Sean Combs is demanding to know the names of his accusers, telling a judge it's information he needs to prepare for his May trial. Lawyers for the 54-year-old music mogul argued Tuesday that Combs' case "is unique, in part because of the number of individuals levying allegations against Mr. Combs due to his celebrity status, wealth, and the publicity of his previously settled lawsuit," per People and the Guardian. "This has had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants, spanning from the false to outright absurd" and "a hysterical media circus that, if left unchecked, will irreparably deprive Mr. Combs of a fair trial, if they haven't already," they wrote in a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian.
They painted a new lawsuit filed by six accusers as a "publicity stunt" and claimed other complaints "have already been discredited but only after irreparably damaging Mr. Combs' character and reputation." The lawyers claimed prosecutors had been so broad in the indictment alleging Combs abused, threatened, and coerced people in his orbit that Combs' "entire sexual history over the past 16 years" might be considered "part of the alleged criminal conspiracy." "Without clarity from the government, Mr. Combs has no way of knowing which allegations the government is relying on," they added. The letter notes the prosecution "opposes disclosure of alleged victims' names at this stage." (More Sean Combs stories.)