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What did Mark Geragos say about Diddy's trial on TMZ's podcast? Prosecutors call out rapper's defense team for consulting with the celebrity lawyer
The prosecutors in Sean "Diddy" Combs' s*x trafficking trial recently called out his defense team for their open court consultation with celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos. Notably, Geragos' name is not listed on the rapper's roster of attorneys representing him.
Geragos has been a constant presence in court on the defense's side since the trial began on May 5, and he is the father of Teny Geragos, one of the defense's lead lawyers.
On May 5, the prosecutors submitted a letter to the presiding Judge Arun Subramanian, asking that the court and the defense prevent Geragos from discussing details of the trial on public platforms. For context, Geragos hosts the 2 Angry Men podcast with TMZ founder Harvey Levin.
The celebrity lawyer discussed the case during a recent episode that aired on May 2, where he appeared to be aware of the details of the ongoing trial. He also spoke at length about the Cassie Ventura video (one of the key pieces of evidence) and referred to the all-female prosecution team as a “six pack of white women.”
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"The need for the Court's admonishment is necessary given that as recently as three days ago, Mr. Geragos spoke at length about the trial in this case in his podcast called '2 Angry Men,' Mr. Geragos's podcast with Harvey Levin, the creator of the tabloid news organization TMZ," the prosecution's letter read.
Exploring Mark Geragos' comments about Diddy's trial
During the May 2 episode of TMZ's 2 Angry Men podcast, Mark Geragos and Harvey Levin discussed Diddy's ongoing s*x trafficking trial, which began on May 5 with jury selection. The hosts spoke about the CNN video of Diddy physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in a hotel in 2016, which Geragos claimed was "character assassination" and a "prosecution by proxy."
The attorney claimed that CNN had edited the released footage (published in May 2024), a claim that the news network had previously denied. Geragos also claimed that he was a long-time associate of Diddy's, adding that while the rapper had a "violent temper," that was not "what he's charged with."
"I've known Sean for a long time. He has a violent temper, especially when you combine it with the drug use. But that isn't what he's charged with," he said.
According to Business Insider, his comments during the episode also implied that he seemed to have insider knowledge about the case. In the podcast, Geragos claimed that Diddy's legal team "really, really wanted to get a female Black lawyer — I think for kind of obvious reasons."
On May 6, Nicole Westmoreland, a black female lawyer, was added to the defense's roster. However, he claimed that his daughter, who is listed as one of Diddy's attorneys, has not revealed any information regarding the case.
In the podcast, Geragos also referred to the all-female prosecution team as a “six pack of white women," alluding to the case being racially motivated due to Diddy being a black man.
According to CNN, Judge Arun Subramanian condemned Geragos' comments about the prosecution during a private meeting on May 6. The judge said the remark was "outrageous," warning Geragos he would keep an eye on future podcast episodes for comments about Diddy's case.
"I think referring to the prosecution in this case as a six-pack of white women is outrageous... And I understand what you’re saying about the cases and everything else, but I think this is outrageous and this would not be tolerated in any court from any lawyer anywhere across the nation. And I’m going to be watching and I’m going to be listening. All right?”
Geragos seemingly defended his comments, saying it was "an observation."
“I think when you’ve got a black man who’s being prosecuted and the client feels like he’s being targeted, it’s a — it’s an observation.”
In a statement to CNN on May 6, Geragos also denied his alleged affiliation with Diddy's trial, adding that he was in court to support his daughter.
Exploring the prosecution's letter regarding Mark Geragos
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the prosecution in Diddy's s*x trafficking trial filed a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian criticizing the defense's alleged affiliation with Mark Geragos. The letter, filed on May 5, noted that several members of the defense team "appeared to consult" with Geragos in court, despite neither the attorney nor his firm having filed a "notice of appearance" in the case.
“During the course of jury selection, despite the presence of seven defense attorneys who have filed notices of appearance in this case and a jury consultant, the defense team appeared to consult with Mark Geragos and other members of the Geragos & Geragos law firm who were present in court," the letter read.
It continued:
"Mr. Geragos and his firm have a long-standing relationship with the defendant, but neither Mr. Geragos nor any member of his firm has filed a notice of appearance in this case."
The letter noted that Geragos' statement about Diddy's trial on a public platform could "interfere with a fair trial." The letter also requested that the judge and the defense ensure that Geragos abided by the rules followed by all parties involved in the trial, which included refraining from giving "any extrajudicial statement or interview relating to the trial or the parties or issues in the trial."
In other news, the jury selection for Diddy's trial is still ongoing as the second day came to an end, and is expected to continue on May 7.
