A federal judge on Friday rejected Sean "Diddy" Combs' request to postpone his sex trafficking trial, denying his defense team additional time to respond to new charges and evidence introduced in a third superseding indictment. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled during a two-hour hearing in Manhattan that the trial will proceed as scheduled, with opening statements beginning May 12.
Combs, 55, who remains in federal custody in Brooklyn, has pleaded not guilty to five criminal counts including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The third superseding indictment, filed earlier this month, adds two new charges connected to a woman identified as Victim-2 and extends the timeline of alleged offenses to 2024.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo had asked the court for a two-month adjournment, citing late disclosures by prosecutors, including evidence relating to the 15-year mandatory minimum charge associated with Victim-2. "Under these circumstances, with discovery seemingly incomplete on a 15-year mandatory minimum count, we cannot, in good conscience, go to trial on the scheduled date," Agnifilo said.
Prosecutors have argued that the defense received relevant materials promptly following the indictment and accused Combs' legal team of "gamesmanship" for requesting access to roughly 200,000 documents tied to witness communications. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik told the court the government had produced materials based on keyword searches and would comply with orders to deliver full documents if required.
Subramanian denied the request for delay, noting that Combs has at least four attorneys and dismissing the idea of a "fishing expedition." The judge also rejected a defense motion to dismiss charges related to transportation for prostitution.
The latest charges allege that Combs used force, fraud, or coercion to compel Victim-2 to engage in commercial sex acts from 2021 to 2024, including transporting her and others across state lines for prostitution. The indictment also references "freak offs," sex parties involving male sex workers that Combs allegedly organized, directed, and filmed.
During the hearing, Subramanian ruled that three of the alleged victims - Victim-2, Victim-3, and Victim-4 - may testify under pseudonyms. Prosecutors argued the women faced significant risk of harassment if publicly named. The defense objected, especially regarding Victim-3, whose lawyer had previously told Combs' team she was "meh" about anonymity. Victim-1, widely believed to be Casandra Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend who filed a civil lawsuit in 2023, will testify under her own name.
Subramanian ordered Ventura to turn over all prior drafts of her unpublished memoir to the defense by April 25 but denied a request for her bank statements, calling them irrelevant. Ventura's attorney, Doug Wigdor, attended Friday's hearing.
The trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks. The judge instructed both parties to submit their final jury questionnaire proposals by Tuesday. Combs' attorneys have proposed a 72-question survey, including written disclosures on sexual abuse histories, while prosecutors submitted a more limited 23-question form and raised concerns over juror privacy. The court agreed to allow private discussions for sensitive topics.
Combs appeared solemn and anxious during the proceedings, turning to his mother Janice Combs at the close of the hearing and telling her, "I love you; everything will be all right." Another hearing is scheduled for next week.
