Sam Bankman-Fried spoke about Sean “Diddy” Combs’ behavior in prison in a recent, wide-ranging interview with Tucker Carlson from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where they are both currently being housed.

Why It Matters

Bankman-Fried is serving a 25-year prison sentence following a tumultuous trial where he was convicted of a litany of charges including fraud, conspiracy and violating campaign finance laws.

Combs, the disgraced hip-hop mogul, has been imprisoned there since his arrest in September on sex-trafficking and racketeering charge. He is currently awaiting trial and has denied all of the allegations against him.

Sam Bankman-Fried departs Manhattan Federal Court on March 30, 2023, in New York City, and (right) P. Diddy leaving Bauer Media on November 8, 2023, in London, England. Sam Bankman-Fried departs Manhattan Federal Court on March 30, 2023, in New York City, and (right) P. Diddy leaving Bauer Media on November 8, 2023, in London, England. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/Ricky Vigil M / Justin E Palmer/GC Images

What to Know

On Thursday, Bankman-Fried appeared on The Tucker Carlson Show, where he discussed life in prison, and spoke about Combs. The interview was conducted from what Bankman-Fried described as a “little side room,” and the video of it had been viewed over 7 million times on X as of press time.

Speaking to Carlson, Bankman-Fried said: “I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison, and he’s been kind to people in the unit; he’s been kind to me.”

In September 2024, Diddy was arrested and charged with sex-trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. In October 2024, 120 additional victims came forward with lawsuits accusing him of sex crimes.

Bankman-Fried’s comments about Combs come shortly after it was announced that Combs’ defense attorney, Anthony L. Ricco, filed a motion to withdraw as Diddy’s attorney, stating: “Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs.”

Speaking about life in prison, Bankman-Fried told Carlson that he has “made some friends” there. He described it as “sort of dystopian,” and said that: “The fortunate thing, the place I’m in, I’m not in… I’m not in physical danger.”

“No one wants to be in prison he said,” before adding: “You can imagine what happens when you take sort of 40 people, all of them have been at least charged with crimes and lock them in a single room for years on end and throw out the key.”

“The most trivial things become all that people have left to care about,” he said.

What People Are Saying

Sam Bankman-Fried, speaking to Carlson about Diddy: “”I’ve only seen one piece of him, which is Diddy in prison, and he’s been kind to people in the unit; he’s been kind to me. It’s also – it’s a position no one wants to be in. Obviously, he doesn’t, I don’t. it’s kind of a soul crushing place for the world in general.”

Defense attorney Anthony L. Ricco in a motion to withdraw: “This motion for withdrawal is filed so that Sean Combs may move forward with his defense and to commence jury selection and trial without any delay.”

What’s Next

Combs’ trial is scheduled to start on May 5, 2025.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to https://www.rainn.org/