Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team appeared in court Wednesday to request either an acquittal or a new trial on his Mann Act convictions. The case involves two federal counts related to the transportation of individuals across state lines for the purposes of prostitution.
Diddy’s attorneys argued that he did not profit from prostitution, did not directly arrange transportation of sex workers, and never engaged in sexual activity with them.
They maintained that the Mann Act is typically used to prosecute organized sex rings, not individuals like Diddy. According to his legal team, he was a voyeur and amateur pornographer who recorded sexual activity involving his ex-girlfriends.
Federal prosecutors disputed these claims, asserting that Diddy directed sexual encounters between escorts and victims and participated in the activity.
They also argued that his claim of First Amendment protection as a “porn producer” does not apply, since many sexual acts were unrecorded and many participants were not informed or did not consent to filming.
The courtroom proceedings come ahead of Diddy’s scheduled sentencing on October 3, 2025. Both sides presented their arguments to Judge Arun Subramanian, who has yet to rule on the motion.
