Diddy accused of staging kids' birthday video from jail to manipulate jury
The heartwarming video of Sean "Diddy" Combs’ children wishing their father a happy birthday from behind bars was allegedly a calculated attempt to influence jurors, prosecutors claim.
According to court documents, the disgraced music mogul has been accused of obstructing justice by orchestrating a social media campaign for his 55th birthday. Prosecutors allege this was an effort to gain sympathy and sway potential jurors.
“While attempting to evade law enforcement monitoring, 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,” prosecutors stated in Manhattan Federal Court documents filed Friday opposing Combs’ bail request.
The video, which featured Combs’ seven children expressing love and affection for their jailed father on November 4, appeared genuine but was allegedly directed and staged by Combs himself, prosecutors argued. They claim Combs instructed his children to share the footage on their Instagram accounts as part of a carefully planned strategy.
The “I’ll Be Missing You” singer is accused of tracking social media engagement from within the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Prosecutors allege he “explicitly discussed with his family how to ensure that the video had his desired effect on potential jury members in the case.”
The original post received numerous supportive comments, with some expressing empathy for Combs’ children and the challenges they are facing.
The clip showed Combs’ children — Quincy, 33; Justin, 30; Christian, 26; Chance, 18; twins D’Lila and Jessie, 17; and Love, 1 — singing to their father over the phone while a birthday cake was placed in front of them.