Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain in jail while he makes a third bid for bail in his sex trafficking case, a federal appeals court judge has ruled.
Circuit Judge William J Nardini denied the rapper’s immediate release from jail while a three-judge panel considers his bail request.
Lawyers for the 54-year-old, also known as Puff Daddy and P Diddy, appealed to the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals on 30 September after two judges rejected his release.
Combspleaded not guilty on 17 September to a three-count indictment charging him with using his business empire, including record label Bad Boy Entertainment, to transport male and female sex workers across state lines to take part in recorded sexual performances called “freak offs”.
He faces a sentence of up to life in prison and a minimum of 15 years if convicted of the three counts: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Three weeks ago, a judge at a bail hearing rejected the defence’s $50m (£38m) bail proposal for the singer to be placed under house arrest in his mansion in Florida – which would have involved GPS monitoring and strict limits on visitors.
Prosecutors had presented “clear and convincing evidence” Combs was a danger to the community, Judge Andrew L Carter Jr said.
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He said “no condition or set of conditions” could prevent Combs from obstructing the investigation or threatening or harming witnesses.
The judge has since recused himself from the case, based on his past associations with lawyers in the case, according to Sky’s US partner, NBC News.
Combs’ lawyers argued the judge had “endorsed the government’s exaggerated rhetoric” and ordered Combs detained for “purely speculative reasons”.
“Indeed, hardly a risk of flight, he is a 54-year-old father of seven, a US citizen, an extraordinarily successful artist, businessman and philanthropist, and one of the most recognisable people on earth,” the lawyers wrote in their appeal
Donald Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on film director Rob Reiner, who was found stabbed to death with his wife on Sunday, as it was revealed the filmmaker’s son had been arrested on murder charges.
The US president said in a post on Truth Social that Reiner was “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star”.
Mr Trump said Reiner and his wife died “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS”.
“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace,” Mr Trump wrote.
Celebrities and politicians have criticised Mr Trump for his comments, labelling them “disgusting” and “petty”.
Image: Rob Reiner on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Pic Reuters
“What a disgusting and vile statement,” actor Patrick Schwarzenegger said on X, while Californian Democrat Zoe Lofgren condemned Mr Trump’s comments as “a new low for this petty, hateful man”.
Talk show host Whoopi Goldberg compared the president’s comments to those he made after the assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, when Mr Trump hit out at critics.
“I don’t understand the man in the White House. He spoke at length about Charlie Kirk and about caring, and then this is what he puts out. Have you no shame? No shame at all? Can you get any lower? I don’t think so,” she said.
“This is a sick man,” California governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X.
Republican US House member Thomas Massie also addressed the comments, saying: “Regardless of how you felt about Rob Reiner, this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse about a man who was just brutally murdered.”
Meanwhile, Reiner’s son, Nick, 32, has been “booked for murder”, Los Angeles police chief Jim McDonnell said. The LAPD later said Nick Reiner remains in custody without bail.
Mr McDonnell said the department’s robbery and homicide division was handling the investigation.
“They worked throughout the night on this case and were able to take into custody Nick Reiner, a suspect in this case,” he said, calling the deaths “a very tragic incident”.
Image: Rob Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillanaknd Jake Reiner.
Pic: JanuaryImages/Shutterstock
It comes as it emerged Nick was reportedly disruptive when he joined his father and mother, Michele Singer Reiner, at a party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien on Saturday night, the day before the killings.
Reiner and his wife were upset and embarrassed about their son’s behaviour, Sky News’s US partner NBC News cited a source as saying, and expressed concerns about his health.
The outlet cited another source saying Nick’s behaviour had made other guests uncomfortable. They said he interrupted a conversation comedian and filmmaker Bill Hader was having with two guests and, when told it was a private conversation, stood still and stared before storming off.
Image: Rob Reiner with wife Michele and children Jake, Romy and Nick (right to left). Pic: Reuters
The Los Angeles Fire Department said a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead inside a property in the Brentwood neighbourhood, without identifying the victims. The victims were later confirmed to be Reiner and his wife.
The case against Nick Reiner will be presented to the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office for filing consideration on Tuesday, according to the LAPD.
Image: Rob and Michele Reiner’s home. Pic: Reuters
Nick Reiner has spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction after he had cycled in and out of treatment facilities by the age of 18, with periods of homelessness and relapses in between.
Reiner and his son explored their difficult relationship and Nick Reiner’s struggles with heroin addiction and homelessness in a 2016 film called Being Charlie, which they co-wrote.
Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to Nick Reiner’s “drug addiction and other issues” in a statement on X.
“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” Ms Taylor Greene said.
“Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”
Image: The couple were found dead in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Pic: AP
Reiner was a celebrated director whose work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and 1990s.
He directed classics such as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Stand By Me.
He also acted, starring in Sleepless In Seattle and The Wolf Of Wall Street among others. His most recent high-profile work was a recurring guest role in the hit show The Bear.
He met Michele Singer in 1989, while directing When Harry Met Sally. They have three children together.
Singer used to work as a photographer and took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book Trump: The Art Of The Deal.
Image: Reiner on the set of This Is Spinal Tap. Pic: Authorized Spinal Tap LLC/Shutterstock
Former US president Barack Obama has led tributes. He wrote on X that “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen”.
Harry Shearer, who collaborated with Reiner on This Is Spinal Tap, said in a statement: “Rob was a friend and collaborator through much of my life. He was funny, he was smart, he was a mensch.”
He said Reiner’s wife was a “very good friend” to his own wife, Judith, adding: “This is unspeakable, the stuff of Greek tragedy.”
Christopher Guest, who starred in Reiner’s films This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride, and his wife Jamie Lee Curtis said in a joint statement that they were “numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner”.
The couple said: “There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
Image: Rob Reiner with Billy Crystal (left) and Meg Ryan (right). Pic: THA/Shutterstock
Reiner was a champion of liberal causes and a political activist.
In the 2004 presidential election, he backed Democrat candidate John Kerry and featured in advertisements taking aim at incumbent president George W Bush.
Reiner also supported Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
“This is a devastating loss for our city and our country. Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said.
Image: Rob Reiner with Hillary Clinton. Pic: Reuters
California governor Mr Newsom paid tribute to Reiner’s activism as he said he was “heartbroken” over the director’s death.
“Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights – from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education,” Mr Newsom said in a statement.
“He made California a better place through his good works. Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity.”
Former House speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said: “Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities – whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California.
“Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”
Donald Trump has launched an extraordinary attack on film director Rob Reiner, who was found stabbed to death with his wife on Sunday, as it is revealed his son has been arrested on homicide charges.
The US president said in a post on Truth Social that Reiner was “a tortured and struggling, but once very talented movie director and comedy star”.
Mr Trump said Reiner and his wife died “reportedly due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME, sometimes referred to as TDS”.
“He was known to have driven people CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as the Trump Administration surpassed all goals and expectations of greatness, and with the Golden Age of America upon us, perhaps like never before. May Rob and Michele rest in peace,” Mr Trump wrote.
Meanwhile, Reiner’s son, Nick, 32, has been “booked for murder” and is being held on $4m bail in connection with the deaths of his parents, Los Angeles Police chief Jim McDonnell said.
Image: Rob Reiner, Michele Singer Reiner, Romy Reiner, Nick Reiner, Maria Gilfillanaknd Jake Reiner.
Pic: JanuaryImages/Shutterstock
Mr McDonnell said the department’s robbery and homicide division is handling the investigation.
“They worked throughout the night on this case and were able to take into custody Nick Reiner, a suspect in this case,” he said, calling the deaths “a very tragic incident”.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead inside a property in the Brentwood neighbourhood, without identifying the victims. Other officials confirmed the victims were Reiner and his wife.
Image: Rob Reiner arrives with his wife Michele and children Jake, Romy and Nick (right to left). Pic: Reuters
Nick Reiner has spoken publicly of his struggles with addiction after he had cycled in and out of treatment facilities by the age of 18, with periods of homelessness and relapses in between.
Reiner and his son explored their difficult relationship and Nick Reiner’s struggles with heroin addiction and homelessness in a 2016 film called Being Charlie, which they co-wrote.
Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene referred to Nick Reiner’s “drug addiction and other issues” in a statement on X.
“This is a family tragedy, not about politics or political enemies,” Ms Taylor Greene said.
“Many families deal with a family member with drug addiction and mental health issues. It’s incredibly difficult and should be met with empathy especially when it ends in murder.”
Image: A police officer places tape around the investigation scene near Rob Reiner’s in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles.
Pic: AP
Reiner was a celebrated director whose work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s.
He directed such classics as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Stand By Me.
He also acted, starring in Sleepless In Seattle and The Wolf Of Wall Street among others. His most recent high-profile work was a recurring guest role in the hit show The Bear.
He met Michele Singer in 1989, while directing When Harry Met Sally. They have three children together.
Image: Rob Reiner with Billy Crystal (left) and Meg Ryan (right). Pic: THA/Shutterstock
Michele used to work as a photographer and took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book Trump: The Art Of The Deal.
Former US president Barack Obama has led the tributes. He wrote on X that “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
Harry Shearer, who collaborated with Reiner on This Is Spinal Tap, said in a statement: “Rob was a friend and collaborator through much of my life. He was funny, he was smart, he was a mensch.”
Image: Reiner on the set of This Is Spinal Tap. Pic: Authorized Spinal Tap LLC/Shutterstock
He said Reiner’s wife Michele was a “very good friend” to his own wife, Judith, adding: “This is unspeakable, the stuff of Greek tragedy.”
Christopher Guest, who starred in Reiner’s films This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride, and his wife Jamie Lee Curtis said in a joint statement that they were “numb and sad and shocked about the violent, tragic deaths of our dear friends Rob and Michelle Singer Reiner”.
The couple said: “There will be plenty of time later to discuss the creative lives we shared and the great political and social impact they both had on the entertainment industry, early childhood development, the fight for gay marriage and their global care for a world in crisis. We have lost great friends. Please give us time to grieve.”
Image: Rob Reiner on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Pic Reuters
Reiner was a champion of liberal causes and a political activist.
In the 2004 presidential election, he backed Democratic candidate John Kerry and featured in advertisements taking aim at incumbent President George W Bush.
Reiner also supported Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
“This is a devastating loss for our city and our country. Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.
Image: Rob Reiner with Hillary Clinton. Pic: Reuters
California governor Gavin Newsom paid tribute to Reiner’s activism as he said he was “heartbroken” over the director’s death.
“Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights – from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education,” Mr Newsom said in a statement.
“He made California a better place through his good works. Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity.”
Former House speaker, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, said: “Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities – whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California.
“Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”
US director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife have been found dead at their home in Los Angeles.
Reiner and wife Michele Singer Reiner apparently died of stab wounds and a family member is being questioned, US media reported.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman were found dead inside a property, without identifying the victims. Reiner turned 78 in March.
Image: Pic: AP
Detectives from the LAPD Robbery Homicide Division have been assigned to the case, the force said in a statement.
LAPD Captain Mike Bland said they were investigating an “apparent homicide”.
A large police presence gathered at the house.
Image: Pic: AP
‘Celebrated director’
Reiner was a celebrated director whose work included some of the most memorable movies of the 1980s and ’90s.
He directed such classics as This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men and Stand By Me.
Image: With Tom Cruise at the premiere of courtroom drama A Few Good Men in 1992. Pic: Reuters
He also acted, starring in Sleepless in Seattle and The Wolf of Wall Street among others. His most recent high-profile work was a recurring guest role in the hit show The Bear.
He met Michele Singer in 1989, while directing When Harry Met Sally. They have three children together.
Michele used to work as a photographer and took the photo of Donald Trump that appears on the cover of his book Trump: The Art Of The Deal.
Image: Rob Reiner on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Pic Reuters
A spokesperson for the Reiner family said: “It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.”
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said Reiner’s death was a devastating loss for the city.
“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” she said.
“An acclaimed actor, director, producer, writer, and engaged political activist, he always used his gifts in service of others.”
Hollywood mourns a legend
A group of two dozen journalists are gathered behind a police cordon at the end of a street in Brentwood, usually a quiet and secure suburb of LA, an enclave of multimillionaires.
Beyond the yellow tape is the home of acclaimed Hollywood film director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele.
Stationed outside the house is a trailer being used by a forensic team gathering evidence from inside. The bodies of Rob and Michele were found with apparent stab wounds.
Every so often, local people wander past the house, expressing shock at what has happened. In this part of LA, home to many in show business, Rob Reiner is incredibly well-regarded. Even if you don’t immediately recognise his face, you know his work.
He is the director behind iconic films like The Princess Bride and Stand By Me. But it was while filming When Harry Met Sally, one of the most iconic rom coms of all time, that Rob met Michele, a photographer.
Their relationship persuaded him to change the ending of the film to ensure the main characters, played by Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, ended up together.
‘Creative, funny, and beloved’
Reiner was a champion of liberal causes and a political activist.
In the 2004 presidential election, he backed Democratic candidate John Kerry and featured in advertisements taking aim at incumbent President George W Bush.
Reiner also supported Democratic presidential hopefuls Al Gore and Hillary Clinton.
Image: Rob Reiner with Hillary Clinton. Pic: Reuters
Former US president Barack Obama has led the tributes. He wrote on X that “Michelle and I are heartbroken by the tragic passing of Rob Reiner and his beloved wife, Michele. Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen.”
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi said: “It’s hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavour they pursued.
“Rob was creative, funny, and beloved. And in all of their endeavours, Michelle was his indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and loving wife.
“Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities – whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California.
“Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”
Image: Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner. Pic: AP
Actress Kathy Bates, who starred in Reiner’s film Misery, told NBC News: “I’m horrified hearing this terrible news. Absolutely devastated. I loved Rob.
“He was brilliant and kind, a man who made films of every genre to challenge himself as an artist. He also fought courageously for his political beliefs.
“He changed the course of my life. Michele was a gifted photographer. She shot my beautiful photos for the Misery campaign. My heart breaks for them both. My thoughts are with their family.”