Inside Diddy's Reportedly Desperate Blackmail Attempts From Behind Bars

Entertainment mogul and Bad Boy Records founder Sean "P. Diddy" Combs remains in custody in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, and the allegations that Diddy is facing just keep piling up. He's expected to be tried on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, as over a dozen people have come forward with lawsuits against the 55-year-old former rapper. Now, Combs is under even more scrutiny, as federal prosecutors believe he's tried to tamper with witnesses and attempted to sway possible jurors. The allegations of blackmail attempts evidently don't involve anyone in his inner circle, but are actually coming from Combs himself.

According to People, recent court filings allege that Combs has repeatedly tried to contact possible witnesses. Those witnesses include his alleged victims, who "could provide powerful testimony against him." Court documents also reveal that Combs has used fellow inmates' phone access to make those calls, as well as calls to his kids. Combs' contact with his children reportedly involves using them to put a positive spin on his reputation via social media.

Combs has been denied bail twice, and the blackmail allegations will likely hurt his chances for success on his third attempt. Federal prosecutors have stated in court documents that Combs' efforts to avoid monitoring while in jail are at the root of the problem. "The defendant has, among other things, orchestrated social media campaigns that are, in his own words, aimed at tainting the jury pool; made efforts to publicly leak materials he views as helpful to his case; and contacted witnesses through third parties," the documents stated.

Prosecutors also point to an October call between Combs and one of his sons as a blatant attempt to make contact with witnesses. They said the call "provides the clear inference that the defendant's goal is to blackmail victims and witnesses either into silence or providing testimony helpful to his defense." In regards to Combs' efforts to sway public opinion via social media, prosecutors said in court flings that he "monitored the analytics" and "explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure that the video had his desired effect on potential jury members in this case." Combs' trial is scheduled to begin in May 2025 in Manhattan, and the case only continues to get bigger, with many celebrities being put under a microscope because of their connections to Diddy.