Diddy smiles and blows kisses to family during court bail hearing

Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared upbeat as he entered a New York City courtroom for a bail hearing, hoping to secure his release while facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

The 55-year-old music mogul greeted his family with blown kisses and waves as he entered South Manhattan Federal Court, wearing a beige prison jumpsuit. Unlike previous hearings, he was not shackled and was escorted by US marshals.

Family and supporters, including his mother Janice Combs, daughter Chance Combs, son Justin Dior Combs, and adopted son Quincy Brown, attended the hearing on Friday afternoon.

The judge deferred the decision on granting him bail, following arguments from prosecutors that Combs could not be “trusted” to follow conditions and might evade legal supervision even with his lawyers’ guidance.

Combs is currently detained on a $50 million bond at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, as he awaits his trial.

During the hearing, Combs’ legal team pointed to changed circumstances, including new evidence, as reasons to release him, arguing it would allow him to better prepare for his trial scheduled for May 5. Previously, two judges have ruled that he poses a danger to the community and is a flight risk.

Assistant US Attorney Christine Slavik stated that Combs’ attempts to contact witnesses from prison, often through family members, demonstrated that he “cannot and will not follow rules” set by his own legal team. “Simply put, the defendant cannot be trusted,” she said.

Slavik further accused Combs’ lawyers of “enabling his flouting of rules” and argued that they had shown an “inability to control their client.”

Last week, prosecutors alleged that Combs used jailmates’ phones to intimidate potential witnesses ahead of his trial. According to court documents, he allegedly contacted family members from prison, asking them to reach out to potential victims and craft “narratives” while making “relentless efforts” to “corruptly influence witness testimony.”