Photo: Getty Images
The alleged "freak-off" videos that the government is trying to use against Diddy may help prove his innocence — according to his legal team.
ABC News reported on Tuesday, January 14, that attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs told the court they reviewed the nine sex tapes the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that are cited in their criminal case against the Bad Boy Records founder. They say the content in the videos merely shows Combs and his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura (who's referred to as "Victim 1" in legal documents) engaged in "private sexual activity between fully consenting adults in a long-term relationship."
"The nine videos at issue are the so-called 'Freak Off' tapes with Victim-I that the government has repeatedly referenced, causing wild speculation in the media," Diddy's attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos wrote. "Contrary to what the government has led this court and the public to believe, the so-called 'Freak Offs' were private sexual activity between fully consenting adults in a long-term relationship."
Combs' legal team argues that Cassie "not only consented, but thoroughly enjoyed herself" in the videos. They also noted she "is evidently happy, dominant and completely in control." Prosecutors previously claimed the explicit videos were evidence that showed Combs allegedly kidnapped and drugged victims before he sexually assaulted them and invited paid sex workers to join in. Despite the prosecution's dark descriptions in the indictment, Combs' lawyers say the videos do not show proof of the allegations against the mogul.
"At bottom, this case is about whether Victim-I was or was not a willing participant in her private sex life with Mr. Combs," the attorneys said. "The videos confirm that she plainly was."
Combs was arrested last September following a slew of lawsuits from alleged victims including Ventura, who settled with Combs a day after she sued him. The multifaceted artist was charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and kidnapping. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was denied bail. Combs is currently in a jail cell in Brooklyn as he prepares for his upcoming trial in May.