Federal Prosecutors Push Back on Diddy’s $50 Million Bid for Release

Sean “Diddy” Combs is pushing for a retrial, seeking to overturn the federal jury’s recent verdict that found him guilty on two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution. The motion, filed this week, marks the latest development in a case that has drawn nationwide attention. While Diddy was cleared of the most serious charges—federal sex trafficking and racketeering—his conviction still carries the weight of a potential 20-year sentence.

The trial, which stretched over two months, ended with a mixed verdict that left Diddy’s legal fate hanging in the balance. In the newly filed motion, his legal team argues that the charges were mischaracterized. “Mr. Combs, at most, paid to engage in voyeurism as part of a ‘swingers’ lifestyle,” his attorneys wrote. “This behavior does not meet the legal definition of ‘prostitution’ as it should be interpreted.”

Diddy’s $50M bail battle highlights risk and celebrity

Diddy is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3. In the meantime, his lawyers have asked the court to release him on a $50 million bond—a request the prosecution is fighting fiercely. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton argued in court filings that Diddy poses a risk both to the public and of flight. “The defendant’s temper and violence were unpredictable,” Clayton said. He added that it would be “impossible” for Diddy to prove he presents no threat to the community, referencing the producer’s own admissions of violent behavior during the trial.

In response, Diddy’s attorneys have pushed back, claiming the government has misrepresented the nature of his private life. They point to testimony suggesting Diddy had longstanding relationships with male escorts and dancers—individuals, they say, who were fairly compensated and with whom he shared genuine personal connections.

Nonetheless, the retrial motion signals that his legal team is far from finished. For now, the hip-hop mogul awaits his fate, as the court weighs what comes next in a case that continues to straddle the lines between celebrity, criminal law, and cultural scrutiny.