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Jury selection is due to begin on Monday in New York for the highly anticipated trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who faces serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering after his dramatic fall from grace.
The 55-year-old former rap producer and entrepreneur has been in custody since his arrest in September 2024, accused of leading a criminal network that allegedly coerced victims into drug-fuelled sex parties using threats and violence. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that any sexual activity was consensual.
During a recent hearing, Combs’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, outlined elements of the defence, describing his client’s behaviour as part of a “swinger lifestyle” rather than evidence of criminal conduct. Prosecutors have revealed that a plea deal was offered but turned down by Combs, whose trial could lead to a life sentence if he is convicted.
Combs, also known by stage names such as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, has spent decades at the pinnacle of the music and entertainment industry, amassing considerable wealth not only through music but also through ventures like alcohol brands. Once a regular at high-profile events such as the Met Gala, the artist will now instead spend this year’s first Monday in May in federal court, as jurors are selected to decide his fate.
Opening statements are expected on 12 May, with jury selection projected to conclude within a week.
Since being denied bail on multiple occasions, Combs has been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center – a facility frequently criticised for poor conditions and previously home to other disgraced high-profile figures including Ghislaine Maxwell and R. Kelly.
The case centres heavily on Combs’s former partner, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who is expected to testify. Prosecutors describe a disturbing pattern of abuse, referring to so-called “freak-offs” – alleged drug-fuelled sex parties involving sex workers, which were sometimes filmed without consent. One key piece of evidence is a 2016 hotel surveillance video, aired by CNN last year, which appears to show Combs physically assaulting Ventura. A judge has ruled that at least part of the footage will be allowed in court.
While Combs has no major prior convictions, allegations of violence and misconduct have followed him since the 1990s. His downfall accelerated after Ventura filed a civil suit in 2023 accusing him of sustained abuse and a 2018 rape. Though the case was settled quickly, it triggered a wave of similar allegations and led to a federal investigation that culminated in a sweeping criminal indictment.
Prosecutors are pursuing charges under the RICO Act – originally used to target organised crime – allowing them to present a broad picture of long-standing criminal activity rather than isolated incidents. The same legal framework was used to convict R&B singer R. Kelly in 2021.
Observers say Combs’s trial could become a pivotal moment for the music industry, which has largely avoided the broader #MeToo reckoning seen in Hollywood.
