Brian Buckmire
Appearances
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
The easy answer, and again, I'll just say I'm a former public defender, so I'm more aligned with what Ann Taylor does in this case. And so maybe my bias comes out in talking about this case to some degree. But the easy answer is when the DNA helps you, you want it in. When the DNA doesn't help you, you want it out. So I've done this exact argument in Brooklyn recently. Let me explain it.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And I think after explaining it, you and your listeners will completely understand where the defense is going with this, right? So let's take a gun, for example. I touch it. You touch it. Julie touches it. They would not be able to distinguish my DNA from your DNA from Julie's DNA because so many contributors were on it. They would say it's inconclusive.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
Another reason why they might not say it's conclusive or it's inconclusive is they can only test, and this is specific to New York, if there are 20, and the way they measure DNA is picograms, if there are 20 picograms of that sample.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
So for whatever reason, when I touch an object, my skin cells don't flake off at the same rate that yours do, for example, Kena, and I only drop 10 picograms of DNA, but you drop 30. there'd be male DNA on that object, but they would call that inconclusive.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And what the defense is arguing here is if you can't say whether or not Brian Koveberger is under these fingernails, what's the relevance of that information? All you're able to say is a human being is under this person's fingernails, and that's not relevant, that's not helping the jury, and that information should not be presented. Now, they took that information and took it to another lab,
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And again, I'm talking specifically to New York, can only calculate 20 picograms and four or less people. But there are other labs around the country that have more sensitive instruments. So they can detect less than 20 picograms. They can detect if four or more people have touched an object. So from my understanding is they went to another lab that has more sensitive instruments.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And when they ran it through that instruments, they were able to say that Brian Koberger is excluded. Because in a case where someone has brutally murdered four individuals, you would suspect that there would be defensive wounds on that individual and the victim would have scratched that person.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And so if Brian Koberger's DNA is not under their fingernails, they've got a pretty decent argument there.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
So yes and yes. So yes, it would be presented to the jury if the defense felt it necessary to put on their own case. And I would suspect that they would.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
So for two reasons, one is you want to get multiple bites at the apple. Let's say this. Let's say I say, Kena, I want to be on your podcast for a number of reasons. I dress really well. I'm a defense attorney and I know like the strategy behind this. Is my strongest argument probably that I know the strategy of another public defender?
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
Yeah, but I'm also gonna have those other two arguments because maybe you're gonna go, Brian, I want Brian on because I like his suits. And I don't know which argument's really gonna win, so I just throw everyone out. And that's what every defense attorney does. The other reason is you're not just arguing to the judge in front of you, you're also arguing to the appellate judge.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
Because at some point in time, if Brian Koberger is found guilty, you cannot raise arguments on appeal that you did not raise at trial. And you don't know who that appellate judge is going to be. It's those two reasons why you throw everything at a judge.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
I think this judge saw, as we all did, how – and I'm not trying to speak poorly of Judge John Judge or anyone else who was on the case prior to. I think it's a difference of opinion, difference of style. But I think this new judge saw how the families, the media, the – just the case in general, the public, saw how the information was rolling out and said, okay, we need a new change of course.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
We need one that will still uphold Brian Koberger's constitutional rights to a fair and impartial trial, but also inform those who are most interested in this case and have a vested interest in the facts as they come out. And so I think that's the balance that this new judge is trying to strike.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
So... Again, I'm not a defense attorney on this team, but I can only theorize why. One main reason could be they didn't have the information. Maybe Brian Koberger wasn't evaluated. Maybe the report by whoever evaluated him wasn't done. When you evaluate an individual,
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
especially one who's incarcerated, you've got to cut through the red tape of, hey, I need an expert to go and sit down and talk with my client. So it's a red tape of getting that done. The other thing too could just be strategy. Maybe they think this is one of their stronger arguments and they wanted to kind of leave it on the last doorstep of this case, kind of like the final push.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
In 2002, there was a Supreme Court case called Atkins v. Virginia. And in that Supreme Court case, it basically said, The United States of America cannot put people who have severe disability to death. So that just became the law of the land. And that snowballed into making different arguments, a lot of them which we are seeing here now. There are five main arguments in this 28-page motion.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
The first three, I would say, could be categorized as he has ASD. And because of that, he is not culpable enough, like not guilty enough to be executed. Executing people with ASD falls in line with that kind of idea that we can't do this. The Supreme Court says we can't do it. The fourth argument is a very unique one. I haven't seen it. Very interesting. But everyone has the right in –
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
What's going to be a bifurcated case, and what I mean by bifurcated is first the jury will decide guilt or innocence, and then the jury will decide the sentencing as to whether or not he gets put to death. I don't think Brian Kovrig is going to testify at the guilt phase to decide whether or not he's guilty or not. Maybe he will. But if I'm a betting man, I say no.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
But if he's found guilty, I definitely think it would behoove him or be in his interest to testify at that sentencing phase. And that's what the defense is talking about here. That if he was to take that opportunity to testify in that sentencing phase, to fight for his life, his mannerisms and the way his affect is, people will look at him and be like, that looks like a cold-blooded killer.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
that's gonna take away his right to be able to defend himself and that's why the death penalty should not be there. I think they bolster that argument in the fifth and final argument of this motion of saying, look, the media is already doing it. We're looking at him in these pictures and we're looking at social media and the way people describe him as this menacing figure, it's already happening.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And that's going to taint the jury, that's gonna happen again when he testifies in the sentencing phase. And because of that, ASD should rule out the death penalty.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
No, I think what it is, is you have a public defender, a person who went to law school and chose to pick a profession where they feel they are representing individuals that but for them would not have the form of representation that Ann Taylor is giving, which I still think is amazing. And they're trying to save someone's life.
20/20
'The King Road Killings': 911 Call Released
And so if you were in the mindset of I am doing the righteous work of a public defender and trying to save someone's life. you throw everything at the wall to try to do so. And I think that's what Ann Taylor is doing. And I think, say what you want about Brian Koberger, but if you were sitting in his seat, you would want a person to throw everything at the wall to save your life.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
Sean Diddy Combs seemed to have it all. More than a rapper, producer, reality star, and entrepreneur, he was a kingmaker, a true mogul. He flaunted his fame and fortune, hosting lavish parties with A-list celebrities in Beverly Hills, the French Riviera, and the Hamptons.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
And newly surfaced security footage showed the public a side of Combs that most people had never seen before.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
Combs now faces federal racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges, allegations he denies.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
Dozens of his alleged victims are now coming forward. Some are suing him, alleging sexual assault and forced drug use. Others are ready to speak out about what they say Combs was really like.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
Combs' legal team says he's never sexually assaulted anyone, adult or minor, man or woman. As Sean Combs awaits his federal trial, we'll trace the steps of his remarkable rise to the top of music, fashion, and entertainment, only to have it all come crashing down.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
And we'll follow the twists and turns of the case as the man who dubbed himself a bad boy for life now faces the possibility of being locked up for life. This is Bad Rap, The Case Against Diddy, a new series from ABC Audio coming March 25th. Follow and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
Born in Harlem and raised in a suburb outside the Bronx, Diddy was even awarded the key to New York City in 2023. What's up? Welcome to New York! But just one year later, Sean Combs had no keys. He was locked up in a notoriously dangerous and decrepit federal detention center in Brooklyn. I'm Brian Buckmeyer, an attorney and ABC News legal contributor. Diddy's downfall has captivated this country.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
For decades, there were whispers of violence and abuse. Then, a lawsuit filed by his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, with shocking allegations.
Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Introducing 'Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy'
Diddy settled a day later with no admission of guilt. A few months later, the feds made their move.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
So we're pulling up to MDC now. It's got like this... uncapped, unwashed, grunginess of it. There's a tall metal fence around the MDC complex, so the parking lot's as far as most reporters get. But as a defense attorney, I'm here almost every week, and I can get further than most. Inmates. I walk through the gate, up the steps, and through the doors to security.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
I get escorted into the visitor's area, and I meet my client for about an hour or two. For the parts of the jail I can't see, my clients fill me in. About how boiling hot it is in the summer, how cold it is in the winter.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
An inmate told me that at one point, when there was no heat or hot water, he couldn't go to the showers and instead was dumping hot water onto his body from the sink, washing himself and catching the water in the toilet. I had to come to MDC on that cold, gray day in January to meet with a client who was awaiting sentencing.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Getting out of my Uber, I looked up at this complex of tall, concrete buildings. And the gate before you come in, you can actually hear people. It almost sounds like they're, like, rec hour. Yeah, it sounds like they're playing a sport.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Each of MDC's buildings are 10 or more stories tall, and where the windows in a typical apartment would be, you have red brick slabs with narrow slats and big sections of metal grating that give you the impression of a locked jail cell, even from the outside.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Imagine every celebrity worth an Us Weekly headline with a bedazzled smartphone in their hand. It was before TikTok and Instagram, when tabloid coverage claimed to break juicy celebrity stories. Compared to the prominence of video and social media today, private celebrity parties were much more private. But one bit of Diddy's 2009 white party was captured on video.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
MDC is right on the Brooklyn waterfront, just a few blocks from a bougie converted warehouse space full of artisanal shops and upscale restaurants. But if you're part of the legal system in New York, you know that MDC is not a nice place to be. In fact, it's been described as hell on earth, known for its violence, corruption, and miserable conditions.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
It's a federal building, so you can see Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. You see the American flag. And the building has watermarks and rust on the metal parts and things of that way. Over the years, it's housed some people you've probably heard of, like R. Kelly, Michael Cohen, Ghislaine Maxwell, Sam Bankman Freed, Luigi Mangione, and Sean Diddy Combs.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Combs has been at MDC since he was arrested last September. According to his attorney, Mark Agnifilo, Diddy had flown to New York to cooperate with authorities.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Paparazzi and onlookers caught snippets of Diddy's visit to New York last September, and from those photos and videos, it looked like he was enjoying his time, talking and smiling with fans, playing hacky sack in Central Park, strolling through the city with his family. If Diddy had plans to turn himself in, he didn't do it for the first 12 days he was in New York.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
But on the night of September 16th at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, Homeland Security Investigations agents caught Diddy by surprise. You could see on the hotel security footage that Diddy walked into the front door and the agents approached him. They separated him from the group he was with, put handcuffs on him, and took him away.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
The day after Combs' arrest, the prosecutor at the time held a news conference to announce the charges.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Because of how serious and violent the alleged crimes are, Combs was ordered held without bail. ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Aaron Katursky was in the courtroom.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
It didn't surprise me that things didn't go Diddy's way with bail. The allegations and trafficking charges are very serious. And if Diddy were out on bail, the fear was he'd have the ability to reach witnesses and possibly intimidate them. I didn't think there was a chance he was getting out. But that didn't stop Diddy or his attorneys from trying.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Diddy's attorney told reporters before the start of the bail hearings, MDC was no place for his client.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Over and over again, Diddy tried to get released. He tried offering a $50 million bond. He tried offering home confinement. He tried to prove he wasn't a flight risk, attempting to sell his private plane and saying he'd surrender his passport to his attorney. He was trying to be a cooperative defendant. But no, Sean Combs was denied bail four times.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Rapper and record producer Jay Blaze caught it on camera and posted it to YouTube for the world to see. Actor Ashton Kutcher grabs onto a swing strung over the pool and tarzans across it. Diddy is emceeing in a sea of white suits, dresses, linen, and sunglasses. By the summer of 2009, Diddy had won three Grammys.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
The judges were also concerned he'd obstruct justice and intimidate witnesses. That last part, witness intimidation, has become a big issue in Combs' case in recent months. In one of his first bail hearings, prosecutors presented calls Diddy made and texts he sent before his arrest.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
They said Diddy reached out to potential witnesses, telling them they'd be taken care of financially if they stuck by his side. And then in November, after he'd been at MDC for about two months and was up for a third chance at bail, prosecutors alleged Combs had been paying other inmates to access their phone accounts and, according to the government, avoid law enforcement monitoring.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
And prosecutors said they caught Combs on recorded calls from jail, asking family members to reach out to potential victims and witnesses and urged them to come up with narratives to sway the jury in his favor.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Prosecutors wrote in their court filing, the defendant has shown repeatedly, even while in custody, that he will flagrantly and repeatedly flout rules in order to improperly impact the outcome of his case. The defendant has shown, in other words, that he cannot be trusted to abide by rules or conditions.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Diddy's attorneys responded to prosecutors' arguments by saying the nonstop drumbeat of negative publicity has destroyed Combs' reputation and will make it virtually impossible for him to receive a fair trial. So Combs isn't back in his $48 million mansion on an island in Miami Beach, where at one point he'd asked to await trial.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Instead, he's being detained far from the pools, hot tubs, cabanas, and ocean views he's used to. So what's it like being an inmate at MDC? What's it like being a celebrity and alleged sex offender in MDC, a notoriously dangerous and neglected jail? After the break, we meet someone who gives us an inside view of MDC most people don't get to see, and a window into Combs' life behind bars.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Just a few weeks ago, I talked to someone who's been past a visitation area at MDC, who's really been on the inside. And I will try my best to make this not feel like a cross-examination, even though that is my typical practice. Oh, that's okay. You can ask me anything. That's Cameron Lindsay. He's worked in corrections for 25 years.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
He was a warden of five different correctional facilities, including MDC Brooklyn. And since retiring in 2014, he's continued to work in jails and prisons around the country as a consultant and also serves as an expert witness, often testifying on behalf of a plaintiff who was hurt or even killed while incarcerated. So he's seen some stuff in this country's correction system.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
And he says for anyone, going into detention is a shock to the system, but especially for someone like Sean Combs.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
It's small things, like having to wear the same beige prison-issued jumpsuit as everyone else. And it's big things, too, like where and how he's housed. Diddy's lawyer has said he's in what's called the special housing unit, which means he's separated from the general population. If it were up to retired Warden Lindsey, he'd go even further, putting Diddy in almost complete isolation.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
But that doesn't seem to be MDC's approach. Diddy reportedly has access to at least some other inmates. Convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried said in an interview with Tucker Carlson that Diddy has been kind to people in the unit, and he's been, quote, kind to me. We also know Diddy's cell is small, not what he's used to.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
They keep Diddy separated from the jail's general population to keep him safe. His wealth and notoriety could make him a target.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
He had five songs hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and three of his albums had gone platinum. He was successful and rich. Four months from turning 40, Forbes magazine put Diddy's net worth at $30 million. He'd presented himself for a long time as a champion and model of black excellence. and he was feeling patriotic after the U.S. elected its first black president.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
It's right for MDC officials to take Diddy's safety seriously. The facility is infamously dangerous. The Associated Press reported that just in the last three years, there has been a stabbing death, a death after a brawl, and at least four deaths by suicide. And in the time Diddy's been at MDC, an inmate was charged with orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot from inside.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
A Southern District of New York judge said in a 2024 opinion that defendants at MDC Brooklyn complain of, quote, near perpetual lockdowns, dreadful conditions and lengthy delays in getting medical care. He and other federal judges have refused to send defendants to MDC on the grounds that conditions are so bad.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Conditions at MDC sank to their lowest in 2019 with what Lindsay calls the freeze-out, when nearly 1,700 inmates had to live in below-freezing temperatures for a week.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
There was a heat and power outage at the same time. Cells were dark. Toilets wouldn't flush. And access to food, medical care, and phone calls were cut off. Inmates sued, the Department of Justice investigated, and a settlement was reached for about $10 million. When you're incarcerated, sometimes getting the bare necessities can be a struggle.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
But what happens when your clientele includes people with means, people who are used to buying whatever they want? Lindsay doesn't know anything about Diddy specifically, but I asked him about corruption in general. So if I tell you that I've heard stories like,
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Well, people are buying cell phones inside of MDC and people are having sometimes lobster dinners or dinners brought to them that you're wondering, how are you eating like this in MDC? Are those shocking to you at all that I'm talking to you about lobster dinners and cell phones in MDC?
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
It's hard to know the precise impact Diddy's presence has had on MDC, but retired warden Cameron Lindsay says it's reasonable to think there's been increased scrutiny on the facility from higher-ups. We do know since he's been in, there have been lockdowns and contraband sweeps involving other inmates, in which investigators have seized drugs, homemade weapons, and electronic devices.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
So we started with Diddy at his peak, the host of the party that everyone wanted to go to, the center of an industry that so many wanted to be part of, the key that could unlock success and fame for those around him. But now he's locked up and can't even control the most basic things, like when he eats or bathes. How did Diddy go from mogul to inmate?
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
How did he build not just a career, but an empire? And if the allegations against him are true, how did he get away with the violence, abuse, and manipulation for so long? Coming up on Bad Rap, the case against Diddy.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
So he decided this year's white party would be held on Independence Day. He gave Marie Claire magazine a sneak peek before the party started. The pool draped in gauzy white curtains and chandeliers. Platters of shrimp, crab cakes, and barbecue were served.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Diddy's success comes at a price. But time and time again, he doesn't seem to be the one paying.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
In our next episode, we'll trace the path of Diddy's rising star from college dropout to the cover of Rolling Stone. And later in our series, the early signs of Diddy's alleged dark side start to emerge.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Stay with us as new episodes drop every week in the lead-up to Diddy's trial. Once it starts, we'll keep you posted with updates throughout. If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love if you'd share it and give us a rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Bad Rap, The Case Against Diddy is a production of ABC Audio. I'm Brian Buckmeyer.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
This podcast was written and produced by Vika Aronson, Camille Peterson, and Nancy Rosenbaum. Tracy Samuelson is our story editor. Associate producer, Amira Williams. Production help from Shane McKeon. Fact checker, Audrey Mostek. Story consultant, Sweeney St. Phil. Supervising producer, Sasha Aslanian. Original music by Eben Viola. Mixing by Rick Kwan.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Arielle Chester is our social media producer. This podcast was powered by the journalists at Impact by Nightline, 2020, GMA, and the ABC News Investigative Unit. Thanks to those teams. And special thanks to Stephanie Maurice, Liz Alessi, and Katie Dendas. Josh Cohan is ABC Audio's Director of Podcast Programming. Laura Mayer is our executive producer.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
A sommelier explained that all the wine served would be, of course, white.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Two of the biggest songs of 2009 were Lady Gaga's Poker Face and I Got a Feeling by the Black Eyed Peas. None of Diddy's music was at the top of the charts, but this was the year he rapped Making the Band, the show that made him a reality star. And reality shows were hot.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Diddy's hit show was the perfect blend of American Idol, the number one TV show in America that year, and another popular show at the time, The Celebrity Apprentice. On making the ban, Diddy presented himself as a kind of Trump-like figure of the music industry, who would crown the next big pop group. Diddy had been throwing these Gatsby-esque white parties for almost a decade.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
The first was on Labor Day in 1998, when he had just bought a home in the Hamptons. He hosted a bunch of them there and then in Saint-Tropez on the French Riviera. One year, he took a helicopter to the party and landed holding an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. The famous writer Norman Lear loaned it to him. All of the big celebrities appeared at Diddy's white parties.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Beyonce, Jay-Z, Jonah Hill, Martha Stewart, Paris Hilton, Aretha Franklin, Al Sharpton, and Donald Trump. They all orbited the Diddy white party sphere. As a record exec, Diddy helped launch the careers of artists who would become legends. The Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Usher, and many others. So it's no surprise people wanted the invite to Diddy's parties.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
If they had got one, then they belonged in the list of celebrities, politicians, and cultural icons who had proximity to a mogul, who knew everyone and could make things happen. You could hang out in the backyard with hundreds of guests who made it through the gates to the main party. But it still had a VIP section, an inner circle.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Reality TV personality and podcaster Jason Lee was at the 2009 Independence Day white party. He remembers it as a good time and says it helped his career. Lee claims he never saw any darkness or any hints of the crimes Diddy would be accused of years later.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Lots of people who attended Diddy's parties never saw his alleged dark side. For decades, A-listers were eager to pose next to the mogul at a Hamptons bash. Today, many of those celebrities are actively distancing themselves from Diddy, not wanting to share that toxic spotlight. At the height of his power and influence, Diddy had complete control over his world.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
He decided who got to be an insider, controlled what happened when the lights went out, and he'd tell his guests as much.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
The curfew announcement, when kids had to disappear and lots of adults left too. It hints at a turn. Diddy foreshadows an adult world, a late-night world of secrets. And some of those secrets, they've come pouring out. Diddy's Rise and Fall. It's the story we'll tell you in the first six episodes of this podcast.
Scamanda
Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
How a man who was on top of the music industry and on top of the world is now confined to a cell that couldn't be less luxurious, awaiting trial. And once the trial begins, we'll take you there with twice weekly updates as the case unfolds. Two very different versions of Diddy have emerged over the years.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
The charmer that he showed the world and the predator that onlookers and alleged victims are now claiming he was all along. Which version of Diddy will win out in court? I'm Brian Buckmeyer, an attorney and an ABC News legal contributor. From ABC Audio, this is Bad Rap, the case against Diddy. Episode one, party's over. Diddy's white parties were glittering displays of wealth and social capital.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
But to some, they were clues, even early on, that Diddy's world had shadows. Justin Tinsley is a culture reporter for ESPN's Anscape, which focuses on Black culture. He says there'd always been rumors about what Diddy was like behind the scenes, at parties, and in his personal and professional life.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
In November of 2023, someone did come forward. Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit against him, alleging that for over a decade he trapped her in a cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking. The lawsuit was a bombshell. It alleged Cassie was forced to participate in orchestrated, elaborate sex parties Diddy called freak-offs that he would film and keep recordings of.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
A day after the lawsuit was filed, Diddy settled with Cassie for an undisclosed amount and no admission of guilt. But Cassie opened the floodgates. Over the next 12 months, others who had spent time with Diddy, from a music producer to a former model to a yacht stewardess, filed lawsuits too. These lawsuits alleged rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Many also alleged Diddy would spike drinks and lace marijuana with narcotics to knock people out or make it harder for them to resist assault. Some mentioned Diddy videotaping assaults to further control and humiliate his victims. Those lawsuits went from a steady drip to a rapid current. There are now dozens of them.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
In December of 2023, Diddy said in a statement that he did not do any of the, quote, awful things being alleged. He called them sickening allegations by people looking for a quick payday.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
His attorney told ABC News Combs couldn't comment on settled litigation, wouldn't comment on pending litigation, and quote, cannot address every allegation picked up by the press from any source, no matter how unreliable, end quote. But in the fall of 2024, criminal charges were filed against Diddy by the feds.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Mansions where he'd once hosted lavish parties were raided by federal agents. In L.A., more than a dozen officers pulled up in armored vehicles, wearing fatigues, guns drawn, pointing them at Diddy's sons, who happened to be at home. In Miami, it was police officers in t-shirts driving up to Diddy's compound in vans.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Combs is now facing federal criminal charges that read a lot like those earlier civil lawsuits. Sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. The charges accuse Diddy of decades of criminal behavior. And unlike the civil lawsuits that he faced from Cassie and now from others, these criminal charges could land him in prison for the rest of his life.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Combs has pled not guilty to all charges. His attorney, Mark Ignifilo, called it an unjust prosecution. He said Combs was a, quote, music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the black community. He called Combs an imperfect person, but not a criminal.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Once these lawsuits and charges were filed, reporters and fans started looking at Diddy's past with more scrutiny. And up close, knowing the allegations against him, even his famed summer parties started to look very different. Like this clip from an appearance on Conan O'Brien's show in 2002.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Conan compliments Diddy on being a legendary party host and asks him for tips on throwing a, quote, "'killer party.'"
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
A joke about locking doors so women can't leave lands a little differently now. I've been captivated by Diddy's rise and fall for two reasons. The first one is pretty straightforward. When I was growing up in the 90s and 2000s, Diddy was everywhere. It's hard to be a millennial and not know his music or his impact on the music industry.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
One of his most popular songs I remember playing on the radio in elementary school was his All About the Benjamins. And Can't Nobody Hold Me Down.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
In the summer of 2009, everyone was paying attention to Sean Diddy Combs. He wasn't on the top of the Billboard charts anymore, but he had become a fixture of American pop culture. The flashiest example was his annual star-studded white party. It was an exclusive event, and everything had to be white, from the decor to the dress code. This was the early days of smartphones.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
he marketed himself as a kingmaker in the world of hip-hop, and everything he touched seemed to turn to gold. He turned hip-hop from being a thing my mom probably didn't want me to listen to, to something that could make you into a billionaire businessman, something my mom wouldn't approve of.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Back then, before the lawsuits, before the allegations and scrutiny, Diddy was someone you could look up to. But I'm not a culture reporter or a music journalist. I'm an attorney. I spent almost 10 years as a public defender in New York City, the last few of those in the homicide unit. Now, I litigate federal civil and criminal cases.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
And to be clear, I am not an attorney on Diddy's case, but I have represented people who have been accused of the kind of crimes he's being accused of, and people who were victims of those types of crimes. And even with all of my experience, when I read through some of the lawsuits from the people who had sued Diddy, I had to stop myself sometimes. The photos and details were jaw-dropping.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
They were a shock to my system. And the federal indictment is sweeping and disturbing. Diddy is accused of running a vast criminal enterprise that abused, threatened, and coerced his alleged victims and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and cover up his conduct for decades. Diddy maintains his innocence. His trial is set to start in May.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Until then, he's locked up, stuck in a place that couldn't be more different from the luxury he's used to. A place he doesn't want to be. A place that no amount of money can get him out of. A place I know well. More after the break. In Diddy's old life, he could choose which of his many homes he wanted to spend time in.
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Party’s Over, from Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
A three-story mansion overlooking the Pacific Ocean and downtown LA, a compound in Miami including a nine-bedroom mansion, a New York City apartment with views of Central Park, homes in New Jersey and Atlanta, and a waterfront mansion in the Hamptons. Now, Diddy's in the Metropolitan Detention Center, or MDC, in Brooklyn. This bland behemoth is where he'll stay as he awaits trial.