Diddy Demands Acquittal or New Trial, Says Feds Misused Mann Act Definition of Prostitution
Sean “Diddy” Combs isn’t backing down in his legal fight. The hip-hop mogul, who was convicted on Mann Act charges earlier this summer, is now pushing back at prosecutors, claiming they used the wrong definition of prostitution to secure his guilty verdict.
According to new court filings obtained by TMZ, Diddy’s lawyers are asking Judge Arun Subramanian to throw out his Mann Act conviction—or at least grant him a brand-new trial. At the heart of the dispute is how the law defines prostitution.
The Mann Act, also known as the White Slave Traffic Act, was first passed in 1910. Back then, Diddy’s defense says, prostitution had a much broader meaning than it does today. In 1910, the term could apply to women having sex outside of marriage. Prosecutors, however, are using the modern definition—sex in exchange for money or goods.
Diddy’s team argues that this updated meaning shouldn’t be applied to a law written more than a century ago. In their view, the court should only use the 1910 standard, which they claim the government failed to meet.
The rapper also insists the feds didn’t prove their case. Prosecutors allege he paid male escorts to sleep with his girlfriends, but Diddy says that never happened. Instead, he argues the men were simply paid for their time, not sex—and that his role was only as a voyeur. His lawyers say that might be unconventional, but it’s not illegal under the statute.
This latest motion comes after Diddy scored a partial win in July. A jury acquitted him of the most serious charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Still, they found him guilty of two lesser counts of transporting people for prostitution purposes under the Mann Act.
Not long after the verdict, Diddy filed a motion asking for an acquittal or a new trial. Prosecutors opposed it, saying the conviction should stand. Now, with his sentencing set for October 3, he’s doubling down on his argument that the government applied the wrong legal standard.
The case has been a rollercoaster for the Bad Boy Records founder, whose legal troubles have been making headlines for months. Whether Judge Subramanian will reconsider remains to be seen, but Diddy’s team is pulling out all the stops to clear his name—or at least get another shot in court.
For now, all eyes are on October 3, when the hip-hop icon is scheduled to learn his fate.
