Sex Trafficking Trial of Sean “P Diddy” Combs Begins in New York
The high-profile federal sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy Trial” Combs officially began Monday in New York City, with jury selection now underway. The process is expected to take several days, with opening statements and witness testimony likely starting next week.
Combs, 55, faces serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian addressed potential jurors, giving them a brief overview of the case and reminding them that Combs has pleaded not guilty — and, like anyone accused, is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
About P Diddy’s Trial
Dressed in a sweater, white collared shirt, and gray slacks — a wardrobe approved by the court instead of jail-issued clothing — Combs appeared alongside his legal team. He’s been held at a federal detention center in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. With jail regulations barring hair dye, his hair and beard now show prominent gray. Unlike other celebrity trials, this one won’t be televised due to a ban on cameras in federal court, so courtroom sketch artists are the only visual link to what’s happening inside. This trial is expected to last at least two months. If convicted, Combs could face decades behind bars.
Some of the potential jurors admitted they’d seen media coverage of a key piece of evidence: a 2016 surveillance video showing Combs hitting and kicking a woman in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. One woman called the footage “damning” and was quickly dismissed from the jury pool. At one point during jury selection, Combs asked for a break, telling the judge, “I’m sorry, Your Honor, I’m a little nervous today.”
The case against Combs is laid out in a 17-page indictment that prosecutors say reads like something out of a mafia drama. It details a 20-year history of alleged abuse and violence — acts carried out with help from members of Combs’ inner circle and business associates. Prosecutors claim Combs coerced women into drug-fueled sexual encounters — which he reportedly called “Freak Offs” — using promises of fame or threats of retaliation.
When persuasion didn’t work, the indictment alleges, violence did. Combs is accused of assaults, kidnappings, and even dangling someone from a balcony. In one confirmed incident from 2016, security footage shows him physically attacking his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie (Casandra Ventura), in a hotel hallway. Cassie later filed a lawsuit accusing Combs of years of abuse, including rape — a claim she made publicly.
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has acknowledged past mistakes, calling his client “not a perfect person.” He admitted there was drug use and unhealthy relationships but insisted that all sexual encounters were consensual.
This case marks the most serious in a long line of legal troubles for Combs.
In 1999, he was charged with assaulting a music executive with a champagne bottle and chair, though the case was later resolved with a plea deal. That same year, he and then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez were involved in a nightclub shooting. Combs was acquitted of any wrongdoing, though rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, a member of his entourage, was convicted and served nearly nine years.
In 2015, Combs was again in the spotlight after an altercation at UCLA, where his son played football. He was accused of attacking someone with a kettlebell but claimed self-defense. The case was eventually dropped.
Now, with far more serious charges on the table, Combs faces the legal battle of his life.
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