An attorney for jailed hip-hop mogul Sean Combs defended his use of baby oil by the gallons during “freak off” parties at his home.
During an appearance on NewsNation, Terry Geragos told host Chris Cuomo that Combs is innocent of sex trafficking charges.
She commented on the “cases and cases” of baby oil confiscated from Combs’ Los Angeles mansion during a raid in March.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District, said Homeland Security agents seized 1,000 bottles of baby oil and other lubricants, which he called “freak off supplies.”
The baby oil was allegedly used during freak off sessions at Combs’ homes and in hotel rooms. Agents also seized intravenous fluids, syringes, narcotics, condoms, and other items.
Williams described Combs as the head of a criminal enterprise that engaged or attempted to engage in sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, drug offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.
The indictment, unsealed on Tuesday, alleged that Combs ensured his victims’ participation by plying them with drugs, controlling their careers, blackmailing them with secretly recorded videos, leveraging his financial support and using intimidation and violence.
Combs is accused of arranging dayslong orgies involving drugged women and male sex workers, whose muscular bodies were soaked in baby oil.
The indictment said his employees facilitated “Freak Offs” by booking travel and hotel arrangements for the victims and stocking hotel rooms with “freak off supplies” such as drugs and baby oil.
Geragos said the baby oil, in particular, is part of Combs’ “lifestyle,” and possession of baby oil is not a crime.
“A lifestyle and being present in activities doesn’t mean he committed a crime. Those activities and the lifestyle is not criminal,” she told Cuomo.
“What was notable today, what my partner Marc [Agnifilo] said in court, is they never once said that these women didn’t consent to what happened, not once.”
Geragos said Combs should not be compared to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein or incarcerated singer/songwriter R. Kelly. “The difference here between R Kelly, between Epstein, no charges relating to minors,” she said.
During Combs’ arraignment on Tuesday, a federal judge denied his attorney’s request to release him on $50 million bond with home monitoring by pretrial services.
Judge Robyn Tarnofsky said her concern is “this is a crime that happens behind closed doors, even when pretrial services is monitoring.”
The judge told Combs there were no conditions she could find to assure her that he would appear in court if released.
“Mr. Combs is a fighter,” Agnifilo said after the hearing. “He’s going to fight this to the end.”
Agnifilo said Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, consented to their “toxic relationship.”
The “Freak Offs,” were an expansion of that toxic relationship, Agnifilo added.
“Is it sex trafficking? Not if everybody wants to be there,” Agnifilo clarified.
Agnifilo plans to appeal the bail decision in the same courtroom before a different judge on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
