If anybody is hoping that the upcoming Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial will be a televised trainwreck like the now-infamous Depp v. Heard media frenzy fiasco, they’re going to be sorely disappointed. Instead, they’ll have to settle for hastily scribbled court sketches and nightly news updates, as a 1946 procedural ruling banned all “electronic media” from inside federal criminal courtrooms. It’s the reason why R. Kelly’s Chicago case wasn’t broadcast either. In fact, he fared even better — aside from catching a 30-year prison sentence — as journalists were barred from covering many aspects of his trial.
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However, much like Kelly’s public shaming, the shady side of Diddy is likely to be exposed even further during proceedings. Everything we already know about the Diddy allegations is disturbing enough. Still, things are guaranteed only to get worse as witnesses and alleged victims take to the stand. But the rapper clearly remains confident — or, if there’s any weight to the avalanche of accusations leveled against him, just arrogant and delusional — about being vindicated, as he refused the plea deal offered by prosecutors that would have resulted in a lesser sentence should he lose the case.
According to CBS News, Diddy was all smiles and swagger, waving to his supporters in the public gallery as he strode into the courtroom on Friday, hugging his attorney before pleading not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
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Diddy’s confident he’ll beat the rap
Given Sean “Diddy” Combs’ not guilty plea, he’s either the victim of a gross miscarriage of justice and conspiracy to destroy him or a cocky and illusory sex offender who believes he can con his way out of anything. That’s something that will ultimately be decided by 12 of his peers — good luck finding them, though, considering his level of fame and social status. Still, the quest to select a dozen impartial equals begins Monday.
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Meanwhile, a slew of celebs have spoken out about Diddy, slamming his purported crimes and branding him and his actions reprehensible. Conversely, several of Diddy’s closest friends have remained uncomfortably quiet amid the furor, resulting in speculation about who was involved in what (or not) during the rapper’s star-studded soirees.
According to reports, some A-listers are terrified of being implicated in Diddy’s crimes, and that may be for a good reason. His alleged “freak off” sex extravaganzas and orgies supposedly occurred downstairs as Hollywood’s elite and the crème de la crème of the sports world partied above, apparently oblivious to the happenings below. The New York Post claims some of the alleged atrocities carried out were caught on camera and that “the clips suggest that the orgies, which federal prosecutors say sometimes involved women who were threatened or coerced to perform grueling, hours-long sex acts, were happening just below the surface as Diddy rubbed elbows with the biggest names in Hollywood, music, and sports.”
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