The lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs have asked a judge to put a gag order seeking to prevent attorneys representing alleged victims from making public statements. This comes as media scrutiny has ramped up on what victim attorneys say has tarnished the rapper's name and could even affect jury selection.

The disgraced music mogul's lawyers said in a letter filed before US District Judge Arun Subramanian on Tuesday, as seen by the Daily Mail, that they are apprehensive about continuing "negative publicity" about the case. They say the lawyers representing the alleged victims and witnesses have made additional comments that could prejudice jurors and that the media buzz is intensifying despite the previous request for a gag order.

In particular, Diddy's team targeted Douglas Wigdor, the lawyer for his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Wigdor, who has publicly commented on aspects of the case, including Combs' request to exclude a surveillance video showing him allegedly dragging Ventura by the hair in 2016, has become a focal point. That video, which aired on CNN, has sparked controversy in the case, with Diddy's lawyers alleging that it was altered to make him look threatening.

"Absent a Court order, we expect the publicity to not only continue but escalate as trial commences," the letter states. The defense team expressed particular concern over statements made by attorneys for government witnesses, which they argue could unduly influence public opinion and the jury pool.

Despite the defense's objections, Judge Subramanian ruled that the video would remain part of the evidence in the trial. This decision is a significant blow to Diddy, as the defense had hoped to keep it out of the courtroom, arguing that it had been edited to depict him in a negative light unfairly.

In a comment responding to the gag order request, Wigdor told Daily Mail he intends to contest the motion.

"We will vigorously oppose the motion seeking an extraordinary sweeping gag order as it is an obvious attempt at controlling and silencing victims and their counsel in contravention of well-established legal and ethical precedent," Wigdor said. "Given this, it should come as no surprise that Combs fails to cite even one case to support his request."

Dawn Richard's attorney, Lisa Bloom, was also in the crosshairs of Diddy's legal team. Bloom has also spoken with the media, her firm representing several of Diddy's alleged victims, including both Richard and another accuser who remains anonymous. Richard has accused the rapper of sexual assault, food and sleep deprivation, and financial exploitation in a civil suit.

Bloom fired back at Combs' legal team, calling their attempts to silence her "hypocritical." "How hypocritical that Mr. Combs and his attorneys, having made public statements many times, now want to silence me," she said. "Accusers and their attorneys have every right to speak out. I am very proud to represent my brave clients, Dawn Richard and John Doe, in litigation against Mr. Combs."

Jury Selection Nears

The fight over the gag order is heating up, with jury selection set for May 5. In other filings, Diddy's attorneys claim that the pretrial publicity has gotten to the point that they cannot have a fair trial unless pre-trial commentary is curtailed.

"There is no other remedy that could effectively mitigate the pretrial publicity," they wrote. "For instance, a change of venue would do nothing to cure the amount of global press attention."

Originally published on Music Times

Tags
Sean Combs, Diddy, P. Diddy