping maybe no one saw it. Yeah, that doesn't happen when your name is Sean Combs. I think there's an algorithm now that just probably Combs every court record in America for famous names. If it gets filed, it's going on the tv, right? So this one with Cassie settled out of court. No admission of wrongdoing, no public apology, just gone. But the allegations didn't disappear. In fact, they triggered a much, much bigger problem. An investigation led by the federal authorities. They basically looked at Cassie's lawsuit as a blueprint for how to study this guy and see if he committed crimes. Fast forward to March 25, 2024. This was a scene straight out of a movie. Like Homeland Security agents descending upon Diddy's homes, raiding his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. And the raid happened simultaneously. Right. They were not just looking for documents. According to officials, they were searching for evidence tied to a sex trafficking enterprise. And sources say agents seized 96 electronic devices, as well as hard drives, narcotics like ketamine and ecstasy, and several unregistered, illegally modified firearms. Oh, and I almost forgot the thing that really made this story take off. They seized, they said, more than a thousand bottles of baby oil and sex lubricants. And, yeah, I'm with you. That one sounded like it was a typo, like, too insane to be true. I cannot wait for that day of testimony. I can't wait for all the photos. But all of it became part of a sweeping federal case that prosecutors say, well, lays out a, quote, criminal enterprise. Remember those words, criminal enterprise. It is so key to the case and what the jurors are going to have to decide. Criminal enterprise. Get into it later. But they say that this criminal enterprise dated back two decades. In September 2024, the first federal indictment dropped, and Sean Diddy Combs was officially cuffed, arrested in Manhattan. And the charges, sex trafficking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, bribery, conspiracy to transport individuals across state lines for prostitution. Prosecutors say that Sean Combs used his entire business empire, including bad boy records and his alcohol brands as a cover in order to recruit, groom, and exploit and silence his victims. And that he did it repeatedly for years. They call it the, quote, Combs enterprise. And the centerpiece of it, you guessed it, the free coughs. And I'm betting that maybe the baby oil, too, if I read the prosecutor's indictment right. According to the indictment, and multiple witnesses. Diddy hosted private sex parties where women were allegedly drugged, coerced, and filmed without their consent, sometimes forced to perform sex acts on strangers or male sex workers. And if they said no? The indictment says that violence and intimidation weren't just possible. They were the norm. One victim says Sean Combs once dangled someone off a balcony just to send a message. Now, if you're wondering whether this is all just based on Cassie's word, it is allegedly not just based on Cassie's word. The indictment includes at least two named victims and a whole slew of unnamed ones.
[12:46]
Tania Wallace
Tania Wallace, who claims she's been at a free cough and said she saw children. And it was hard for her to say.
[12:55]
Courtney Burgess
Was very hard for her to say it. Ashley. So what she said was that she was flown out from LA to Miami by the Saudi prince, and they ended up eventually on Star island at one of Diddy's parties, she says, among many other things. I mean, she goes into detail. This, she says, happened in 2018. She says that she walked into the house and there was a cluster of adults around what she described as little people. And they were dressed up as Japanese Barbies. I forgot the name. It's Heruk something. You can help me out here. It's a certain type of Barbie. Anyway.
[13:42]
Tania Wallace
I know I know the name, but I've forgotten it, but go ahead.
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Courtney Burgess
So she explained that they were just clustered around these little people.
[13:52]
Harvey Levin
And I kept pushing her.
[13:54]
Courtney Burgess
And she eventually said, look, they are little people who should not be at an adult party. And I pushed her. And it was apparent what she was saying is they were minors. Now, she didn't see anything specific that was going on with them other than they. That adults were kind of huddled around them. But she told just a wild story about what was going on at the house, even at seven in the morning that this thing apparently raged all night long.
[14:28]
Tania Wallace
You know, it's amazing. TMZ always gets such great scoops, and this one might be one of your best as well. You got ahold of one of the free Coff tapes. Your producers have seen it. The description is, and I'll quote, it's porn directed by Diddy himself. And a male sex worker really sort of walks through what happened in the experiences that he had. They didn't sound illegal, but they sure seem to comport with a lot of the other stories that have been told. Because my next guest just testified before a federal grand jury. He says he was in possession of a trove of digital evidence from Diddy's.
[15:07]
Ashley Banfield
Freak offs and parties. His name is Courtney Burgess, and he.
[15:11]
Tania Wallace
Says a friend gave him 11 flash drives that belonged to the late Kim Porter.
[15:17]
Ashley Banfield
And if you follow this story, you'll.
[15:19]
Tania Wallace
Know that Kim Porter is Diddy's ex girlfriend and the mother of four of his kids. On those drives, the witness says eight videos featured eight celebrities at Diddy freakoffs or parties and that six were males, two were females. The drive also included a manuscript of an alleged Kim Porter memoir, A memoir.
[15:43]
Ashley Banfield
That her four kids insist is fake.
[15:45]
Tania Wallace
Out of those eight videos, eight celebrities, six men and two women. How many of those eight celebrities were close to being underage or potentially underage?
[15:57]
Unknown Speaker
Two males.
[15:59]
Tania Wallace
Two males. And of those eight celebrities, how many of them were intoxicated or under the influence of drugs?
[16:12]
Unknown Speaker
This is going to be all speculation. I just want to preface it by he wouldn't know if people appeared to be or appear to be. Let me rephrase it based on yes, understand.
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Tania Wallace
Out of the eight celebrities who were recorded having intimate relations with Sean Combs, how many of them appear to be either inebriated or intoxicated or into the.
[16:33]
Unknown Speaker
Influence of all of them? All of them.
[16:37]
Tania Wallace
Out of those eight, how many appear to be potentially victimized? How many might have been victimizing?
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Unknown Speaker
I think all, to be honest, all.
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Tania Wallace
Were victims or were perpetrated? They were.
[16:54]
Ashley Banfield
All eight were victimized.
[16:56]
Tania Wallace
Meaning this was happening to them and they were inebriated.
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Unknown Speaker
Right. Not knowing, I guess, how much proof it was in it, whatever they was doing.
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Tania Wallace
And of those eight, how many seemed to be potentially minors?
[17:15]
Unknown Speaker
Two to three. It possibly three.
[17:19]
Tania Wallace
Two to three. Also on the flash drives, Courtney was a. What looked to be a manuscript written by.
[17:29]
Ashley Banfield
It appears to be a woman who.
[17:31]
Tania Wallace
Had taken Kim Porter's private journals and had written a book. Is that accurate?
[17:37]
Unknown Speaker
We don't know. We don't know how.
[17:39]
Yeah, I don't know how who wrote it, put it together, but it was from her when I spoke to her.
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Tania Wallace
What you received on the flash drives, was it the completed book or was it notes from Kim Porter that later were made into a book?
[17:58]
Unknown Speaker
It was completed. It was only 60. About 54 pages.
[18:03]
Ashley Banfield
Sure.
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Tania Wallace
And in the beginning it says, kim made me promise that if something happened to her, I would make sure this book became public to the world. The way Sean moved, I knew that was a promise I would have to fulfill. Kim knew I was a woman of my word, and this book was going to make it to print. So it sounds like it is a woman who wrote up the notes from Kim Porter.
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Ashley Banfield
Does that Sound accurate?
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Unknown Speaker
Have you read it? Yes. I haven't even read the book.
[18:33]
Ashley Banfield
And In April of 2025, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment. Basically more bigger. Ouch. It expanded the timeline and added more charges, including forced labor and even more additional sex trafficking allegations involving a second victim. Between 2021 and 2024. One alleged victim is expected to testify that Sean Combs drugged and raped her, while a second says she was repeatedly flown across the country for sex under threat of financial and physical harm. Prosecutors say these were not one off encounters, but that it was a pattern, a system, a business, an enterprise. That's what's key. If the prosecutors can show these jurors that this kind of stuff was a business with unwilling participants, you know, it's game over. They check a lot of boxes now. Sean Combs, for his part, has denied everything. And when I say denied everything, every single day I've had a statement from Sean Combs legal team saying, not true, no way. These are people with access to grind. You name the denial. But it has come in many different shapes and forms. And Sean Combs has even sued as a, you know, way of combating all of this awfulness that has come his way, me included.
[19:56]
Tania Wallace
His lawyers tell tmz, and I quote, no matter how many lawsuits are filed, especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone, man or woman, adult or minor.
[20:15]
Ashley Banfield
His lawyers say the sexual encounters were consensual and that this is nothing more than a smear campaign driven by fame, money, and opportunism. Remember that whole enterprise thing? Well, two can play at that game is basically what they say. They claim that some of the accusers are disgruntled employees and that they've tried more than once to argue that the government is criminalizing Diddy's lifestyle and that his behavior does not amount to actual crimes. It's not illegal to be freaky, right? It's not illegal to have sex parties. It is not illegal to be a swinger. And by the way, prepare to hear the word swinger. And swinging and swinging lifestyle a whole lot in this case because they actually litigated the ability to say swinger because they don't like freak offs. But if Sean Combs can tell this jury, hey, y'all, look at me. Yeah, I'm the shit and I'm sexy and I'm a swinger and I do these things and everybody's consenting to it, then he walks. Right. It's not illegal to be a swinger. It's not illegal to have big old greasy baby oil sex parties. That's a high road, right, to climb for the, for the feds. Coercion and that kind of stuff. That's. That's tricky.
[21:33]
Tania Wallace
TMZ's Harvey Levin wondered the very same thing.
[21:35]
Ashley Banfield
So he put together a mock jury and he gave them the case.
[21:40]
Tania Wallace
And the results are pretty jaw dropping. The project is called tmz, the Downfall.
[21:45]
Ashley Banfield
Of Diddy, the Defense.
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Unknown Speaker
But the coercion piece is somebody mentioned about, you know, people wanting their career to blow up or whatever. That's coercion. I mean, it's different modes of coercion and whether or not, you know, you shouldn't make that choice. You did make a choice, but it's coercion that has nothing to do with.
[22:01]
Ashley Banfield
Sex trafficking and prostituting. No, but that's for the purpose of a commercial sex act, right?
[22:06]
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, but I don't see the coercion part, you know, because if like, he willingly did it and then the person willingly accepted.
[22:12]
Ashley Banfield
I don't.
[22:15]
Harvey Levin
I was stunned. I wasn't sure. You know, we showed them the prosecution's case in broad strokes, and we showed them the defense's case because our new documentary is the Downfall of Diddy, His Defense. So we showed them both and then we asked them to deliberate. It is a diverse group, and I wasn't sure how they were going to dig in to the three counts against Diddy. We're talking about racketeering, sex trafficking, and the Man Act. And I wasn't sure if they'd grasp it, if they'd understand it.
[22:50]
Courtney Burgess
And I'm telling you, Ashley, they drilled.
[22:52]
Harvey Levin
Down and they hit big issues. And if you think, as many people do because of what they've heard, that this is going to be a slam dunk for prosecutors. If you look at this mock jury, it's not. It is not. They had all sorts of questions, questions about consent, that the three alleged victims here are ex girlfriends. And there were some jurors who were raising the issue. How can you show coercion or duress when somebody is in a long term relationship with him? We raise issues, or they raised issues about the racketeering charge, which requires proof of a profit. And there were jurors who were really questioning what kind of profit did he make off of all of this. So they really got into it and.
[23:46]
Courtney Burgess
They end up voting.
[23:48]
Harvey Levin
And I'm not going to reveal the vote, but it is super interesting.
[23:53]
Ashley Banfield
So the feds for their part, they are not backing down on any of this. And despite Diddy's legal team's best efforts, Combs has been denied bail. And he's been denied bail over and over again. He put together some really good packages, too. Like, he put his mansions up as collateral. Didn't matter. The Feds basically said, we are too worried about Diddy getting out. And even if he's, like, under surveillance and wearing a, you know, a device on his ankle. And they were so worried about his ability to coerce some of the witnesses and pressure them to not testify or change testimony, they said, it's just. It can't be done. He can't be released. He has too many sycophantic people around him who will help him do this. So he remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention center in Brooklyn awaiting the trial of his life. Like a couple decades ago, that was like child's play. That was like a weapons. That was. That was nothing. This is huge. So what happens next? The trial is scheduled to begin May 5, 2025. Remember, I told you I'm wearing my Sunday tracksuit because today is May 4th. May 4th be with you. This thing starts in less than 24 hours in Manhattan Federal court, and it's expected to last up to 10 weeks, because, again, this is federal court. And by the way, while I'm on the subject of federal court, and this is where I get bitchy, you're not going to see this except in those stupid sketches that always come out of federal court because the feds don't allow cameras. Don't get me started. Proceedings will not be televised. Don't get me started. But trust me, the details. Yeah, you can't hold that back. Still a public process. Journalists and bloggers and the public, they can still be a part of this process. Yeah, it's still America. We don't hood people, apparently. Although I think when you can't put a camera in a courtroom, you're halfway there. The details are going to spill out of this courtroom every single minute. And if convicted, Sean Diddy Combs could face decades behind bars. And by the way, let me remind you, he may look great, but he is 55 years old. And I will tell you this inside the courtroom. He showed up just a couple of days ago with a new fade, and he's, like, really gray. His goatee is all gray. He's looking a lot older and a lot skinnier. So you'll probably see some kind of, like I said, crappy courtroom sketch that will show a ditty that maybe you don't recognize and maybe the jury will think that's not the ditty. I know. This is a different ditty. This is an old dude. He doesn't look like a freak off guy. I mean, looks matter, right? But if they don't think that and they think he's guilty, Combs could face decades behind bars. And what that means at that age is life. It means life, right? This is not just a celebrity scandal anymore. It is a federal trafficking case built on surveillance devices, victim statements and years and years of alleged cover ups. And you can bet your bottom dollar we're going to be covering it all with daily updates in not a tracksuit. But you know what, thank you so much for listening to my Sunday rant. Right? I'll be back on Monday. I so appreciate having you here. If you're watching on YouTube, if you're listening on the podcast, I really appreciate it. Leave me a comment. Tell me what you think. I'm Ashley Banfield and please remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.

Summary6 min read

Summary of "Feds vs. Diddy: The Most EXPLOSIVE Trial Hip-Hop Has Ever Seen | The Full Story"

Podcast Information

Title: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Episode: Feds vs. Diddy: The Most EXPLOSIVE Trial Hip-Hop Has Ever Seen | The Full Story
Release Date: May 4, 2025

Introduction to the Trial

In the latest episode of "Drop Dead Serious," Ashleigh Banfield delves into the explosive federal trial surrounding Sean "Diddy" Combs, one of hip-hop's most influential figures. Banfield expresses her astonishment at the rapid progression from Diddy's arrest to his impending trial, highlighting the gravity of the charges he faces.

Ashleigh Banfield [00:04]: "...the speed at which we are at trial. Because Diddy's facing a lot of really serious charges that could put him away for the rest of his natural life."

Background on Sean "Diddy" Combs

Rise to Fame

Sean Combs, known professionally as Diddy, transformed from an intern at Uptown Records to the powerhouse behind Bad Boy Records in 1993. Under his leadership, the label became a dominant force on the East Coast, launching the careers of artists like Faith Evans, Mace, and the Notorious B.I.G. His partnership with Biggie not only revolutionized hip-hop but also left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.

Ashleigh Banfield [02:15]: "Diddy started out as an intern. Seriously, he was an intern at Uptown Records... By 1993, Diddy had launched Bad Boy Records."

Notable Incidents

Diddy's prominence hasn't shielded him from controversy. In December 1999, he and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were involved in a nightclub altercation in Manhattan, leading to arrests on weapons charges. While Lopez was quickly cleared, Diddy faced charges that were eventually dismissed in 2001. Despite this, his proximity to violence and scandal has been a recurring theme in his career.

Ashleigh Banfield [04:30]: "But Diddy, not so fast. He was hit with charges for weapons possession and bribery... In 2001, Diddy was acquitted. He beat the rap."

Allegations and Legal Developments

2023 Lawsuit by Cassie Ventura

The case against Diddy intensified in November 2023 when Cassie Ventura, a singer and Diddy's longtime ex-girlfriend, filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of a decade-long pattern of abuse, including rape and forced participation in sex acts. Although the lawsuit was settled out of court shortly after filing, it served as a catalyst for further federal investigations.

Ashleigh Banfield [12:00]: "Cassie Ventura... accused Puff Daddy P. Diddy Sean Combs of a decade of horrific abuse."

Federal Investigation and Indictments

Following Cassie's allegations, federal authorities launched a comprehensive investigation. In March 2024, Homeland Security agents raided Diddy's residences in Los Angeles and Miami, seizing electronic devices, narcotics, firearms, and an astonishing quantity of baby oil and sex lubricants. These raids were part of a broader effort to uncover evidence of a sex trafficking enterprise allegedly orchestrated by Diddy.

Ashleigh Banfield [03:45]: "Prosecutors say Sean Combs used his entire business empire... to recruit, groom, and exploit and silence his victims."

Expansion of Charges in 2025

By April 2025, prosecutors had filed a superseding indictment, expanding the charges against Diddy to include forced labor and additional sex trafficking allegations. The indictment outlined a pattern of coercion, intimidation, and exploitation, portraying Diddy's operations as a systematic criminal enterprise.

Ashleigh Banfield [17:00]: "He has too many sycophantic people around him who will help him do this. So he remains behind bars..."

Details of the Charges

Sex Trafficking and Racketeering

The core of the prosecution's case revolves around accusations of sex trafficking and racketeering. Diddy is alleged to have hosted private sex parties—referred to as "freak offs"—where participants were coerced, drugged, and recorded without consent. These events reportedly involved both adults and minors, blurring the lines between consensual activities and criminal exploitation.

Courtney Burgess [12:54]: "She says that they were just clustered around these little people."

Obstruction of Justice and Other Charges

Additional charges include obstruction of justice, kidnapping, bribery, and conspiracy to transport individuals across state lines for prostitution. Prosecutors argue that Diddy's vast business empire served as a facade for his illicit activities, enabling him to operate with impunity and silence victims.

Ashleigh Banfield [19:55]: "Sean Diddy Combs... used his entire business empire... to recruit, groom, and exploit and silence his victims."

Defense and Public Reaction

Denials by Sean Combs and Legal Team

Diddy's legal team has vehemently denied all allegations, framing them as a smear campaign motivated by fame and money. They argue that the sexual encounters were consensual and that accusers are disgruntled employees attempting to tarnish his reputation.

Diddy’s Lawyers [20:14]: "... it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone..."

Comparisons to Other High-Profile Cases

Banfield draws parallels between Diddy's case and other high-profile scandals involving celebrities like Michael Jackson, Harvey Weinstein, and R. Kelly. She underscores the intensity of media scrutiny and public interest in such trials, given the defendants' vast influence and notoriety.

Ashleigh Banfield [08:00]: "When was the last time we had somebody this kind of flashy... in this kind of a trial?"

Mock Jury Study

Findings by Harvey Levin

To gauge public perception, Harvey Levin conducted a mock jury study by presenting both the prosecution's and defense's cases to a diverse group. Contrary to expectations, the mock jury exhibited significant skepticism about the prosecution's case, raising questions about consent and the nature of the alleged crimes.

Harvey Levin [22:05]: "... if you look at this mock jury, it's not. It is not."

Ashleigh Banfield [23:00]: "They really got into it and they hit big issues."

Current Status and Upcoming Trial

Bail Denials

Despite Diddy's attempts to secure bail by offering his mansions as collateral, federal authorities have consistently denied his requests. The prosecution expressed concerns over his potential to influence witnesses and orchestrate further cover-ups, leading to his continued detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

Ashleigh Banfield [20:00]: "He remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention center in Brooklyn awaiting the trial of his life."

Trial Schedule and Expectations

The trial is set to commence on May 5, 2025, in Manhattan Federal Court and is anticipated to last approximately ten weeks. Given the severity of the charges and the high-profile nature of the case, the proceedings are expected to attract extensive media attention, despite federal restrictions on courtroom photography.

Ashleigh Banfield [21:00]: "... the trial is scheduled to begin May 5, 2025... it is expected to last up to 10 weeks."

Possible Outcomes

A conviction could result in Diddy facing decades in prison, effectively ending his career and legacy. The case represents a significant moment in the intersection of celebrity culture and the legal system, with potential implications for how similar cases are handled in the future.

Ashleigh Banfield [22:30]: "If convicted, Sean Diddy Combs could face decades behind bars... it means life."

Conclusion and Anticipated Coverage

Ashleigh Banfield emphasizes the unprecedented nature of Diddy's trial within the hip-hop community and the broader cultural landscape. She commits to providing comprehensive coverage, offering daily updates and in-depth analysis as the trial unfolds.

Ashleigh Banfield [23:55]: "It is a federal trafficking case built on surveillance devices, victim statements and years and years of alleged cover ups. And you can bet your bottom dollar we're going to be covering it all with daily updates..."

Banfield concludes with a personal note, thanking listeners and reaffirming the podcast's commitment to uncovering the truth behind one of the most sensational trials in recent history.

Ashleigh Banfield [24:30]: "I'm Ashleigh Banfield and please remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

Ashleigh Banfield [00:04]: Expresses disbelief at the rapid progression of Diddy's trial.
Courtney Burgess [12:54]: Details from a victim’s account of Diddy's parties.
Ashleigh Banfield [19:55]: Highlights the prosecution's use of Diddy's business empire in their case.
Harvey Levin [22:05]: Discusses the unexpected skepticism from the mock jury.
Ashleigh Banfield [23:55]: Commits to providing comprehensive trial coverage.

Final Thoughts

The trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs represents a landmark moment in the realm of celebrity legal battles. With a complex web of allegations and a high-stakes courtroom drama unfolding, "Drop Dead Serious" promises to offer listeners an exhaustive exploration of the facts, testimonies, and legal maneuvers that will determine the outcome of this monumental case.

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Transcript56 lines

[00:00]
Unknown Speaker
Foreign.
[00:05]
Ashley Banfield
Hi, everybody. I'm Ashley Banfield and it's Sunday and I am in my Sunday tracksuit. Look, I don't typically do a whole lot of work on Sundays and it's not because it's the Lord's day or anything like that. I just work really hard during the week and I try to get downtime when I can on the weekends, but I can't today because it's Diddy day tomorrow. And I had to talk to you about this. Something that I just cannot believe. And it's not about the charges and it's not about the guys. It's about the speed at which we are at trial. Because Diddy's facing a lot of really serious charges that could put him away for the rest of his natural life. And he's only been arrested till now. It's only eight months since he was arrested to trial. And all I can think is like, you know, co Burger is two and a half years. Granted, that's a quadruple murder and it's death penalty. However, eight months is like, I mean, I've got relish in the fridge. That's eight months old, right? Eight months is so fast. And to go through the amount of evidence that prosecutors had to go through and defense attorneys had to go through all the terabytes of video and emails and communications, and you name it, I don't know how they could have done it in eight months. So I can't believe that tomorrow is upon us. That said, this is drop dead serious. I've got this for you. Tonight, I am going to give you soup to nuts. If you've been following the headlines about Diddy P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, AKA his real name, Sean Combs, and you've been thinking, what the hell is actually going on with that case? You are not alone. The accusations and now the criminal charges are jaw dropping. Sex trafficking, racketeering, drug fueled orgies, surveillance, witness intimidation, and behind all of it, one of the most powerful figures in the music industry of all time. So before we go through the timeline and all the alleged facts that led up to Diddy's upcoming federal trial that starts tomorrow, I want to take a beat and I want to walk you through who this man really is. Because understanding the gravity of these charges means understanding the gravity of Diddy. This isn't just a music producer who partied a little too hard in the 90s. This is Sean Diddy Combs. A man who built an empire from the ground up. Rags to riches. He made billions and he stood shoulder to Shoulder with. With presidents and. And pop stars and everything in between. Diddy started out as an intern. Seriously, he was an intern at Uptown Records. I told you it was rags to riches, right? But by 1993, Diddy had launched Bad Boy Records. And it didn't take long for that label to become the power player on the East Coast. Like the power player. He wasn't just behind the scenes either. He was the scene. He made hits, he discovered talent, he launched careers. Faith, Evans, Mace, and of course, the Notorious B.I.G. that partnership between Biggie and Diddy, it didn't just change hip hop. It defined Find it. Their rise wasn't just meteoric, it was cultural, but it was also complicated. Biggie was reportedly considering a break from Bad Boy right before he was gunned down in 1997. That murder is still unsolved, and it left behind a cloud of grief and a whole bunch of questions. Now, fast forward two years to 1999, when Diddy was dating JLo. Jennifer Lopez. Yeah, if you're too young to know it, it was huge. Diddy and JLo, it was everywhere. Yeah, before Ben and Jen. So Diddy and jlo, that was the height of both of their fame. They were young and they were rich and they were absolutely everywhere. But then came Club New York. December 27, 1999. Diddy and JLo were at a nightclub in Manhattan where a fight broke out. And then shots rang out. Three people were injured. Diddy and JLO jumped into a Lincoln Navigator and took off. Fled the scene, but the police caught up with them both. And inside that vehicle, a loaded 9 millimeter handgun. Diddy was arrested along with his bodyguard on weapons charges. And JLo was even hauled in. It was the kind of headline that you do not forget. Lopez was cleared very, very quickly. Okay, let's be clear about that. She was cleared. But Diddy, not so fast. He was hit with charges for weapons possession and bribery. And prosecutors say he tried to pay off his driver to take the fall for the gun. It took two years, but in 2001, Diddy was acquitted. He beat the rap. Not so for the up and coming rapper named Shine who was with him that night. He got a 10 year sentence for firing the shots. So, yes, Diddy's always had fame and power and influence, but also proximity to violence, guns and scandal. Today, Diddy is worth an estimated $400 million, thanks to his empire of music and fashion and liquor and media ventures. And since the early 2000s, Diddy has racked up three Grammys, multiple MTV and BET awards, and even a CFDA fashion award, cementing his status not just as a mogul, but as a cultural force. And the question now, as he faces federal charges for sex trafficking and racketeering, is whether the same man who dodged prison back in 2001 can do it again in 2025. So today I'm going to walk you through the full timeline of how we got here, from the first explosive lawsuit to the upcoming federal trial that could put Diddy behind bars for the rest of his life. And really, if you think of this, how crazy is it to fly so close to the sun if he's guilty, right? If you have it all, how crazy is it to be so reckless if, you know, you might be, you know, pushing the envelope, even if you're not exactly sure if you're breaking the law, but you think you might be, why would you? You have it all. You have so much to lose. Again, if he's guilty. But when was the last time we had somebody this kind of flashy, right? Someone of this star power in this kind of a trial? I was thinking back to Michael Jackson. Those charges were ugly, right? Sex crimes against kids. He walked. Harvey Weinstein. That was real dirty and pretty big, right? R. Kelly. Oof. Ugly and mean. His name became a joke forever after Wesley Snipes. Some of these are federal. Some of these are state. Danny Masterson, Bill Cosby, Jared Fogle, Peter Nygaard, Martha Stewart. Whenever you get someone who is so big and flashy walking into a courtroom, cameras are there whether they are allowed inside the courtroom or not. Cameras will watch you walk in and they'll watch you walk out, and they'll watch to see if you get cuffed, and they'll watch to see if you walk. Some of those people I just listed out, they got away with a lot. Some of those people I listed out got away with nothing. Let's rewind, shall we, to November of 2023. That's when Cassie Ventura, a singer and Diddy's longtime ex girlfriend, dropped a bombshell civil lawsuit. And in that lawsuit, she accused Puff Daddy P. Diddy Sean Combs of a decade of horrific abuse. We're talking about rape, repeated beatings, and being forced to perform sex acts with male sex workers while high on drugs in what she said were elaborate camera filled sex parties that we all know now Diddy called freak offs. She also said she was trafficked across state lines and filmed without her consent. The lawsuit came under New York's Adult Survivors act just one day after it was filed, though it was settled. Gone out of court one day after it was filed. Almost like he had to be pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed, pushed until filing day. For whatever reason, he let filing happen and settled right away, hoping maybe no one saw it. Yeah, that doesn't happen when your name is Sean Combs. I think there's an algorithm now that just probably Combs every court record in America for famous names. If it gets filed, it's going on the tv, right? So this one with Cassie settled out of court. No admission of wrongdoing, no public apology, just gone. But the allegations didn't disappear. In fact, they triggered a much, much bigger problem. An investigation led by the federal authorities. They basically looked at Cassie's lawsuit as a blueprint for how to study this guy and see if he committed crimes. Fast forward to March 25, 2024. This was a scene straight out of a movie. Like Homeland Security agents descending upon Diddy's homes, raiding his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. And the raid happened simultaneously. Right. They were not just looking for documents. According to officials, they were searching for evidence tied to a sex trafficking enterprise. And sources say agents seized 96 electronic devices, as well as hard drives, narcotics like ketamine and ecstasy, and several unregistered, illegally modified firearms. Oh, and I almost forgot the thing that really made this story take off. They seized, they said, more than a thousand bottles of baby oil and sex lubricants. And, yeah, I'm with you. That one sounded like it was a typo, like, too insane to be true. I cannot wait for that day of testimony. I can't wait for all the photos. But all of it became part of a sweeping federal case that prosecutors say, well, lays out a, quote, criminal enterprise. Remember those words, criminal enterprise. It is so key to the case and what the jurors are going to have to decide. Criminal enterprise. Get into it later. But they say that this criminal enterprise dated back two decades. In September 2024, the first federal indictment dropped, and Sean Diddy Combs was officially cuffed, arrested in Manhattan. And the charges, sex trafficking, racketeering, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, bribery, conspiracy to transport individuals across state lines for prostitution. Prosecutors say that Sean Combs used his entire business empire, including bad boy records and his alcohol brands as a cover in order to recruit, groom, and exploit and silence his victims. And that he did it repeatedly for years. They call it the, quote, Combs enterprise. And the centerpiece of it, you guessed it, the free coughs. And I'm betting that maybe the baby oil, too, if I read the prosecutor's indictment right. According to the indictment, and multiple witnesses. Diddy hosted private sex parties where women were allegedly drugged, coerced, and filmed without their consent, sometimes forced to perform sex acts on strangers or male sex workers. And if they said no? The indictment says that violence and intimidation weren't just possible. They were the norm. One victim says Sean Combs once dangled someone off a balcony just to send a message. Now, if you're wondering whether this is all just based on Cassie's word, it is allegedly not just based on Cassie's word. The indictment includes at least two named victims and a whole slew of unnamed ones.
[12:46]
Tania Wallace
Tania Wallace, who claims she's been at a free cough and said she saw children. And it was hard for her to say.
[12:55]
Courtney Burgess
Was very hard for her to say it. Ashley. So what she said was that she was flown out from LA to Miami by the Saudi prince, and they ended up eventually on Star island at one of Diddy's parties, she says, among many other things. I mean, she goes into detail. This, she says, happened in 2018. She says that she walked into the house and there was a cluster of adults around what she described as little people. And they were dressed up as Japanese Barbies. I forgot the name. It's Heruk something. You can help me out here. It's a certain type of Barbie. Anyway.
[13:42]
Tania Wallace
I know I know the name, but I've forgotten it, but go ahead.
[13:45]
Courtney Burgess
So she explained that they were just clustered around these little people.
[13:52]
Harvey Levin
And I kept pushing her.
[13:54]
Courtney Burgess
And she eventually said, look, they are little people who should not be at an adult party. And I pushed her. And it was apparent what she was saying is they were minors. Now, she didn't see anything specific that was going on with them other than they. That adults were kind of huddled around them. But she told just a wild story about what was going on at the house, even at seven in the morning that this thing apparently raged all night long.
[14:28]
Tania Wallace
You know, it's amazing. TMZ always gets such great scoops, and this one might be one of your best as well. You got ahold of one of the free Coff tapes. Your producers have seen it. The description is, and I'll quote, it's porn directed by Diddy himself. And a male sex worker really sort of walks through what happened in the experiences that he had. They didn't sound illegal, but they sure seem to comport with a lot of the other stories that have been told. Because my next guest just testified before a federal grand jury. He says he was in possession of a trove of digital evidence from Diddy's.
[15:07]
Ashley Banfield
Freak offs and parties. His name is Courtney Burgess, and he.
[15:11]
Tania Wallace
Says a friend gave him 11 flash drives that belonged to the late Kim Porter.
[15:17]
Ashley Banfield
And if you follow this story, you'll.
[15:19]
Tania Wallace
Know that Kim Porter is Diddy's ex girlfriend and the mother of four of his kids. On those drives, the witness says eight videos featured eight celebrities at Diddy freakoffs or parties and that six were males, two were females. The drive also included a manuscript of an alleged Kim Porter memoir, A memoir.
[15:43]
Ashley Banfield
That her four kids insist is fake.
[15:45]
Tania Wallace
Out of those eight videos, eight celebrities, six men and two women. How many of those eight celebrities were close to being underage or potentially underage?
[15:57]
Unknown Speaker
Two males.
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Tania Wallace
Two males. And of those eight celebrities, how many of them were intoxicated or under the influence of drugs?
[16:12]
Unknown Speaker
This is going to be all speculation. I just want to preface it by he wouldn't know if people appeared to be or appear to be. Let me rephrase it based on yes, understand.
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Tania Wallace
Out of the eight celebrities who were recorded having intimate relations with Sean Combs, how many of them appear to be either inebriated or intoxicated or into the.
[16:33]
Unknown Speaker
Influence of all of them? All of them.
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Tania Wallace
Out of those eight, how many appear to be potentially victimized? How many might have been victimizing?
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Unknown Speaker
I think all, to be honest, all.
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Tania Wallace
Were victims or were perpetrated? They were.
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Ashley Banfield
All eight were victimized.
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Tania Wallace
Meaning this was happening to them and they were inebriated.
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Unknown Speaker
Right. Not knowing, I guess, how much proof it was in it, whatever they was doing.
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Tania Wallace
And of those eight, how many seemed to be potentially minors?
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Unknown Speaker
Two to three. It possibly three.
[17:19]
Tania Wallace
Two to three. Also on the flash drives, Courtney was a. What looked to be a manuscript written by.
[17:29]
Ashley Banfield
It appears to be a woman who.
[17:31]
Tania Wallace
Had taken Kim Porter's private journals and had written a book. Is that accurate?
[17:37]
Unknown Speaker
We don't know. We don't know how.
[17:39]
Yeah, I don't know how who wrote it, put it together, but it was from her when I spoke to her.
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Tania Wallace
What you received on the flash drives, was it the completed book or was it notes from Kim Porter that later were made into a book?
[17:58]
Unknown Speaker
It was completed. It was only 60. About 54 pages.
[18:03]
Ashley Banfield
Sure.
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Tania Wallace
And in the beginning it says, kim made me promise that if something happened to her, I would make sure this book became public to the world. The way Sean moved, I knew that was a promise I would have to fulfill. Kim knew I was a woman of my word, and this book was going to make it to print. So it sounds like it is a woman who wrote up the notes from Kim Porter.
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Ashley Banfield
Does that Sound accurate?
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Unknown Speaker
Have you read it? Yes. I haven't even read the book.
[18:33]
Ashley Banfield
And In April of 2025, prosecutors filed a superseding indictment. Basically more bigger. Ouch. It expanded the timeline and added more charges, including forced labor and even more additional sex trafficking allegations involving a second victim. Between 2021 and 2024. One alleged victim is expected to testify that Sean Combs drugged and raped her, while a second says she was repeatedly flown across the country for sex under threat of financial and physical harm. Prosecutors say these were not one off encounters, but that it was a pattern, a system, a business, an enterprise. That's what's key. If the prosecutors can show these jurors that this kind of stuff was a business with unwilling participants, you know, it's game over. They check a lot of boxes now. Sean Combs, for his part, has denied everything. And when I say denied everything, every single day I've had a statement from Sean Combs legal team saying, not true, no way. These are people with access to grind. You name the denial. But it has come in many different shapes and forms. And Sean Combs has even sued as a, you know, way of combating all of this awfulness that has come his way, me included.
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Tania Wallace
His lawyers tell tmz, and I quote, no matter how many lawsuits are filed, especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims, it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone, man or woman, adult or minor.
[20:15]
Ashley Banfield
His lawyers say the sexual encounters were consensual and that this is nothing more than a smear campaign driven by fame, money, and opportunism. Remember that whole enterprise thing? Well, two can play at that game is basically what they say. They claim that some of the accusers are disgruntled employees and that they've tried more than once to argue that the government is criminalizing Diddy's lifestyle and that his behavior does not amount to actual crimes. It's not illegal to be freaky, right? It's not illegal to have sex parties. It is not illegal to be a swinger. And by the way, prepare to hear the word swinger. And swinging and swinging lifestyle a whole lot in this case because they actually litigated the ability to say swinger because they don't like freak offs. But if Sean Combs can tell this jury, hey, y'all, look at me. Yeah, I'm the shit and I'm sexy and I'm a swinger and I do these things and everybody's consenting to it, then he walks. Right. It's not illegal to be a swinger. It's not illegal to have big old greasy baby oil sex parties. That's a high road, right, to climb for the, for the feds. Coercion and that kind of stuff. That's. That's tricky.
[21:33]
Tania Wallace
TMZ's Harvey Levin wondered the very same thing.
[21:35]
Ashley Banfield
So he put together a mock jury and he gave them the case.
[21:40]
Tania Wallace
And the results are pretty jaw dropping. The project is called tmz, the Downfall.
[21:45]
Ashley Banfield
Of Diddy, the Defense.
[21:47]
Unknown Speaker
But the coercion piece is somebody mentioned about, you know, people wanting their career to blow up or whatever. That's coercion. I mean, it's different modes of coercion and whether or not, you know, you shouldn't make that choice. You did make a choice, but it's coercion that has nothing to do with.
[22:01]
Ashley Banfield
Sex trafficking and prostituting. No, but that's for the purpose of a commercial sex act, right?
[22:06]
Unknown Speaker
Yeah, but I don't see the coercion part, you know, because if like, he willingly did it and then the person willingly accepted.
[22:12]
Ashley Banfield
I don't.
[22:15]
Harvey Levin
I was stunned. I wasn't sure. You know, we showed them the prosecution's case in broad strokes, and we showed them the defense's case because our new documentary is the Downfall of Diddy, His Defense. So we showed them both and then we asked them to deliberate. It is a diverse group, and I wasn't sure how they were going to dig in to the three counts against Diddy. We're talking about racketeering, sex trafficking, and the Man Act. And I wasn't sure if they'd grasp it, if they'd understand it.
[22:50]
Courtney Burgess
And I'm telling you, Ashley, they drilled.
[22:52]
Harvey Levin
Down and they hit big issues. And if you think, as many people do because of what they've heard, that this is going to be a slam dunk for prosecutors. If you look at this mock jury, it's not. It is not. They had all sorts of questions, questions about consent, that the three alleged victims here are ex girlfriends. And there were some jurors who were raising the issue. How can you show coercion or duress when somebody is in a long term relationship with him? We raise issues, or they raised issues about the racketeering charge, which requires proof of a profit. And there were jurors who were really questioning what kind of profit did he make off of all of this. So they really got into it and.
[23:46]
Courtney Burgess
They end up voting.
[23:48]
Harvey Levin
And I'm not going to reveal the vote, but it is super interesting.
[23:53]
Ashley Banfield
So the feds for their part, they are not backing down on any of this. And despite Diddy's legal team's best efforts, Combs has been denied bail. And he's been denied bail over and over again. He put together some really good packages, too. Like, he put his mansions up as collateral. Didn't matter. The Feds basically said, we are too worried about Diddy getting out. And even if he's, like, under surveillance and wearing a, you know, a device on his ankle. And they were so worried about his ability to coerce some of the witnesses and pressure them to not testify or change testimony, they said, it's just. It can't be done. He can't be released. He has too many sycophantic people around him who will help him do this. So he remains behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention center in Brooklyn awaiting the trial of his life. Like a couple decades ago, that was like child's play. That was like a weapons. That was. That was nothing. This is huge. So what happens next? The trial is scheduled to begin May 5, 2025. Remember, I told you I'm wearing my Sunday tracksuit because today is May 4th. May 4th be with you. This thing starts in less than 24 hours in Manhattan Federal court, and it's expected to last up to 10 weeks, because, again, this is federal court. And by the way, while I'm on the subject of federal court, and this is where I get bitchy, you're not going to see this except in those stupid sketches that always come out of federal court because the feds don't allow cameras. Don't get me started. Proceedings will not be televised. Don't get me started. But trust me, the details. Yeah, you can't hold that back. Still a public process. Journalists and bloggers and the public, they can still be a part of this process. Yeah, it's still America. We don't hood people, apparently. Although I think when you can't put a camera in a courtroom, you're halfway there. The details are going to spill out of this courtroom every single minute. And if convicted, Sean Diddy Combs could face decades behind bars. And by the way, let me remind you, he may look great, but he is 55 years old. And I will tell you this inside the courtroom. He showed up just a couple of days ago with a new fade, and he's, like, really gray. His goatee is all gray. He's looking a lot older and a lot skinnier. So you'll probably see some kind of, like I said, crappy courtroom sketch that will show a ditty that maybe you don't recognize and maybe the jury will think that's not the ditty. I know. This is a different ditty. This is an old dude. He doesn't look like a freak off guy. I mean, looks matter, right? But if they don't think that and they think he's guilty, Combs could face decades behind bars. And what that means at that age is life. It means life, right? This is not just a celebrity scandal anymore. It is a federal trafficking case built on surveillance devices, victim statements and years and years of alleged cover ups. And you can bet your bottom dollar we're going to be covering it all with daily updates in not a tracksuit. But you know what, thank you so much for listening to my Sunday rant. Right? I'll be back on Monday. I so appreciate having you here. If you're watching on YouTube, if you're listening on the podcast, I really appreciate it. Leave me a comment. Tell me what you think. I'm Ashley Banfield and please remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.