Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs latest: Rapper ‘put on suicide watch’ as he awaits trial behind bars

A reminder of the charges and allegations detailed in the indictment against the rapper.

Diddy, who has been accused of rape and sexual abuse in at least nine civil lawsuits this past year, was arrested in New York on Monday night and charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

On Tuesday morning, Diddy appeared in a Manhattan federal court to plead not guilty to the charges.

“For decades, Sean Combs… abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” federal prosecutors said in the indictment.

In the 14-page indictment, prosecutors allege Diddy coerced and drugged women to participate in recorded “highly orchestrated performances” of sexual activity – which he called “Freak Offs” – that would sometimes last days and often included male commercial sex workers.

His lawyers maintain he is “an innocent man”.

Former rapper Shyne has described how Diddy “destroyed” his life following a New York nightclub shooting in 1999.

Shyne, now known as Moses Barrow, signed to Diddy’s label Bad Boy Records in 1998.

The following year, Diddy and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were with Barrow at a Manhattan nightclub called Club New York.

Witnesses said there was a heated argument between Diddy and another man, Matthew “Scar” Allen. A scuffle broke out, guns were drawn and three bystanders were injured.

At the resulting trial, Barrow was convicted of assault and reckless endangerment while Diddy was acquitted of all charges. Barrow spent nine years in maximum security prison.

Kevin E.G Perry reports.

Diddy has been put “on suicide watch” at the Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial, according to reports.

According to PEOPLE, the rapper has been placed on suicide watch as a “preventative measure”.

In their motion to grant Diddy bail, his lawyers cited the conditions inside the prison. “Several courts in this District have recognized that the conditions at Metropolitan Detention Center are not fit for pre-trial detention,” they wrote.

The judge sided with the prosecution and sent Diddy back to pre-trial detention.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

One of Diddy’s attorneys revealed the rapper flew to New York 12 days before his arrest in anticipation of the charges coming against him.

Teny Geragos told NewsNation’s CUOMO show: “12 days ago, when we thought there’s an indictment that may be coming, he flew to New York the very next day, he got on a plane and he came here.

“And that’s an extraordinary move for a defendant who’s been under investigation that he’s been aware of for at least six months.

“He came to the very jurisdiction that is investigating him, and he said, ‘I’m here. I want to surrender. Let me surrender.’”

It has been a dramatic week for the rapper.

On Monday night Diddy was arrested at a Manhattan hotel on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He reportedly knew the charges were coming down the track and headed to New York last week, his lawyer said.

On Tuesday he appeared in court for the first time, where he was denied bail and sent to jail for pre-trial detention.

His lawyers appealed the decision, arguing he should be allowed to remain under house arrest.

On Wednesday Diddy appeared in court again at an appeal hearing. A judge ruled against him and ordered he must stay behind bars until trial.

Diddy’s legal team maintain he is innocent and will “fight the charges”.

50 Cent mocked Diddy in an Instagram post following the charges against him.

In the indictment federal prosecutors allege Diddy threatened and abused women “to fulfill his sexual desires” by forcing them to engage in recorded sexual activity which he referred to as “Freak Offs.”

Diddy denies all the allegations against him and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Among the details released by the FBI are that searches of Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles led to officers seizing “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.”

In a post on Instagram, 50 Cent captioned a photograph of himself during a recent appearance on Drew Barrymore’s talk show with the message: “Here I am keeping good company with @thedrewbarrymoreshow and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house.”

Kevin E.G Perry reports.

Donald Trump’s former praise of Diddy has resurfaced after Jimmy Kimmel referenced the news of the charges against the rapper in his show.

Referring to Diddy, Kimmel said: “In the meantime, he’s getting his character references lined up.”

Kimmel then played a clip from Trump’s days hosting The Celebrity Apprentice (a spin-off of his original show The Apprentice) where Trump claims: “Diddy is a good friend of mine.”

Watch here.

Diddy’s lawyers have said they want the case to move to trial “as soon as possible.”

A trial date has not yet been set and legal experts say he faces potentially “a long wait.”

The 14-page indictment released this week charges Diddy with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, to which he pleaded not guilty.

If the musician is convicted on all three counts, he could be handed a sentence of 15 years up to life imprisonment.

Diddy will remain in jail until his case goes to trial.

He is staying in the Special Housing Unit of the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, which has previously been home to Ghislaine Maxwell and R Kelly to name a few.

Diddy’s day will begin at 6am, when he will be expected to mop and clean his cell.

The rapper will be given three meals a day and is allowed to take a shower three times a week.

Recreational time is limited to one hour per day.

His laywer, Marc Agnifilo, who tried to persuade a judge to let his client wait for trial under house arrest, said: “I’m not going to let him sit in that jail a day longer than he has to.”

A woman who claims Diddy shot her in the face in a New York City nightclub back in 1999 has described the news of his arrest as “one of the best days ever.”

Natania Reuben was at Club New York in Manhattan in December 1999 when gunfire broke out, injuring three people. She miraculously survived, but the bullet scarred her brain.

Diddy was acquitted in 2001, but Reuben is hopeful that the latest charges against him - which he denies - means he might finally face justice, even if it’s not in her own case.

Reuben described the moment that her teenage daughter, Nirvana, broke the news of Diddy’s arrest to her on Monday. Reuben told The Daily Beast: “I said, ‘Are you kidding me, really?’ She said, ‘Yes!’ I just screamed out to God, ‘Thank you, merciful father!’”

“One of the best days ever,” she added.

Read the full story here.