Sean "Diddy" Combs will face federal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking beginning May 5, as jury selection opens in one of the most high-profile celebrity criminal trials in recent memory. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian granted Combs permission to wear civilian clothing during trial, allowing him to appear in court in business-casual attire rather than a prison uniform.
A court order issued April 30 authorizes Combs to receive up to five button-down shirts, five pairs of pants, five sweaters, five pairs of socks, and two pairs of lace-free shoes. Combs, 55, remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, after repeated bail requests were denied over concerns of potential witness tampering.
The hip-hop mogul has pleaded not guilty to a series of federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, transportation for prostitution, and obstruction. The indictment accuses Combs of orchestrating a years-long criminal enterprise using his music and business empire to recruit and exploit women in a pattern of coercive sexual abuse.
Prosecutors allege that Combs organized and facilitated "freak offs," described in court documents as elaborate sex events involving female victims and male sex workers flown in from around the country. "Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled-creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice," the indictment states.
One incident cited in the indictment involves a 2016 altercation at a Los Angeles hotel where surveillance video appeared to show Combs assaulting singer Casandra "Cassie" Ventura. Ventura, who filed a civil suit in November 2023 that was settled the following day, is expected to testify under her real name. Prosecutors have identified her as "Victim-1."
Combs' legal team, led by attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, has argued that all sexual activity was consensual and part of a swinger lifestyle. "There's a lifestyle, call it swingers, that he was in that he thought was appropriate," Agnifilo told the court, according to ABC News.
Investigators reportedly discovered "freak off supplies" during raids of Combs' residences in Los Angeles and Miami, including over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. Prosecutors allege the events were recorded, sometimes without participants' consent, and that IV treatments were administered afterward to aid recovery.
Opening statements in the trial are scheduled for May 12. Federal prosecutors are expected to call high-profile witnesses and present extensive video and digital evidence. The trial could stretch for weeks and carries potential life imprisonment if Combs is convicted on racketeering charges.
The prosecution is led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, known for her work in the Ghislaine Maxwell case, and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. Brian Steel, noted for representing rapper Young Thug, recently joined Combs' defense.
Court hearings have drawn family support, with Combs' sons, Justin and Christian Combs, and Quincy Brown, frequently in attendance. The trial marks a dramatic turn for the Bad Boy Records founder, who has been a fixture in the entertainment and business world for decades.
Combs' attorneys unsuccessfully requested a trial delay until July to review evidence. Judge Subramanian denied the motion, citing the proximity of the scheduled start date.
