Judge Denies Diddy’s Latest Bail Bid

Sean “Diddy” Combs, shown in a file photo, will remain in custody until his Oct. 3 sentencing after a federal judge in New York denied his renewed request for bail on Monday. 

Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain behind bars after a federal judge in New York denied his latest bid for bail, rejecting defense arguments that he’s not a danger to the community and should be released ahead of his October sentencing.

The ruling came Monday from U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who wrote that Combs “fails to satisfy his burden to demonstrate an entitlement to release” under the narrow exceptions to mandatory detention for his crimes of conviction. Combs, 55, was found guilty last month on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of more serious racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.

Subramanian pointed to evidence — already cited when he first denied bail after the verdict — of Combs’ admitted history of violence in personal relationships. “Increasing the amount of the bond or devising additional conditions doesn’t change the calculus,” he wrote. The judge noted that, despite defense claims about unsafe conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, staff “has been able to keep him safe and attend to his needs” even during a recent incident where another inmate threatened him.

The decision also addressed the competing narratives at the heart of Combs’ upcoming sentencing. “While Combs may contend … this evidence should be discounted and that what happened was nothing more than a case of willing ‘swingers’ utilizing the voluntary services of escorts for their mutual pleasure, the Government takes the opposite view: that Cassie Ventura and Jane were beaten, coerced, threatened, lied to, and victimized by Combs,” Subramanian wrote. That, he said, put the case “outside the narrow exception to detention that Congress otherwise deemed mandatory.”

The denial comes after Combs’ defense submitted a letter from Virginia “Gina” Huynh — identified in the case as Victim 3 — asking the court to release him. Huynh, a former girlfriend once subpoenaed to testify for the prosecution but who disappeared from the witness list before trial, told the court she does not view Combs as dangerous and believes “he has not been violent in many years.”

Prosecutors have argued the opposite, pointing to testimony and video evidence from other women, including Ventura, who described years of abuse. Letters from several accusers urged the court to keep Combs detained.

Each count of Combs’ conviction carries a potential maximum of 10 years, though prosecutors have indicated sentencing guidelines point to a prison term of roughly four to five years. He will receive 10 months’ credit for time served since his September 2024 arrest. Sentencing is set for Oct. 3 in Manhattan federal court.

Diddy Accuser Resurfaces, Asks Judge To Grant Bail

Virginia Huynh, known as “Gina,” pictured in an image posted to her verified Instagram account. The former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs publicly identified herself as Victim 3 in his criminal case in a letter to the judge supporting his release. (Credit: @gina.huynh / Instagram)

One of the key women in the federal case against Sean “Diddy” Combs has come forward by name — not to testify against him, but to plead for his release.

Virginia Huynh, previously identified in court only as “Victim 3,” has submitted a letter to the judge overseeing Combs’ case urging that the disgraced music mogul be granted bail while he awaits sentencing. The move marks a dramatic shift in tone and timing, as Huynh had originally been expected to testify for the prosecution before abruptly going silent in the days before trial. Prosecutors revealed in court they had lost contact with her and her legal team and could not confirm her participation.

But in a two-page letter filed Friday by Combs’ attorneys as part of their $50 million bond motion, Huynh describes Combs as a father, family man, and businessman — someone who “has not been violent for many years” and who, she writes, is not a threat to her or the public.

“Our relationship, like many, was not always perfect,” Huynh wrote. “But he was willing to acknowledge his mistakes and make better decisions in the future… by the time our relationship ended, he embodied an energy of love, patience and gentleness that was markedly different from his past behavior.”



The letter arrives as Combs’ legal team makes a final push to keep him out of custody ahead of his Oct. 3 sentencing. Last month, a jury convicted Combs of two federal charges — both related to the interstate transportation of women for prostitution — while acquitting him of racketeering and sex trafficking. The conviction could still carry years of prison time.

During trial, Huynh’s name surfaced multiple times. Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend and the prosecution’s star witness, testified that Combs had cheated on her with Huynh for years during their 11-year relationship. Former assistant George Kaplan also testified that he once saw Combs throw apples at Huynh inside his Miami home.

Huynh’s new statement doesn’t deny the past, but paints a different present. “To my knowledge,” she wrote, “he has not been violent for many years, and he has been committed to being a father first.”

She also emphasized that she never considered Combs a danger to her or the community. “Throughout the investigation and proceedings,” she wrote, “he has been cooperative, respectful and compliant… Granting him bond would allow him to continue caring for his family and fulfilling his responsibilities.”

The defense’s bond motion includes Huynh’s letter as one of several exhibits meant to counter the judge’s earlier decision to deny bail. At the time, the court cited Combs’ “pattern of violence” and the strength of the evidence presented, including a 2016 hotel surveillance video showing Combs assaulting Ventura — footage first aired by CNN and later entered into trial.

The defense has also filed a separate motion seeking to overturn the conviction altogether, calling it “unconstitutional” and “a misapplication of the Mann Act.” That motion remains pending.

In contrast to Huynh, other victims — including Ventura — previously submitted letters asking the court to keep Combs incarcerated, citing ongoing concerns for their safety.

Watch: Busta Rhymes Honored With Walk of Fame Star

The gravel-throated flow. The animated delivery. The unmatched visuals. After more than three decades of shaping the sound, look, and intensity of hip-hop, Busta Rhymes has earned his place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Brooklyn-raised legend was officially honored with the 2,818th star on the iconic boulevard today — a long-overdue recognition for an artist who, as LL Cool J put it during the ceremony, has remained “a disruptor” since his very first bars.

“I’m grateful for the blessing that has been bestowed upon me,” Rhymes said, visibly emotional as he reflected on his journey. “I’ve been through so many things in life, and I’ve never stopped.”

Flanked by Chuck D, Big Boy, LL Cool J and his children, Rhymes used the moment to reflect not just on his accolades — platinum plaques, Guinness records, Grammy nominations — but on the culture that birthed him and the legacy he’s still building. “This isn’t the destination,” he said. “This is fuel to keep going.”

Born Trevor Smith Jr., Busta’s career began in the late 1980s with Leaders of the New School, but his rise was meteoric after a legendary guest verse on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario.” By the mid-’90s, he was headlining with solo classics like “Woo Hah!! Got You All in Check,” “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” and “Dangerous,” blending high-concept visuals with apocalyptic energy and breathless lyricism.

“He was the original visualizer,” Chuck D said. “Before music videos became billion-dollar business, Busta made every frame matter.”

Known for his versatility, Rhymes has collaborated across genres with artists like Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Eminem, Missy Elliott and Kendrick Lamar. His videos — often directed by the likes of Hype Williams — weren’t just cinematic. They were cultural events.

But behind the spectacle was substance. Busta was a fierce defender of hip-hop as an art form. He famously squared off in rhyme with Jay-Z, Nas and others, but always brought the energy back to unity and celebration.

“He’s the guy who could bring KRS-One and Diddy into the same room,” Big Boy joked. “And still make it feel like a cookout.”

Even with nine solo albums, 12 Grammy nominations and a Guinness World Record for most syllables rapped in a single hit, Busta’s not slowing down. He teased his upcoming album, “Vengeance,” during the ceremony — and he appears in Paramount’s recently released “The Naked Gun” reboot, joining a cast led by Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Cody Rhodes and CCH Pounder. It marks his first feature film performance in nearly a decade.