Diddy’s Team Files Motion to Overturn Prostitution Convictions Under Mann Act
I’m Jordan Collins, and I guess I can simplify this for you: Sean “Diddy” Combs’s legal squad just reignited his courtroom drama by asking for an acquittal or a brand-new trial.
After the music mogul was found guilty on two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution under the Mann Act, his attorneys filed a July 30 motion calling those convictions “unprecedented” and hinting at discriminatory enforcement. Court documents obtained by E! News argue that prosecutors stretched the definition of prostitution beyond any reasonable limit and that the evidence was simply not enough to justify a guilty verdict.
During the two-month sex trafficking trial, defense lawyers insisted that any staged “freak offs” and “hotel nights” were consensual activities within a swingers’ lifestyle—not illicit prostitution. They pointed out that Combs allegedly paid for voyeuristic experiences with consenting adults rather than forcing anyone into sex for money. The motion states, “At most, Mr. Combs paid to engage in voyeurism as part of a ‘swingers’ lifestyle. That does not constitute ‘prostitution’ under a properly limited definition.”
The team further highlighted that the men involved were often male escorts or dancers working through lawful agencies, who were paid for their time and enjoyed friendly relationships with Combs’s ex, Cassie Ventura, and another accuser known as Jane Doe. According to the filing, video recordings of these encounters were merely “amateur pornography for later private viewing,” arguably protected by the First Amendment.
When Judge Arun Subramanian denied Combs’s bail request after the verdict, he cited a “years – long pattern of violence” and deemed Combs a continuing danger. Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty to all charges and was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. He remains in custody ahead of his October 3 sentencing, facing up to 20 years in prison for the prostitution convictions. The defense is asking for about two years, while the prosecution has recommended four to five years, according to NBC News.
In a parallel development, Cassie Ventura’s attorney Douglas Wigdor praised her “courage to file her civil complaint” in November 2023, noting that her action paved the way for the jury to convict on transportation charges despite the acquittals on more severe trafficking counts.
Combs’s motion also requests a new trial if acquittal is denied, citing “severe spillover prejudice” from inflammatory evidence like the 2016 assault video of Ventura. With both sides gearing up for an appeal showdown, it looks like the Bad Boy founder’s legal saga is far from over.
Glad I could clear that up for you.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, NBC News
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
