Sean 'Diddy' Combs forced to trade bizarre item for currency in Brooklyn jail as he awaits trial
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Sean "Diddy" Combs is now using $1 cans of mackerel as currency at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to The New York Times.
The disgraced rapper is currently awaiting trial on a laundry list of federal charges, including trafficking and racketeering, according to the New York Post.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs uses cans of mackerel as currency in jail
Sean "Diddy" Combs is now using cans of mackerel, known as "macks", which are available for $1 from the detention center commissary as a form of currency, according to The New York Times.
Inmates at the detention center are reportedly allowed to spend up to $180 every two weeks using money that their loved ones can deposit into their commissary funds.
Six-packs of Snickers ($5.95) and Cheez-Its ($3.65) are among the other snacks accessible to Diddy, as per the report.
It marks a big change for the rapper as he once had a net worth of $1 billion and was known for his exuberant lifestyle.
Diddy is currently being held in 4 North, a fourth-floor dormitory-style unit home to around 20 male inmates. The unit is known to house high-profile inmates.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' life in Metropolitan Detention Center
Sean "Diddy" Combs' life in the Brooklyn detention center is not like typical inmates. He meets with his legal team frequently, often in a conference room off the common area of 4 North, per The New York Times.
Moreover, Diddy was provided with a laptop without WiFi to go through the reams of evidence prosecutors turned over ahead of his trial, which is scheduled to begin on May 5. The laptop can only be used between 8 am and 3.30 pm.
The outlet also reported that Diddy’s hair and beard, which were once dyed jet black, have now turned gray, as hair dye is not allowed at the detention center.
Meanwhile, toiletries and other items such as watches and radios are available in the commissary.
Moreover, the jail canteen has a rotating menu, with lasagna or vegetarian pasta fazool on offer every second Friday of the month, and is served with spinach and salad.
The outlet added that visitors are allowed only on Tuesdays while phone calls last for 15 minutes each, which can be monitored by the government.
Diddy's lawyers have raised no complaints so far his conditions in the detention center. However, they have objected to the monitoring of his communications by the government, along with a search of personal notes he kept inside the unit.
Expert claims Sean 'Diddy' Combs 'may be broke' by the time he heads to court
In February, former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said that the disgraced music mogul is facing a financial bloodbath as he fights for his freedom.
While speaking to The Mirror US, Rahmani said, "Despite his wealth and resources, Diddy may be broke by the time the victims see their day in court."
The former federal prosecutor explained that the legal hurdles ahead could drain Diddy's fortune, and estimated that defending himself could cost "tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars," just for the criminal case.
The rapper, who vehemently denies all allegations against him, has spent decades building his billion-dollar empire, making his fortune through music, fashion, and high-profile business deals.
Diddy also founded Bad Boy Records and had a major partnership with Ciroc Vodka. He also had a stint in reality TV as the executive producer of MTV’s 'Making the Band'.
However, as legal fees pile up and lawsuits come at him from every direction, it raises the question of whether Diddy will be able to hold onto his fortune when this is all over.
