Sean “Diddy” Combs made a strategic move to settle the $18.8 million mortgage on his $48.5 million Star Island mansion just before facing a federal sex-trafficking indictment. The payment, revealed during a dramatic bond hearing last week, was likely in anticipation of criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a network of “Freak Offs”—drug-fueled parties featuring female victims and male sex workers.

Combs’ defense team, led by attorney Marc Agnifilo, proposed a $50 million bond package to secure his release, with the Star Island mansion at the center of the offer. In an attempt to demonstrate his commitment to the legal process, the team also handed over six passports—Combs’ and his family’s—as a sign that he had no plans to flee.

“We paid off the mortgage because that is what it means to build trust,” Agnifilo argued, seeking to convince the judge. However, the court remained unconvinced, citing concerns that Combs could still attempt to flee, engage in violent behavior, or interfere with the ongoing investigation. Consequently, the request for bail was denied.

Combs’ decision to settle the mortgage ahead of his arrest was seen as a precautionary measure, with some speculating that he may have been taking advantage of Florida’s Homestead Act, which protects homeowners from losing the equity in their primary residence, regardless of the circumstances, as noted by a legal source.