NEW YORK — Lawyers for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs asked a New York judge Tuesday to force prosecutors to disclose the names of his accusers in his sex trafficking case.

The lawyers wrote in a letter to a Manhattan federal court judge that the hip-hop music maker needs to know the identities of his alleged victims so he can prepare adequately for trial.

Last week, a May 5 trial date was set for Combs. He has pleaded not guilty.

A spokesperson for prosecutors declined comment.

Combs, 54, remains incarcerated without bail after his Sept. 16 federal sex trafficking arrest. His lawyers have asked a federal appeals court to let him be freed to home detention so he can more easily meet with lawyers and prepare for trial.

So far, judges have concluded he is a danger to the community and cannot be freed.

The request to identify accusers comes a day after six new lawsuits were filed against Combs anonymously to protect the identities of the alleged victims. Two of the accusers were identified as Jane Does while four men were listed in the lawsuits as John Does. The lawsuits claimed he used his fame and promises of boosting their own prospects in the music industry to persuade victims to attend lavish parties or drug-fueled hangouts where he then assaulted them.

The plaintiffs in Monday’s lawsuits are part of what their lawyers say is a group of more than 100 accusers who are in the process of taking legal action against Combs.

In their letter Tuesday to Judge Arun Subramanian, lawyers for Combs said the case against their client is unique in part because of the number of accusers. They attributed the quantity to “his celebrity status, wealth and the publicity of his previously settled lawsuit.”

That reference appeared to cite a November lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura. Combs settled the lawsuit the next day, but its allegations of sexual and physical abuse have followed him since.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Ventura did.

Combs' lawyers said the settlement of Cassie's lawsuit, along with “false inflammatory statements” by federal agents and Combs' fame have “had a pervasive ripple effect, resulting in a torrent of allegations by unidentified complainants, spanning from the false to outright absurd.”

They said the lawsuits filed Monday, along with other lawsuits, and their “swirling allegations have created a hysterical media circus that, if left unchecked, will irreparably deprive Mr. Combs of a fair trial, if they haven’t already.”

The lawyers wrote that the government should identify alleged victims because Combs has no way of knowing which allegations prosecutors are relying on in their accusations in an indictment.

“To the extent Mr. Combs is forced to mount a defense against criminal allegations that the government does not seek to prove at trial, he is entitled to know that,” the lawyers said.

The indictment alleges Combs coerced and abused women for years, with the help of a network of associates and employees, while using blackmail and violent acts including kidnapping, arson and physical beatings to keep victims from speaking out.

———

Atlanta rap legend T.I. may be done performing sooner than you think

ATLANTA — T.I. has revealed plans to retire from performing.

Last week, the rapper, actor and comedian went on 96.1 The Beat to announce that he’s officially done with live gigs. One of his last performances will be the station’s Jingle Ball concert on Dec. 19.

“I appreciate y’all for offering me my last working gig because I do not need the money anymore, and I will not be performing.”

When asked to clarify his decision, T.I. quipped that he no longer wants people to pay for him to “hop and sweat for their entertainment.” T.I. was joined by longtime collaborator and Pimp Squad Click member Young Dro, who noted that he’ll happily take all of T.I.’s performance gigs.

During a recent interview with the Breakfast Club (which went viral on Monday due to a heated exchange between Young Dro and a member of his entourage), T.I. doubled down on his plans to retire. He also said that he has other shows that he agreed to do before making the career-altering decision.

“That don’t mean that I’m not going to still work,” he told host Charlemagne tha God. “There are other things that I’m doing. I’m still writing, producing, directing films.”

Last year, T.I. announced plans for his final project, a double album titled “Kill the King/Kiss the King.” A release date hasn’t been set. T.I.’s retirement news follows him and his wife Tiny winning $71 million in a lawsuit against MGA Entertainment.

Before Jingle Ball, T.I. will perform at One Musicfest on Oct. 27.

———

Ex-husband of 'Real Housewives' star gets seven years for hiring mobster to assault her boyfriend

NEWARK, N.J. — The ex-husband of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” cast member Dina Manzo was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison for hiring a reputed mobster to assault her boyfriend in exchange for the defendant hosting a lavish wedding reception for the attacker.

Thomas Manzo, 59, of Franklin Lakes, will also have to serve three years of supervised release once he's freed under the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Susan Wigenton. A federal jury in June convicted him of conspiracy, falsifying and concealing documents, and committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity.

According to federal prosecutors, Manzo hired John Perna, whom they described as a soldier in the Lucchese crime family, to commit the July 2015 attack in which the boyfriend was beaten with a weapon. Perna’s wedding reception was held the following month at a restaurant in Paterson that Thomas Manzo partly owned, prosecutors said.

Perna pleaded guilty in December 2020 to committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity and received a 2½-year sentence. He was freed in August 2023. Dina Manzo’s boyfriend is now her husband.

From combined wire services