Sean “Diddy” Combs, the musician and rap mogul being sued by dozens of individuals for alleged intercourse crimes, begins his intercourse trafficking trial at the moment (Might 12) in Manhattan’s Federal District Courtroom. Prosecutors will argue that Diddy abused his cash and energy to visitors, drug, and sexually assault ladies; the protection claims any encounters have been consensual. Opening statements will start at the moment. If convicted, Diddy might face life in jail.
Diddy, who has been incarcerated since September 2024 because of a number of denials of bail, appeared within the court docket final week as Choose Arun Subramanian oversaw jury choice. The ultimate choice was delayed till at the moment over fears jurors would possibly get chilly toes over the weekend.
Jury choice started final Monday. Practically 100 potential jurors have been questioned and assessed on their impartiality. Due to the high-profile nature of the case, some familiarity with the allegations in opposition to Diddy—together with the video that confirmed his bodily assault of the singer Casandra Elizabeth “Cassie” Ventura, his former girlfriend, in 2016—didn’t routinely disqualify potential jurors, The New York Occasions reviews. Many admitted to having seen memes, satire, and hypothesis in regards to the case. Those that admitted to bias in opposition to Diddy, dangerous experiences with legislation enforcement, or, in a single case, problem staying off marijuana for the trial’s period have been excused.
At the very least three accusers are anticipated to testify, in addition to a few of Diddy’s former sexual companions, a enterprise affiliate, and a number of male intercourse employees, in line with CNN. Cassie’s testimony is anticipated to be on the middle of the prosecution case, alongside two or three different ladies who might use pseudonyms to guard their identities.
After months of snowballing lawsuits alleging crimes that embody sexual assault, battery, grooming, and statutory rape, Diddy was arrested in a New York resort room on September 16, 2024, and indicted by a grand jury on expenses of racketeering conspiracy; intercourse trafficking by pressure, fraud, or coercion; and transportation to have interaction in prostitution. He pleaded not responsible the next day.
The arrest adopted a raid of his houses in Los Angeles and Miami that March as Homeland Safety Investigations constructed its case. On the time, his lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, stated his shopper “is an imperfect individual, however he’s not a legal.” Diddy has since employed an eight-person protection crew together with Brian Metal, the lead protection lawyer in Younger Thug’s Atlanta RICO case, which resulted within the rapper’s launch from jail after pleading responsible to some expenses. Final Tuesday, the choose admonished Mark Geragos, who has represented Diddy however is just not a part of his protection crew, for describing the prosecution as a “six-pack of white ladies” on his podcast.