No one’s had a tougher week than Sean “Diddy” Combs after he was indicted on sex trafficking and racketeering charges on Sept. 16. He was denied bail not once but twice, and now people are worried it might take a toll on Combs’ mental health.
According to PEOPLE, Puffy has been placed on suicide watch while he awaits trial. This “preventive measure” comes after Combs’ drastic lifestyle change: going from private jets and designer clothes to a cold prison cell and recycled uniforms. Clearly, Diddy expected things to go a bit differently, so now, all eyes are on him as he’s “in shock and his mental state is unclear,” reports PEOPLE.
“Diddy is likely used to getting his way given his A-list status,” celebrity prison coach John Fuller said in an interview with TMZ. “However, those days are over, at least for now — and that may become complicated for him to process,” he continued.
The 54-year-old is currently being held at Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, NY. The infamous facility has been described as “dangerous” and “horrifying,” and with a high number of inmate suicides and murders, it’s no shocker protective measures are in place for Combs.
Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo told TMZ that his client was not suicidal. He said he had spent hours with Combs in the lock up and considered him to be strong and focused on the fight ahead.
Still, his current situation has to be stressful. Michael Cohen, a former lawyer for President Donald Trump, told CNN, “When he wakes up, he’s staring at cinder block painted white walls, as opposed to whatever the decor of his mansions were.”
According to a Bureau of Justice Statistics report, between 2000 and 2019, suicide was named as the leading cause of deaths in jail. With the total number of suicides coming in at 6,217, it’s reported that 30 percent of all deaths in local jails are self inflicted. In 2019, jail suicide rates were more than two times the rate of the general public.
Diddy’s next court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 10 a.m.