Embattled US music mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs, has pleaded not guilty to additional charges of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, added to the indictment against him earlier in April.
He appeared in court on Monday in Manhattan, New York, to enter his additional plea before US District Judge Arun Subramanian.
Combs, who had grey hair and a goatee and was wearing tan prison clothing over a white thermal shirt, was more subdued than in previous hearings.
Monday’s hearing also saw Combs’ lawyers suggest they may request a two-week adjournment for his trial, scheduled for May if they do not receive certain critical evidence from prosecutors.
The new allegations took the total number of criminal charges against him to five after the three original counts, which also included racketeering conspiracy, filed in September.
Combs, 55, has already pleaded not guilty to the original charges and strenuously denied all allegations against him.
Combs’ lawyer, Teny Geragos, said the defence had not been sent 200,000 emails between the rapper and one of the alleged victims.
Assistant US attorney Christie Slavik said prosecutors oppose any delay and accused Combs’ lawyers of using “gamesmanship” to delay the trial.
Judge Subramanian admonished the defence, saying, “We are on a freight train speeding towards trial. If you want an adjournment, you need to make that application within the next forty-eight hours.”
Both sides will be back in court for another hearing on Friday.
Addressing the additional charges in a statement, Combs’ lawyer had previously said, “These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals… who were involved in consensual relationships.”
Prosecutors claim the rapper and producer used his business empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024.
He has been accused of organising “freak offs” – allegedly inducing women and male sex workers into drug-fuelled sexual performances.
Combs has denied allegations of wrongdoing, saying all relationships and sexual encounters were consensual.
His trial is due to start on 5 May.
Jury selection is expected to take about a week before the opening statements, which are scheduled to begin on 12 May.
