Final jury selection in the federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs was delayed until Monday, following a request by the defense that was granted by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. The postponement came just days before opening arguments are scheduled in a high-profile case that could result in a life sentence for the 55-year-old hip-hop producer.
Combs, who has been held without bail at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn since his September arrest, faces a sweeping set of charges including racketeering, kidnapping, bribery, arson, and sex trafficking. Prosecutors allege he used his influence and wealth in the entertainment industry to abuse women over a 20-year span from 2004 to 2024.
In court on Friday, Combs appeared alongside federal prosecutors and defense attorneys in a Manhattan courtroom, where both sides were expected to narrow a pool of 45 prospective jurors to a final panel of 12 jurors and six alternates. The selection process, now scheduled to conclude Monday, will allow prosecutors to dismiss six potential jurors and defense counsel to strike 10, without providing reasons.
The delay followed three days of intensive questioning aimed at assessing jurors' impartiality, especially in light of explicit video evidence to be presented at trial. Several jurors were dismissed after admitting prior exposure to a widely circulated 2016 video showing Combs assaulting a former girlfriend in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
"I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now," Combs said after the footage aired last year on CNN.
Prosecutors have described the evidence against Combs as graphic and extensive, including allegations that he organized so-called "Freak Offs"-drug-fueled group sex events during which women were forced to engage in sexual acts with male sex workers while Combs recorded the scenes.
The indictment also outlines a pattern of physical violence, including claims that Combs beat, choked, and dragged women, at times by their hair, and in one case, allegedly held a victim over a balcony. The government argues these acts were part of a larger enterprise that used fear, force, and coercion to maintain control over victims.
Defense attorneys contend the charges conflate consensual adult behavior with criminal conduct. While conceding that Combs struggled with substance abuse, his legal team insists he has since undergone rehabilitation and that prosecutors are attempting to criminalize "lifestyle choices."
The judge's decision to delay jury finalization followed objections from prosecutors, who argued the trial schedule should remain on track. But Judge Subramanian sided with the defense, ruling that the final juror eliminations could proceed Monday in a session expected to last less than an hour.
If convicted on all counts, Combs faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and could receive a life sentence. The trial is expected to last approximately two months and includes testimony from alleged victims, former associates, and federal investigators.
