Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs is roughing it inside prison as an insider revealed he’s been forced to use packets of mackerel, or ‘macks,’ instead of money.
The disgraced 55-year-old rapper, was well-known for bragging about his cash and jewels…but is now forced to trade packets of the oily fish inside Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial for sex trafficking charges.
He has denied all of the allegations made against him since he was arrested in September 2024.
Diddy had an extraordinary fall from grace since calling prison his new home, as the embattled music mogul has traded in his lavish lifestyle for lasagna, snickers, Cheez-Its, bunk beds and monitored computer time without WIFI.
Diddy, who has ditched his black hair and beard for gray, is currently housed in 4 North – a fourth-floor dorm-like section inside the jail where about 20 other men are kept.
That specific unit is known to house other high-profile inmates, including cryptocurrency king Sam Bankman-Fried – who was recently transferred to another facility – former gang members and government informants that have to be separated from the general population.
Although his lawyers anticipated their client would be placed in a Special Housing Unit, where inmates spend about 23 hours a day inside their cells, Diddy actually has more freedom – but it still doesn’t remotely compare to his past life.
Gene Borrello, a former inmate, told The New York Times, inmates in 4 North are generally allowed to roam free and enjoy televisions, microwaves, a workout area, and a row of bunk beds, but there are several check-ins throughout the day from corrections officers.
Borrello, who said he was locked up in that unit because he helped the government convict Mafia members, said ‘you have nothing to worry about’ in that unit.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has to use packets of mackerel, or ‘macks,’ as a form of currency between other inmates, according to a prison insider. (Pictured: Court sketch of him from March 14)
The disgraced 55-year-old rapper, who is currently locked up inside Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (pictured), is currently preparing for trial after he was arrested on September 16, 2024 for racketeering and sex trafficking charges
The former inmate, who was last housed there in 2023, told the outlet that each of the bathrooms have stalls in the unit and that inmates are allowed to take their meals and tables inside the common area.
Having social contact rather than being locked in a solitary cell for hours on end is said to leave most prisoners feeling more cheerful.
For Diddy specifically, he meets with his legal team quite frequently in the common area or conference space.
He is allowed to use a laptop without WIFI as his attorney’s have told him to comb through the mounting evidence prosecutors have turned over ahead of his trial next month.
Diddy is only allowed to use the laptop during specific hours – 8am to 3.30pm everyday – and has to do so in common areas like the visiting room or the space where inmates take video calls, the outlet reported.
He and other pretrial inmates, who have to wear brown prison jumpsuits, are offered a rotating food menu to choose from for their meals. Breakfast is served daily at 7am.
On the second Friday of every month lasagna is served, as well as ‘pasta fazool,’ spinach and salad for vegetarian eaters.
Diddy can also choose from commissary snacks, including $3.65 Cheez-Its bags, and a six-pack of Snickers for $5.95. He can also buy toiletries and other miscellaneous items there like radios and watches.
Each inmate is allowed to spend up to $180 every two weeks on commissary items with money that is provided to them through family and friends.
He’s had an extraordinary fall from grace since calling prison his new home, as the former music mogul has traded in his lavish lifestyle for lasagna, snickers, Cheez-Its, bunk beds and monitored computer time without WIFI
Visitors are only allowed to see their loved ones on Tuesdays in that unit and their government monitored phone calls can last no longer than 15 minutes.
Recently, a snippet of Diddy’s call to Kanye West was leaked to the public, as he urged his pal to ‘get behind the mic’ and ‘get back to smiling’ ahead of the release of their controversial song.
In audio of a recorded phone call between the pair, obtained by The Shade Room in March, Diddy told West: ‘When I get out there, man, I want to see you f****g tear down the stadiums. I need to see you back on that stage, f*****g actually rapping and f*****g performing and everything. I be dreaming of that s**t.’
Diddy even touched on his upcoming and highly anticipated trial, telling West: ‘Fifty-nine more days before trial, so I’ll definitely be touching in, to tap into your energy or something.’
He then mentioned how ‘sad’ his present situation is, adding: ‘I’m Puff Daddy in jail.’
Prosecutors have alleged that Diddy has tried to take advantage of his privileges, including buying phone time from other inmates, trying to contact potential witnesses in his case, and that he even managed to analyze social media analytics from inside prison.
They said that when Diddy posted a video of his seven children singing him happy birthday to his Instagram in November, he somehow was able to track the post from behind bars.
‘The defendant has demonstrated an uncanny ability to get others to do his bidding — employees, family members, and M.D.C. inmates alike,’ the prosecutors said, in reference to the jail.
His defense team said Diddy is not trying to cheat the system he has in jail and plans to face his case full on.
At his most recent court appearance, Diddy looked noticeably older and appeared to have put on weight as he walked into Manhattan’s federal court wearing a tan prison issue top and pants for his pretrial.
He said ‘not guilty’ when the judge read out the updated indictment which included claims of ‘forced labor.’
But he was all smiles in court and waved to his son Christian ‘King’ and daughter Chance Combs.
Diddy is only allowed to use the laptop during specific hours – 8am to 3.30pm – everyday, and has to do so in common areas like the visiting room or the space where inmates take video calls
At his most recent court appearance, Diddy (pictured in 2022) looked noticeably older and appeared to have put on weight as he said ‘not guilty’ when the judge read out the updated indictment which included claims of ‘forced labor’
Diddy stood up as he was arraigned on the new charges by Judge Arun Subramanian who asked him if he had seen the updated indictment.
‘Yes I have, sir’, Diddy replied in a clear voice.
When the judge asked Diddy if he would like the indictment read out, Diddy declined and said: ‘I’m fine. I waive the public reading.’
Opening statements for his trial are set to kick off on May 12 in Federal Court in Manhattan. The trial is expected to last eight weeks.
