Additional Coverage:
- Prosecutors blast celebrity lawyer working with Diddy for blabbing about trial on his TMZ podcast (businessinsider.com)
Diddy’s Trial Takes a Turn as Advisor’s Podcast Comments Draw Prosecutors’ Ire
The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is underway, but already facing some unusual legal maneuvering. Federal prosecutors have requested the judge admonish attorney Mark Geragos, a co-host of the TMZ podcast “2 Angry Men,” for comments made on the show regarding the case. While Geragos isn’t officially representing Combs, he’s been observed advising the defense team during jury selection.
Prosecutors argue Geragos’s podcast commentary, which includes discussion of key evidence like a security video of an altercation between Combs and his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, violates rules against extrajudicial statements. Geragos referred to the video as “character assassination” and questioned its editing. He also offered insights, gleaned from an undisclosed source, into Combs’s legal strategy, correctly predicting the addition of a Black female lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, to the defense team.
On the podcast, Geragos also revealed that he’s known Combs for a long time and commented on Combs’s temper, particularly “when you combine it with drug use.” This statement, while potentially damaging, doesn’t relate to the specific charges Combs faces. The defense maintains the altercation with Ventura was instigated by her, and that Combs was merely retrieving his belongings.
Combs, who appears actively engaged in jury selection, faces charges of sex trafficking, with allegations of using his business resources to orchestrate drug-fueled sexual performances. He denies all charges.
Ventura is expected to testify. The trial continues to unfold with this unusual sidebar adding an unexpected layer of complexity.