What happened on rapper Sean Combs Diddy’s “Freak Offs”

Sean Combs’ lawyers have dismissed the lawsuits as opportunistic. (File)

The U.S. government has launched a high-profile sex trafficking and organized crime case against music mogul Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, accusing him of orchestrating sexual assault and abuse in luxury hotels. The charges, which also include arson, bribery, kidnapping and obstruction of justice, focus on what prosecutors call “freak-offs” – “elaborate and staged sex performances” involving drugs, prostitutes and recordings – according to a New York Times report. Combs’ lawyers, however, insist those encounters were consensual.

According to the 14-page federal court indictment, these “freak-offs” were organized by Combs and his associates in hotel suites stuffed with baby oil, drugs and video equipment. Prosecutors allege participants were pressured, and some required intravenous fluids to recover from the multi-day ordeal. The government alleges Combs filmed the sessions and used the footage to blackmail participants into silence.

“Freak-off activities are at the heart of this case, and freak-offs are inherently dangerous,” said Emily A. Johnson, one of the prosecutors. That narrative is reflected in the civil suit filed against Combs last year by singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura. Cassie alleged that Combs staged frequent freak-offs in which she was forced to perform sexual acts, which he then filmed.

Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, faces a very different account from his defense team. His attorney, Marc Agnifilo, argued the events were consensual, part of an unconventional but voluntary relationship between Combs and Ventura. Agnifilo pointed out that several of the men involved denied being coerced or considering themselves sex workers.

The organized crime charge is based on the allegation that Combs coordinated these events through a network of supporters who handled logistics, such as procuring prostitutes, booking hotel rooms and cleaning up after the meetings. Prosecutors argue that these encounters were often accompanied by violence, an allegation the defense denies.

In addition to Ventura’s suit, Combs is facing a number of other civil lawsuits from women accusing him of drug-related sexual abuse. One of the plaintiffs, Adria English, claimed that Combs forced her to have sex with guests at his famous “white parties.”

Combs’ lawyers dismissed the lawsuits as opportunistic.

Combs, who remains in federal custody despite being denied bail, is accused of trying to cover up evidence of the abuse. Prosecutors say he offered bribes to hotel staff and tried to destroy surveillance footage after an alleged assault on Ventura in 2016. The investigation is ongoing, and Combs’ legal battle is far from over.

The allegations against Combs date back to the 1990s, when he founded his label Bad Boy Records, according to Forbes. In 2022, he was ranked 14th on Forbes’ list of highest-paid entertainers, having earned an estimated $90 million that year.