Embattled music mogul, Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs, placed on suicide watch ahead of trial
The 54-year-old star was arrested at a hotel in New York earlier this week and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has been remanded to Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre after pleading not guilty and has twice been denied bail.
According to PEOPLE, Combs is on suicide watch, with sources describing the move as a preventative measure as he is in shock and his mental state is unclear.
The US Department of Justice National Institute of Corrections describes suicide watch as ‘supervisory precautions taken for suicidal inmates that require frequent observation’.
Combs’ lawyers had argued he should be spared jail while he awaits trial and suggested a £40 million bond with electronic monitoring, weekly drug tests, a visitor log, the surrender of his passport, and no contact with women.
He was initially denied bail on Tuesday after pleading not guilty, and on Wednesday he was denied bail again.
The Judge explained that he was concerned that Combs’ release on bail could affect the case.
“My bigger concern deals with the danger of obstruction of justice and the danger of witness tampering,” Judge Andrew Carter said. “That is a real concern that I have here.”
During the arraignment on Tuesday afternoon, his lawyer Marc Agnifilo reportedly revealed Combs is in “treatment and therapy for things that more respectfully he needs treatment and therapy for and he’s getting that“.
Agnifilo didn’t go into any more detail or confirm what treatment Combs is receiving, as he cited confidentiality.
US Magistrate Judge Robyn F Tarnofsky read through the allegations before asking him if he wished to enter a plea, to which he simply replied: “Not guilty.”
If found guilty, the mandatory minimum sentence Combs could face for the charges is 15 years, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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