Prosecutors add two more women to Sean Combs case

Prosecutors in New York have expanded their case against rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs, accusing him of coercing two additional women into commercial sex acts, and of dangling a person over an apartment balcony.

Combs has been in jail since September after an initial indictment charged him with racketeering, sex trafficking by force, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

On Thursday, the indictment was updated to add two more victims, although no new charges were added to the case.

The musician, 55, has strenuously denied all the accusations against him, including the federal criminal case and more than 30 separate civil lawsuits.

In response to the superseding indictment, his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said the prosecution's case "remains flawed.

"The government has added the ridiculous theory that two of Mr Combs's former girlfriends were not girlfriends at all, but were prostitutes. Mr Combs is as committed as ever to fighting these charges and winning at trial."

The original indictment identified only one victim, named in court documents as "Victim-1", whose accusations aligned closely to those of Cassandra Ventura - the singer who sued Combs for rape and sex trafficking in 2023.

In the new filing, prosecutors allege that Combs "used force, threats of force, and coercion, to cause victims, including but not limited to three female victims" to engage in commercial sex acts.

The document moves the alleged start date of Combs' sex trafficking offences back to 2004, four years earlier than previously stated.

It also expands the list of narcotics that the musician allegedly used to keep his victims "obedient and silent" - adding methamphetamine and psychedelic mushrooms to the previously cited cocaine, oxycodone and ketamine.

The accusation that Combs dangled a woman from a balcony mirrors an accusation made in a civil lawsuit filed by fashion designer Bryana "Bana" Bongolan last December.

The updates signal that federal prosecutors are widening their case against Combs as his trial date in May approaches.

A footnote to the superseding indictment notes that their investigation is ongoing and that further updates will be filed "as promptly as possible" ahead of the trial.

Combs' legal team has previously dismissed the charges as "baseless" and accused the government of conducting a "witch hunt."