A new federal indictment adds “forced labor” and threats to employees to the accusations against Sean “Diddy” Combs. There are no new co-defendants or charges listed, per Rolling Stone. But prosecutors now claim Diddy furthered his sex-trafficking scheme by making employees “believe they would be harmed — including by losing their jobs — if they did not comply with his demands.” Prosecutors further claim Diddy forced one employee to participate in sex acts with “physical force, physiological harm, financial harm, reputational harm and/or threats of the same.” Lawyers for Diddy once again denied the new allegations. “Many former employees stand by his side, prepared to attest to the dedication, hard work, and inspiration they experienced while helping build groundbreaking, award-winning businesses,” lead defense attorney Marc Agnifilo told Rolling Stone.
Diddy was arrested last September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution; he could face 15 years to life in prison if convicted. This superseding indictment follows another from January that listed two additional sex-trafficking victims. Since then, one of Diddy’s attorneys has withdrawn from his criminal case. Meanwhile, Diddy is now facing more than 50 civil suits — though one, which also accused Jay-Z of rape, has been dropped. Jay-Z is now suing that accuser for defamation, while Diddy filed a defamation suit against NBC over a Peacock documentary. Diddy’s criminal trial is still set for May.