After hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest made the news on September 16, 2024, a Fox News anchor alleged the arrest was a well-timed distraction from Donald Trump’s apparent assassination attempt. Trump was reportedly the target of a second assassination attempt on September 15 when he was golfing on his golf course in Florida.
On September 18, Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo appeared on her Fox Business show Mornings with Maria, where she speculated on her theory with guest Miranda Devine.
“Don’t you find it ironic, Miranda, that once again they take that same strategy out and that is change the conversation? The timing of the P. Diddy arrest? Please. They must have had the P. Diddy arrest on the shelf waiting to take it off the shelf for when they needed it,” Bartiromo said.
She claimed that the arrest took place on the same day people started asking questions about the assassination attempt, which led media publications to switch their focus on Diddy.
“CNN was wall-to-wall with P Diddy yesterday, which we’ll get to—and I know it’s a very important story, don’t get me wrong—but they’ve known about it. They were waiting to bring it out when they needed to, and yesterday was the perfect day,” she added.
On September 16, Combs was arrested on three charges of “sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution.” The following day, he pled not guilty to the charges and was denied bail.
Meanwhile, authorities arrested a 58-year-old man named Ryan Wesley Routh in connection to Trump’s apparent assassination attempt. The suspect had hidden in the foliage on Trump’s golf course and was spotted by a Secret Service agent, who opened fire at him. Routh managed to escape by car but was apprehended minutes later.
Diddy was denied bail a second time
On Wednesday, September 18, Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, appealed the judge’s no-bail order but was denied. Prosecutors argued against the bail, deeming the rapper a “serious flight risk.”
The bail package included a $50 million bond, home detention, weekly drug test, and renouncing his passport. Judge Andrew Carter denied the package, saying:
“My bigger concern deals with the danger of obstruction of justice and the danger of witness tampering. That is a real concern that I have here.”
Prosecutors had earlier brought up similar concerns. They referenced Combs’ alleged 128 calls and texts to his former bandmate Kalenna Harper after their other bandmate Dawn Richard sued the rapper for sexual abuse days before his arrest.
This was the eighth abuse case filed against Combs in less than a year. Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-partner, filed the first abuse lawsuit in November 2023.
Diddy reportedly held “freak offs” frequently
Sean Combs’ 14-page indictment detailed frequent events referred to as “freak offs.” In these events, allegedly hosted by the rapper, he coerced women to perform “extended s*x acts” with male s*x workers while he recorded them.
“During Freak Offs, Combs distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant,” the indictment said.
The “freak offs” sometimes went on for days and were so physically exhausting that the rapper and his alleged victims used IV fluids to regain their strength. Combs and his team also allegedly threatened employees, witnesses, and victims with physical violence to keep them from telling anyone.
Authorities reportedly found ammunition, firearms, and 1000 bottles of baby oil when they raided Combs’ LA and Miami mansion in March 2024.
Diddy is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre, often described as “hell on earth,” as the case proceeds.