0:00

Hi, I'm Brian Buckmeyer, an attorney

0:02

in ABC News Legal

0:04

Contributor, and I'm also the host

0:06

of a brand new series from ABC

0:09

audio that I'll think you want to

0:11

check out. It's called Bad Wrap, The

0:13

Case Against Ditty. Over the next six

0:15

weeks, I'll dive into the rise and

0:18

fall of Sean Ditty Combs. We'll

0:20

cover the full story from his

0:22

assent to superstardum, to the

0:24

federal charges he's facing while

0:27

currently awaiting trial, all of

0:29

which... He denies. Then, when the case

0:31

goes to trial in May, we'll

0:33

cover it all with real-time court

0:35

updates. Keep listening to hear

0:37

episode one right here. And if you

0:40

like it, you can find the show

0:42

on your preferred podcast app to

0:44

hear new episodes every Tuesday.

0:46

Just search for bad rap, the

0:48

case against Diddy, wherever you get

0:51

your podcast. Now, here's episode

0:53

one. In

0:56

the summer of 2009, everyone was

0:59

paying attention to Sean Diddy Combs.

1:01

He wasn't on the top of

1:03

the billboard charts anymore, but

1:05

he had become a fixture

1:07

of American pop culture. The

1:09

flashiest example was his annual

1:11

star-studded white party. It was

1:13

an exclusive event, and everything

1:15

had to be white, from

1:17

the decor to the dress

1:19

code. This was the early

1:21

days of smartphones phones. Imagine

1:23

every celebrity worth an us

1:25

weekly headline with a bedazzled

1:27

smartphone in their hand. It

1:29

was before TikTok and Instagram

1:31

when tabloid coverage claimed to

1:33

break juicy celebrity stories. Compared

1:35

to the prominence of video

1:37

in social media today, private

1:39

celebrity parties were much more

1:41

private. But one bit of

1:43

Diddy's 2009 white party was

1:45

captured on video. Rapper and

1:47

record producer Jay Blaze caught

1:49

it on camera and posted

1:51

it to YouTube for the

1:53

world to see. Actor Ashton

1:55

Kutcher grabs onto a swing

1:57

strung over the pool and

1:59

Tarzan's across it. Diddy is

2:01

MCing in a sea of

2:03

white suits, dresses, linen, and

2:05

sunglasses. By the summer of

2:08

2009, Diddy had won three

2:10

Grammys. He had five songs

2:12

hit number one on the

2:14

Billboard Hot 100 chart and

2:16

three of his albums had

2:18

gone platinum. He was successful

2:20

and rich and rich. He

2:23

was successful and rich and

2:25

rich. He was successful and

2:27

rich and rich and rich and

2:30

Four months from turning 40, Forbes

2:32

magazine put Diddy's net worth at

2:34

$30 million. He'd presented himself for

2:36

a long time as a champion

2:39

and model of black excellence. And

2:41

he was feeling patriotic after

2:43

the US elected its first black

2:45

president. So, he decided this year's

2:48

white party would be held on

2:50

Independence Day. He gave Marie Claire

2:52

magazine a sneak peek before the

2:55

party started. The pool, draped in

2:57

gauzy white curtains and chandeliers. Platters

3:00

of shrimp, crabcakes, and barbecue were

3:02

served. Better love for July, you

3:04

know, I'm out here making movies

3:07

and meeting new people and that's

3:09

what the white part is about,

3:11

about people meeting new people. A

3:14

Somalier explains that all the wines

3:16

served would be of course white.

3:18

We are going to be pouring

3:20

some wines from the south of

3:23

the Burgundy region. Macon Village and

3:25

Puyfise. Two

3:29

of the biggest songs of 2009 were Lady

3:32

Gaga's poker face and I got a

3:34

feeling by the Black Eye piece. None

3:36

of Diddy's music was at the top

3:38

of the charts, but this was the

3:41

year he wrapped making the band, the

3:43

show that made him a reality star.

3:45

And reality shows were hot. Diddy's

3:47

hit show was the perfect blend

3:50

of American Idol, the number one

3:52

TV show in America that year,

3:54

and another popular show at the

3:57

celebrity apprentice. On making the band,

3:59

did he... presented himself as

4:01

a kind of Trump-like figure

4:03

of the music industry, who

4:05

had crowned the next big pop

4:07

group. Diddy had been throwing these

4:10

Gatsby-S white parties for almost a

4:12

decade. The first was on Labor

4:14

Day in 1998, when he had

4:16

just bought a home in the

4:19

Hamptons. He hosted a bunch of

4:21

them there, and then in San-Trope

4:23

on the French Riviera. One year,

4:25

he took a helicopter to the

4:27

party and landed holding an original

4:30

copy of the Declaration of Independence.

4:32

The famous writer Norman Lear loaned

4:34

it to him. All of the

4:36

big celebrities appeared at Diddy's white

4:39

parties. Biance, Jay-Z, Jonah Hill,

4:41

Martha Stewart, Harris Hilton, Aretha

4:43

Franklin, and Donald Trump. They

4:45

all orbited the Diddy white

4:47

party sphere. As a record

4:49

exec, Diddy helped launch the

4:51

careers of artists who would

4:53

become legends, the notorious BIG,

4:55

Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans,

4:57

Usher, and many others. So

4:59

it's no surprise people wanted

5:01

the invite to Diddy's parties.

5:03

If they had got one, then

5:05

they belonged in the list of

5:08

celebrities, politicians, and cultural icons

5:10

who had proximity to a

5:12

mogul, who knew everyone and could

5:14

make things happen. You could hang

5:17

out in the backyard with hundreds

5:19

of guests who made it through

5:21

the gates to the main party.

5:23

But it still had a VIP

5:25

section, an inner circle. There's

5:27

like the party in the backyard,

5:30

and then there's like the few

5:32

people in the house. Biance was

5:34

never in the backyard. She's in

5:37

the house with JZ. She's in the

5:39

house with very, the kids, you know?

5:41

We can get to smell the same

5:43

air, Biance. He remembers it as a

5:46

good time and says it helped his career. Lee

5:48

claims he never saw any darkness or any

5:50

hints of the crimes Diddy would be accused

5:52

of years later. People like me who went

5:55

to the regular Diddy parties, we had

5:57

our chicken and waffles, we sipped our

5:59

Sarak, we down. and we went home.

6:01

Lots of people who attended Diddy's

6:03

parties never saw his alleged dark

6:06

side. For decades, Aylisters were eager

6:08

to pose next to the mogul

6:10

at a Hampton's Bash. Today, many

6:13

of those celebrities are actively distancing

6:15

themselves from Diddy, not wanting to

6:18

share that toxic spotlight. At the

6:20

height of his power and influence,

6:22

Diddy had complete control over his

6:25

world. He decided who got to

6:27

be an insider. controlled what happened

6:29

when the lights went out. And

6:32

he'd tell his guest as much.

6:34

This is the legendary white party.

6:36

It's the real white party. Make

6:39

some noise if you've been here

6:41

before. Okay. And to all the

6:44

kids, the kids have like an

6:46

hour left. So get extra comfortable

6:48

kids, because after that, y'all gotta

6:51

go. It's a wrap for y'all,

6:53

because this thing turns into something

6:55

that when y'all get older, y'

6:58

no one come to. The curfew

7:00

announcement, when kids had to disappear

7:02

and lots of adults left to,

7:05

it hints at a turn. Diddy

7:07

foreshadows an adult world, a late

7:10

night world of secrets. And some

7:12

of those secrets, they've come pouring

7:14

out. Diddy's rise and fall. It's

7:17

the story we'll tell you in

7:19

the first six episodes of this

7:21

podcast. How a man who was

7:24

on top of the music industry

7:26

and on top of the world

7:28

is now confined to a cell

7:31

that couldn't be less luxurious, awaiting

7:33

trial. And once the trial begins,

7:36

we'll take you there, with twice

7:38

weekly updates as the case unfolds.

7:40

Two very different versions of Diddy

7:43

have emerged over the years. The

7:45

charmer that he showed the world

7:47

and the predator that onlookers and

7:50

alleged victims are now claiming he

7:52

was all along. Which version of

7:54

Diddy will win out in court?

8:00

I'm Brian Buckmeyer, an

8:02

attorney and an ABC

8:04

news legal contributor. From

8:06

ABC audio, this is

8:08

bad rap, the case

8:11

against Diddy. Episode 1,

8:13

Parties Over. Diddy's white

8:15

parties were glittering displays of

8:17

wealth and social capital, but to

8:20

some, there were clues, even early

8:22

on, that Diddy's world had shadows.

8:25

Justin Tinsley is a cultural reporter

8:27

for ESPN's landscape, which focuses on

8:29

black culture. He says that always

8:32

been rumors about what Diddy was

8:34

like behind the scenes at parties

8:36

and in his personal and professional

8:39

life. It was just a matter

8:41

of what's true, what's not, and

8:44

is somebody ever going to come

8:46

to the forefront and really say,

8:48

like, these are my experiences with

8:51

this guy? In November of 2023,

8:53

someone did come forward. Diddy's ex-girlfriend,

8:56

Cassie Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit

8:58

against him alleging that for over

9:00

a decade he trapped her in

9:03

a cycle of abuse, violence, and

9:05

sex trafficking. The lawsuit was a

9:08

bombshell. It alleged Cassie was forced

9:10

to participate in orchestrated, elaborate sex

9:12

parties Did he called freak-offs that

9:15

he would film and keep recordings

9:17

of. A day after the lawsuit

9:19

was filed, Diddy settled with Cassie

9:22

for an undisclosed amount and no

9:24

admission of guilt. But Cassie opened

9:27

the floodgates. Over the next 12

9:29

months, others who had spent time

9:31

with Diddy, from a music producer

9:34

to a former model, to a

9:36

yacht stratus, filed lawsuits too. These

9:39

lawsuits alleged rape, sexual assault, and

9:41

human trafficking. Many also allege Diddy

9:43

would spike drinks and lace marijuana

9:46

with narcotics to knock people out

9:48

or make it harder for them

9:51

to resist assault. Some mention Diddy

9:53

videotaping assaults to further control and

9:55

humility. his victims. Those lawsuits went

9:58

from a steady drip to a

10:00

rapid current. There are now dozens

10:02

of them. In December of 2023,

10:05

Ditty said in a statement that

10:07

he did not do any of

10:10

the quote, awful things being alleged.

10:12

He called them sickening allegations by

10:14

people looking for a quick payday.

10:17

His attorney told ABC News, Combs

10:19

couldn't comment on settled litigation. wouldn't

10:22

comment on pending litigation, and quote,

10:24

cannot address every allegation picked up

10:26

by the press from any source,

10:29

no matter how unreliable, end quote.

10:31

But in the fall of 2024,

10:34

criminal charges were filed against Diddy,

10:36

by the feds. In a dramatic

10:38

turn of events, federal investigators raiding

10:41

two homes owned by hip-hop mogul

10:43

Sean Diddy Combs. A Homeland Security

10:45

spokesperson says the raid of the

10:48

rapper's properties was carried out as

10:50

part of an ongoing investigation into

10:53

allegations of sex trafficking. Music mogul

10:55

Sean Diddy Combs arrested in a

10:57

New York City hotel by federal

11:00

agents with Homeland Security investigations after

11:02

being indicted by a grand jury.

11:05

We're joining mansions where he'd once

11:07

hosted lavish lavish parties were raided.

11:09

by federal agents. In LA, more

11:12

than a dozen officers pulled up

11:14

in armored vehicles wearing fatigues guns

11:17

drawn pointing them at Diddy's sons

11:19

who happened to be at home.

11:21

In Miami, he was police officers

11:24

and t-shirts driving up to Diddy's

11:26

compound in vans. Combs is now

11:28

facing federal criminal charges that read

11:31

a lot like those earlier civil

11:33

lawsuits. Sex trafficking, transportation to engage

11:36

in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. The

11:38

charges accused Diddy of decades of

11:40

criminal behavior, and unlike the civil

11:43

lawsuits that he faced from Cassie

11:45

and now from others, these criminal

11:48

charges could land him in prison

11:50

for the rest of his life.

11:52

Combs has pled not guilty to

11:55

all charges. His attorney, Mark he

11:57

called it an unjust prosecution. He

11:59

said Combs was a quote, music

12:02

icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man,

12:04

and proven philanthropist who has spent

12:07

the last 30 years building an

12:09

empire adoring his children and working

12:11

to uplift the black community. He

12:14

called Combs an imperfect person, but

12:16

not a criminal. Once these lawsuits

12:19

and charges were filed, reporters and

12:21

fans started looking at Diddy's past

12:23

with more scrutiny. And up close,

12:26

knowing the allegations against him, even

12:28

his fame's summer parties started to

12:31

look very different. Like this clip

12:33

from an appearance on Conan O'Brien's

12:35

show in 2002. Conan compliments Diddy

12:38

on being a legendary party host

12:40

and asks him for tips on

12:42

throwing a quote, killer party. A

12:45

lot of ladies drink water at

12:47

parties. You know, so if you

12:50

don't have what they need, they're

12:52

going to leave. Right. Got to

12:54

keep them there. Right. You need

12:57

lots on the doors. This

13:00

is sounding kind of

13:02

dangerous now. It's a

13:04

little cakey, but yeah.

13:07

Yeah. A joke about

13:09

locking doors so women

13:11

can't leave lands a

13:14

little differently now. I've

13:16

been captivated by Diddy's

13:19

rise and fall for

13:21

two reasons. The first

13:23

one is pretty straightforward.

13:26

When I was growing

13:28

up in the 90s

13:30

and 2000s, Diddy was

13:33

everywhere. It's hard to

13:35

be a millennial and

13:37

not know his music

13:40

or his impact on

13:42

the music industry. One

13:44

of his most popular

13:47

songs I remember playing

13:49

on the radio in

13:52

elementary school Was it

13:54

all about the Benjamin's?

13:59

He He marketed himself as a

14:01

kingmaker in the world of hip-hop

14:03

and everything he touched seemed to

14:05

turn to gold. He turned hip-hop

14:07

from being a thing my mom

14:09

probably didn't want me to listen

14:12

to, to something that could make

14:14

you into a billionaire businessman, something

14:16

my mom would approve of. Back

14:18

then, before the lawsuits, before the

14:20

allegations and scrutiny, did he was

14:22

someone you could look up to?

14:24

But I'm not a cultural reporter

14:26

or a music journalist. I'm an

14:28

attorney. I spent almost 10 years

14:30

as a public defender in New

14:33

York City, the last few of

14:35

those in the homicide unit. Now,

14:37

I litigate federal civil and criminal

14:39

cases. And to be clear, I

14:41

am not an attorney on Diddy's

14:43

case. But I have represented people

14:45

who have been accused of the

14:47

kind of crimes he's being accused

14:49

of, and people who were victims

14:51

of those types of crimes. And

14:53

even with all of my experience,

14:56

when I read through some of

14:58

the lawsuits from the people who

15:00

had sued Diddy, I had to

15:02

stop myself sometimes. The photos and

15:04

details were jaw-dropping. They were a

15:06

shock to my system. And the

15:08

federal indictment is sweeping and disturbing.

15:10

Diddy is accused of running a

15:12

vast criminal enterprise that abused, threatened,

15:14

and coerced his alleged victims and

15:17

others around him to fulfill his

15:19

sexual desires, protect his reputation, and

15:21

cover up his conduct for decades.

15:23

Diddy maintains his innocence. His trial

15:25

is set to start in May.

15:27

Until then, he's locked up, stuck

15:29

in a place that couldn't be

15:31

more different from the luxury he's

15:33

used to. A place he doesn't

15:35

want to be. A place that

15:37

no amount of money can get

15:40

him out of. A place I

15:42

know well. More after the break.

15:49

In Diddy's old life, he could

15:52

choose which of his many homes

15:54

he wanted to spend time in.

15:56

A three-story mansion overlooking the Pacific

15:58

Ocean and downtown LA. a compound

16:01

in Miami including a nine bedroom

16:03

mansion, a New York City apartment

16:05

with views of Central Park, homes

16:07

in New Jersey, and Atlanta, and

16:09

a waterfront mansion in the Hamptons.

16:12

Now, Diddy's in the Metropolitan Detention

16:14

Center, or MDC, in Brooklyn. This

16:16

bland behemoth is where he'll stay

16:18

as he awaits trial. So we're

16:21

pulling up to MDC now. It's

16:23

got like this uncapped, unwashed. grunginess

16:25

of it. There's a tall metal

16:27

fence around the MDC complex, so

16:29

the parking lots as far as

16:32

most reporters get. But as a

16:34

defense attorney, I'm here almost every

16:36

week, and I can get further

16:38

than most. I walk through the

16:40

gate, up the steps, and through

16:43

the doors to security. I get

16:45

escorted into the visitor's area, and

16:47

I meet my client for about

16:49

an hour or two. For the

16:52

parts of the jail, I can't

16:54

see, my clients fill me in.

16:56

My clients fill me in. about

16:58

how boiling hot it is in

17:00

the summer, how cold it is

17:03

in the winter. An inmate told

17:05

me that at one point when

17:07

there was no heat or hot

17:09

water, he couldn't go to the

17:11

showers and instead was dumping hot

17:14

water onto his body from the

17:16

sink, washing himself and catching the

17:18

water in the toilet. I had

17:20

to come to MDC on that

17:23

cold gray day in January to

17:25

meet with a client who was

17:27

awaiting sentencing. Getting out of my

17:29

Uber. I looked up at this

17:31

complex of tall concrete buildings. And

17:34

the gate before you come in,

17:36

you can actually hear people. It

17:38

almost sounds like they're, like rec

17:40

hour. Yeah, it sounds like they're

17:43

playing a sport. Each of MDC's

17:45

buildings are 10 or more stories

17:47

tall. And where the windows and

17:49

a typical apartment would be, you

17:51

have red brick slabs with narrow

17:54

slats. and big sections of metal

17:56

grading that give you the impression

17:58

of a locked jail cell even

18:00

from the outside. MDC is right

18:02

on the brook. waterfront just a

18:05

few blocks from a boogie converted

18:07

warehouse space full of artisanal shops

18:09

and upscale restaurants. But if you're

18:11

part of the legal system in

18:14

New York you know that MDC

18:16

is not a nice place to

18:18

be. In fact it's been described

18:20

as hell on earth known for

18:22

its violence corruption and miserable conditions.

18:25

It's a federal building so you

18:27

can see Department of Justice, Federal

18:29

Bureau of Prisons. You see the

18:31

American flag and the building has

18:33

watermarks and rust on the metal

18:36

parts and things of that way.

18:38

Over the years, it's housed some

18:40

people you've probably heard of, like

18:42

R. Kelly, Michael Cohen, Gilead Maxwell,

18:45

Sam Bankman Freed, Luigi Mangione, and

18:47

Sean Diddy Combs. Combs has been

18:49

at MDC since he was arrested

18:51

last September. According to his attorney

18:53

Mark Ignifolo, Diddy had flown to

18:56

New York to cooperate with authorities.

18:58

He came here to turn himself

19:00

in. He's been looking forward to

19:02

clearing his name and he's going

19:05

to clear his name. Paparazzi and

19:07

onlookers caught snippets of Diddy's visit

19:09

to New York last September. And

19:11

from those photos and videos, it

19:13

looked like he was enjoying his

19:16

time. Talking and smiling with fans,

19:18

playing hackysack in Central Park, strolling

19:20

for the city with his family.

19:22

If Diddy had plans to turn

19:24

himself in, he didn't do it

19:27

for the first 12 days he

19:29

was in New York. But on

19:31

the night of September 16th at

19:33

the Park Hyatt Hotel in Midtown

19:36

Manhattan, Homeland Security investigations agents caught

19:38

Diddy by surprise. You can see

19:40

on the hotel security footage that

19:42

Diddy walked into the front door

19:44

and the agents approached him. They

19:47

separated him from the group he

19:49

was with, put handcuffs on him

19:51

and took him and took him

19:53

away. The day after Combs is

19:55

arrest the prosecutor at the time

19:58

held a news conference to announce

20:00

the charges Combs allegedly planned and

20:02

control the sex performances, which he

20:04

called freakoffs. And he often electronically

20:07

recorded them. The freakoffs sometimes lasted

20:09

days at a time, involved multiple

20:11

commercial sex workers, and often involved

20:13

a variety of narcotics, such as

20:15

ketamine, ecstasy, and GHB, which combs

20:18

distributed to the victims to keep

20:20

them obedient and compliant. Because of

20:22

how serious and violent the alleged

20:24

crimes are, Combs was ordered held

20:27

without bail. ABC News chief investigative

20:29

correspondent Aaron Katersky was in the

20:31

courtroom. Sean Combs entered in a

20:33

black t-shirt, gray sweatpants and sneakers.

20:35

He actually looked a little stunned

20:38

as he surveyed the imposing room.

20:40

Several of his children and his

20:42

sister were there watching as he

20:44

pleaded not guilty. And then they

20:46

saw him led out by the

20:49

marshals after the judge ordered him

20:51

into custody without bail. Eric Katersky

20:53

leading us off. It didn't surprise

20:55

me that things didn't go did

20:58

his way with bail. The allegations

21:00

and trafficking charges are very serious.

21:02

And if Diddy were out on

21:04

bail, the fear was he'd had

21:06

the ability to reach witnesses and

21:09

possibly intimidate them. I didn't think

21:11

there was a chance he was

21:13

getting out. But that didn't stop

21:15

Diddy or his attorneys from trying.

21:18

Diddy's attorney told reporters before the

21:20

start of the bail hearings, MDC

21:22

was no place for his client.

21:24

I told Mr. Combs, I'm going

21:26

to try and get his case

21:29

to trial as quickly as possible.

21:31

I'm going to try and minimize

21:33

the amount of time he spends

21:35

in very, very difficult and I

21:37

believe in humane housing conditions in

21:40

the special housing unit of the

21:42

Metropolitan Detention Facility. Over and over

21:44

again, did he try to get

21:46

released? He tried offering a $50

21:49

million bond. He tried offering home

21:51

confinement. He tried to prove he

21:53

wasn't a flight risk, attempting to

21:55

sell his private plane and saying

21:57

he'd surrender his passport to his

22:00

attorney. He was trying to be

22:02

a cooperative defendant. But no. Sean

22:04

Combs was denied bail four times.

22:06

ABC News Live, a judge has

22:08

denied bail for Sean Diddy Combs.

22:11

Sean Diddy Combs has been denied

22:13

bail once again. The judge in

22:15

New York denied music mobile Sean

22:17

Combs' request for bail, saying Combs

22:20

is potentially dangerous to the community.

22:22

The judges were also concerned he'd

22:24

obstruct justice and intimidate witnesses. That

22:26

last part, witness intimidation. has become

22:28

a big issue in Combs' case

22:31

in recent months. In one of

22:33

his first bail hearings, prosecutors presented

22:35

calls Diddy made and Texie sent

22:37

before his arrest. They said Diddy

22:40

reached out to potential witnesses, telling

22:42

them they'd be taken care of

22:44

financially if they stuck by his

22:46

side. And then in November, after

22:48

he'd been at MDC for about

22:51

two months and was up for

22:53

a third chance at bail, Prosecutors

22:55

alleged combs had been paying other

22:57

inmates to access their phone accounts,

22:59

and according to the government, avoid

23:02

law enforcement monitoring. And prosecutors said

23:04

they caught combs on recorded calls

23:06

from jail, asking family members to

23:08

reach out to potential victims and

23:11

witnesses, and urged them to come

23:13

up with narratives to sway the

23:15

jury in his favor. Prosecutors wrote

23:17

in their court filing. The defendant

23:19

has shown repeatedly, even while in

23:22

custody, that he will flagrantly and

23:24

repeatedly flout rules in order to

23:26

improperly impact the outcome of his

23:28

case. The defendant has shown, in

23:30

other words, that he cannot be

23:33

trusted to abide by rules or

23:35

conditions. Diddy's attorneys responded to prosecuting

23:37

his arguments by saying the nonstop

23:39

drumbeat of negative publicity has destroyed

23:42

Combs' reputation and will make it

23:44

virtually impossible for him to receive

23:46

a fair trial. So Combs isn't

23:48

back in his 48 million dollar

23:50

mansion on an island in Miami

23:53

Beach, where at one point he'd

23:55

asked to await trial. Instead, he's

23:57

being detained far from the pools,

23:59

hot tubs, cabanas, and views he's

24:02

used to. So what's it like

24:04

being an inmate at MDC? What's

24:06

it like being a celebrity and

24:08

a lead sex offender in MDC?

24:10

A notoriously dangerous and neglected jail?

24:13

After the break we meet someone

24:15

who gives us an inside view

24:17

of MDC, most people don't get

24:19

to see and a window into

24:21

Combs's life behind bars. with

24:39

Amazon Music, you have access

24:41

to the largest catalog of

24:43

ad-free top podcasts included with

24:45

your prime membership. To start

24:47

listening, download the Amazon Music

24:49

app for free. Or go

24:51

to amazon.com/ad-free podcasts. That's Just

25:00

a few weeks ago, I talked

25:03

to someone who's been past a

25:05

visitation area at MDC, who's really

25:07

been on the inside. And I

25:10

will try my best to make

25:12

this not feel like a cross-examination,

25:14

even though that is my typical

25:17

practice. Oh, that's okay. You can

25:19

ask me anything. I mean... That's

25:22

Cameron Lindsay. He's worked in corrections

25:24

for 25 years. He was a

25:26

warden of five different correctional facilities,

25:29

including MDC Brooklyn, and since retiring

25:31

in 2014, he's continued to work

25:33

in jails and prisons around the

25:36

country as a consultant and also

25:38

serves as an expert witness, often

25:40

testifying on behalf of a plaintiff

25:43

who was hurt or even killed

25:45

while incarcerated. So he's seen some

25:48

stuff in this country's correction system.

25:50

And he says for anyone, going

25:52

into detention is a shock to

25:55

the system, but especially for someone

25:57

like Sean Combs. Just utterly upending,

25:59

utterly shocking. I mean for somebody

26:02

like you're pointing out. who has

26:04

boatloads of money, who is used

26:06

to a lifestyle of just doing

26:09

whatever he wants. It's like 100

26:11

miles an hour and slamming into

26:14

a wall. It's small things, like

26:16

having to wear the same beige

26:18

prison-issued drumsuit as everyone else, and

26:21

it's big things too. Like where

26:23

and how he's housed. Diddy's lawyer

26:25

has said he's in what's called

26:28

the special housing unit. which means

26:30

he's separated from the general population.

26:32

If it were up to retired

26:35

ward and Lindsay, he'd go even

26:37

further, putting Diddy in almost complete

26:40

isolation. In my humble estimation, an

26:42

individual like Mr. Combs, P. Diddy,

26:44

he should be quartered separately in

26:47

a lockdown situation which would entail

26:49

23 hours in a lockdown cell

26:51

by himself. He would be afforded

26:54

one hour of recreation every day.

26:56

He would be afforded three showers

26:58

per week. His meals would be

27:01

delivered to him and his cell.

27:03

But that doesn't seem to be

27:06

MDC's approach. Diddy reportedly has access

27:08

to at least some other inmates.

27:10

Convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman Freed

27:13

said in the interview with Tucker

27:15

Colson that Diddy has been kind

27:17

to people in the unit and

27:20

he's been quote, kind to me.

27:22

We also know Diddy's cell is

27:24

small. not what he's used to.

27:27

They have a toilet sink combo,

27:29

they have a desk, and they

27:32

have a bunk. And that's it.

27:34

They are afforded certain privileges, reading

27:36

materials, commissary. They keep Diddy separated

27:39

from the jail's general population to

27:41

keep him safe. His wealth and

27:43

notoriety could make him a target.

27:46

When somebody has this much money

27:48

and they have been alleged to

27:50

have committed these heinous crimes like

27:53

in this case with P. Ditty

27:55

all those things add up to

27:58

the likelihood of a potential. threat.

28:00

It's right for MDC officials to

28:02

take Diddy's safety seriously. The facility

28:05

is infamously dangerous. The Associated Press

28:07

reported that just in the last

28:09

three years there has been a

28:12

stabbing death, a death after a

28:14

brawl, and at least four deaths

28:16

by suicide. And in the time

28:19

Diddy's been at MDC an inmate

28:21

was charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire

28:24

plot from inside. A Southern District

28:26

of New York judge said in

28:28

a 2024 opinion that defendants at

28:31

MDC Brooklyn complain of, quote, near

28:33

perpetual lockdowns, dreadful conditions, and lengthy

28:35

delays in getting medical care. He

28:38

and other federal judges have refused

28:40

to send defendants to MDC on

28:42

the grounds that conditions are so

28:45

bad. Conditions at MDC sank to

28:47

their lowest in 2019 with what

28:50

Lindsay calls the freeze-out, when nearly

28:52

1,700 inmates had to live in

28:54

below freezing temperatures for a week.

28:57

They couldn't get the power on

28:59

for like a week, and I

29:01

was just so perplexed by that.

29:04

And so that was the first

29:06

thing that started getting my attention.

29:08

Like, what the heck's going on

29:11

with the agency? There was a

29:13

heat and power outage at the

29:16

same time. Cels were dark. Cels

29:18

were dark. Toilots wouldn't flush, and

29:20

access to food, medical care, and

29:23

phone calls were cut off. Inmate

29:25

sued, the Department of Justice investigated,

29:27

and a settlement was reached for

29:30

about $10 million. When you're incarcerated,

29:32

sometimes getting the bare necessities can

29:34

be a struggle. But what happens

29:37

when your clientele includes people with

29:39

means. People who are used to

29:42

buying whenever they want. Lindsay doesn't

29:44

know anything about Diddy specifically, but

29:46

I asked him about corruption in

29:49

general. So if I tell you

29:51

that I've heard stories like, well,

29:53

people are buying cell phones inside

29:56

of MDC and people are... having

29:58

sometimes lobster dinners or dinners brought

30:00

to them that you're wondering how

30:03

are you eating like this in

30:05

MDC? Are those shocking to you

30:08

at all that I'm talking to

30:10

you about lobster dinners and cell

30:12

phones and MDC? No, not at

30:15

all. There's an element of corruption

30:17

in every correctional facility. I can

30:19

tell you that MDC Brooklyn, my

30:22

experience was There was a core

30:24

of really, really solid staff at

30:26

MDC Brooklyn that held the facility

30:29

together. Unfortunately, however, there is a

30:31

disproportionate element of misconduct and corruption

30:34

within the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn.

30:36

So it's true and disappointing. It's

30:38

hard to know the precise impact

30:41

Diddy's presence has had on MDC,

30:43

but retired warden Cameron Lindsay says

30:45

it's reasonable to think there's been

30:48

increased scrutiny on the facility from

30:50

higher ups. We do know since

30:52

he's been in, there have been

30:55

lockdowns and contraband sweeps involving other

30:57

inmates in which investigators have seized

31:00

drugs, homemade weapons, and electronic devices.

31:02

I can't even imagine the pressure

31:04

that's coming down from the top

31:07

of the administration down. I would

31:09

think that the word coming down

31:11

is, you better keep these people

31:14

safe and make sure that you're

31:16

doing your job. So we started

31:18

with Diddy at his peak, the

31:21

host of the party that everyone

31:23

wanted to go to, the center

31:26

of an industry that so many

31:28

wanted to be part of. The

31:30

key that could unlock success and

31:33

fame for those around him. But

31:35

now he's locked up. and can't

31:37

even control the most basic things,

31:40

like when he eats or bathes.

31:42

How did he go from mogul

31:44

to inmate? How did he build

31:47

not just a career, but an

31:49

empire? And if the allegations against

31:52

him are true, how did he

31:54

get away? with the violence abuse

31:56

and manipulation for so long. Coming

31:59

up on bad rap, the case

32:01

against Diddy. I've seen a lot

32:03

of death, you know. I don't

32:06

know why. I believe me, I

32:08

asked myself the same question. You

32:10

know, why have I been chosen

32:13

to see all of this, you

32:15

know, death at such a young

32:18

age? Diddy's success comes at a

32:20

price. But time and time again,

32:22

he doesn't seem to be the

32:25

one paying. This is the beginning

32:27

of this sense of invincibility. In

32:29

our next episode, we'll trace the

32:32

path of Diddy's rising star from

32:34

College Dropout to the cover of

32:36

Rolling Stone. And later in our

32:39

series, the early signs of Diddy's

32:41

alleged dark side start to emerge.

32:44

We began to see her more

32:46

in the public as Diddy's girlfriend

32:48

unless as the artist Cassie. The

32:50

culture of silence was colossal. It

32:53

kept people silent for a really

32:55

long time. And I would venture

32:57

to say it still is keeping

32:59

people silent right now. Stay with

33:02

us as new episodes drop every

33:04

week in the lead-up to Diddy's

33:06

trial. Once it starts, we'll keep

33:08

you posted with updates throughout. If

33:10

you enjoy this episode, we'd love

33:12

if you share it and give

33:14

us a rating on Apple

33:16

Podcasts or Spotify. Bad rap,

33:18

the case against Diddy, is a

33:20

production of ABC audio. I'm Brian

33:23

Buckmiron. This podcast was

33:25

written and produced by

33:27

Vika Aronson, Camille Peterson,

33:30

and Nancy Rosenbaum. Tracy

33:32

Samuelson is our story

33:34

editor. Associate producer, Amira

33:37

Williams. Production help from

33:39

Shane McKeon. Fact checker,

33:41

Audrey Moss Tech, story

33:44

consultant, Sweeney St. Phil.

33:46

Supervising producer, Sasha Azlanian.

33:48

Original music by Evan

33:51

Viola. Mixing by Rick

33:53

Kwan. Ariel Chester is

33:55

our social media producer. This

33:57

podcast was powered by the

34:00

journalists at Impact by

34:02

Nightline, 2020, GMA, and

34:04

the ABC News Investigative

34:06

Unit, thanks to those

34:08

teams. And special thanks

34:10

to Stephanie Maurice, Liz

34:12

Alessi, and Katie Dendas.

34:14

Josh Cohen is ABC

34:16

Audio's director of podcast

34:19

programming. Laura Mayer is

34:21

our executive producer.