Diddy showed up to court on Thursday, marking his first appearance inside a Manhattan federal court since his conviction in July. The mogul was there to fight the ruling he received, offering a new angle.
The Bad Boy Records founder is pushing for the charges to be tossed or, at the very least, a new trial focused only on the charges he was found guilty of under the Mann Act. The producer, supported by his loved ones, listened as his attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, argued that his actions did not constitute prostitution. Instead, she claimed the “freak offs” he arranged were more about “commercial voyeurism.” Since Diddy had no financial stake in the sexual encounters he orchestrated and frequently filmed, his legal team believes he should be protected by the First Amendment.
Prosecutors Christy Slavik and Meredith Foster disagreed. They insisted Diddy’s actions met the legal definition of transporting individuals for prostitution, pointing out he paid for travel and arranged hotel rooms. Slavik also pushed back on the notion that filming the encounters made Diddy a “porn producer.”
Shapiro fired back, calling the Mann Act outdated, rooted in racist and sexist ideologies, and not intended for situations like Diddy’s.
Judge Arun Subramanian concluded the tense hearing by saying a decision would come “very shortly.” If the conviction stands, Diddy will be sentenced on October 3rd.
