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Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty on Friday to additional charges in his US federal sex trafficking and racketeering case. The updated indictment alleges that the hip-hop mogul not only sexually abused individuals and coerced them into drug-fueled sex parties through threats and violence but also forced employees into grueling work conditions while demanding their silence.
Dressed in a tan shirt and pants, the 55-year-old appeared in a Manhattan courtroom to enter his plea. His trial is set to begin this spring, with jury selection tentatively scheduled for May 5 and opening statements expected on May 12. Combs has repeatedly denied all allegations.
Legal troubles have been mounting for the Grammy-winning artist since late 2023, when singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, accused him of a decade-long pattern of abuse, including coercion through physical violence and drugs, as well as a 2018 rape.
In addition to the federal charges, Combs faces multiple civil lawsuits detailing disturbing allegations of abuse, with claims that he operated within a tight-knit circle of enablers.
Combs has been in custody since September and has visibly aged, now sporting salt-and-pepper hair. At Friday’s hearing, he smiled, waved, and even blew kisses to his supporters, including two of his children and his mother.
