Sean 'Diddy' Combs Appearance 'Noticeably' Different After Months in Jail

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What's New

Sean "Diddy" Combs appeared "noticeably thinner" during a court hearing Wednesday in New York, according to Law & Crime reporter Elizabeth Millner. Newsweek has contacted Combs' legal and media teams by email for comment.

The Context

Combs, 55, has been in jail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest in September on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The "Bad Boy For Life" rapper is also the subject of over 20 civil lawsuits with allegations of sexual misconduct. Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee is representing 120 alleged Combs victims. Combs maintains his innocence.

What To Know

Law & Crime reporter Elizabeth Millner said, "From that video, I think that was obtained by Daily Mail back in September, of Diddy playing hacky sack in Central Park to now, he appeared just astonishingly thinner, which you can expect to be inside a federal detention center for a couple of months now – a lot different from the luxury lifestyle that he was living before."

"He appeared very noticeably thinner, and maybe being locked up in detention is starting to wear on him. He appeared grayer, too. But again, he appeared just how you would expect Diddy to appear for a hearing."

After a hearing on October 10, Newsweek reported that Combs appeared thinner in courtroom sketches released that day, particularly his face.

Combs' sons Justin Combs, 30, and Christian "King" Combs, 26, were present in court Wednesday. There are no cameras allowed in the courtroom for this trial.

Combs wore the same tan inmate uniform Wednesday that he's worn to previous hearings, according to Law & Crime. He reportedly entered the courtroom and hugged his attorneys, Anthony Rico and Alexander Shapiro, and looked around the room to find his sons.

Prosecutors told Judge Arun Subramanian on Wednesday that they plan to provide all discovery in this case by the end of the year, the outlet reports. Discovery is a pre-trial process where parties in a lawsuit request information and evidence from each other and external sources to prepare for trial and understand the facts of the case.

Prosecutor Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson also told the judge that while they couldn't discuss many details about their ongoing investigation or any potential superseding indictment, "We're mindful of the trial date. Any additional charges will have little discovery information."

A superseding indictment amends and replaces the original indictment, listing formal charges against a defendant. Approved by a grand jury after new evidence is obtained, it often adds charges or defendants, and in rare cases, may also make minor deletions from the original.

After three failed bail attempts, Combs is no longer fighting to get out of the MDC Brooklyn. Last week, Combs' lawyers filed a motion to dismiss an appeal of a denied bail decision.

What People Are Saying

Teny Geragos, an attorney for Combs, in an email to Newsweek on December 9: "As his legal team has said before, Mr. Combs has full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process. In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr. Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor."

Tony Buzbee in an email statement to Newsweek on December 18 regarding a lawsuit against Roc Nation and its attorneys for allegedly violating state laws, "These folks have stooped to a new low to try to intimidate the lawyers of the Buzbee Law Firm from doing their important work. This conduct was specifically targeted at our firm so we would not pursue cases related to the Diddy litigation. But, we will not be bullied or intimidated. The Defendants overstepped, got sloppy, and stupidly got caught in their illegal scheme on tape. We intend to cooperate with authorities to ensure all involved are prosecuted to the full extent allowed under Texas law."