Sean “Diddy” Combs has been placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial on three felony counts related to more than a decade of alleged abuse. The music mogul is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where a judge denied his bail appeal on Wednesday. The 54-year-old faces a three-count felony indictment, including charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, with allegations dating back to 2008. He has pleaded not guilty.
Here’s more on Diddy’s current status and the detention center where he is being held as he awaits trial.
Why Is Diddy on Suicide Watch at MDC Brooklyn?
Combs has been in federal custody in New York City since Monday night, with guards at the Metropolitan Detention Center closely monitoring him, multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE. One source described the suicide watch as “procedural for high-profile clients.” The facility has previously held public figures such as R. Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Sam Bankman-Fried.
Representing the singer, Marc Agnifilo and Teny R. Geragos wrote in a bail proposal rejected by two Manhattan judges earlier this week that the Brooklyn facility is “not fit for pre-trial detention,” describing the conditions as “horrific.”
Cameron Lindsay, a retired warden of MDC Brooklyn and an expert witness in corrections, noted, “His celebrity status and the allegations of violence against women make him a very attractive target for assault.”
“In the subculture of jails and prisons, delivering a hit on someone like him would be considered a badge of honor,” Lindsay added.
What Is MDC?
MDC Brooklyn is a federal detention facility located in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, housing both male and female inmates. According to CNN, Combs is being held alone in the Special Housing Unit at MDC Brooklyn, which is separate from the general inmate population and designated for inmates needing protection.
Lindsay described the facility as “austere” and “cold,” explaining that Diddy would not have access to the internet, and any outdoor recreational time would be spent in an enclosed area.
In a phone interview, R. Kelly’s lawyer, Nicole Blank Becker, described Kelly’s time at the Brooklyn facility as “mentally crippling” and “one of the worst experiences I have ever heard of.”
“If Diddy is going to experience anything like what R. Kelly went through, it’s not going to be good,” Blank Becker said, expressing her belief that the jail is “not at all” safe. “Daily, we were concerned about whether R. Kelly was alive, frankly,” she added. “It is inhumane—a whole other world. I mean, grown men cry.”
Why Is Diddy at MDC?
Diddy is being held at MDC Brooklyn after being denied bail. During his court appearance to offer a $50 million bond, a judge ruled that he must remain in custody as his case proceeds.
Agnifilo stated that they plan to appeal the judge’s ruling. Speaking to reporters, the attorney emphasized that his client came to New York “to turn himself in” to comply with the law. “Why doesn’t the government want him to turn himself in? Because then they can’t ask for detention,” Agnifilo claimed. “All we can do is show good faith. He got on a plane and came here. They arrested a guy who came here to turn himself in.”
According to NBC News, Combs is accused of orchestrating a “criminal enterprise” through his business that perpetuated “sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.” Additionally, he is alleged to have threatened and coerced “women and those around him to fulfill his sexual desires” by participating in “Freak Offs,” which involved recorded forced sexual acts. Federal agents claimed they seized more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and other lubricants from Combs’ homes, which were used in these acts.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.