Embattled music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs has formally requested that Judge Arun Subramanian allow the public release of a series of controversial videos colloquially called “freak-off tapes.”
Combs’ legal team argues that these recordings will establish their client’s innocence unequivocally. According to Daily Mail, Combs’ attorneys filed a letter urging the judge to compel prosecutors to release the nine videos
Prosecutors describe the videos as “elaborate and produced sex performances” orchestrated by Combs but his legal team contends the recordings depict consensual, private sexual activity between Combs and his former partner, Cassie Ventura.
Initially, Ventura’s attorney requested that the videos remain sealed to protect her privacy. As a result, Combs’ lawyers were granted only supervised access to the footage in November and December. They are now seeking unrestricted access, claiming the videos are essential for trial preparation.
Combs’ defence team maintains that the tapes demonstrate Ventura’s enthusiastic consent and negate allegations that Combs kept the recordings as “collateral.” They argue that the videos were stored on Ventura’s devices for years and were voluntarily handed over to authorities by her.
These videos unambiguously show that the person alleged in the indictment not only consented but thoroughly enjoyed herself,” the legal filing states. The defence also asserts that the recordings directly refute claims of coercion and blackmail.
The tapes, reportedly of poor lighting and largely inaudible, are deemed critical to Combs’ case. His lawyers claim they will help dismantle the prosecution’s narrative, which they describe as sexist and puritanical, perpetuating harmful stereotypes about female victimhood and agency.
Diddy, 55, is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, awaiting trial set for May 5. Prosecutors accuse him of a pattern of coercive behaviour including using associates to intimidate and silence victims.
The charges against Combs include racketeering, blackmail and sexual assault. One accuser alleges Combs drugged and raped her when she was a teenage babysitter. This case is part of a broader set of over 20 civil lawsuits filed against him in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and could face life in prison if convicted.