Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sex Trafficking Trial Begins With Jury Selection/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial begins in New York with jury selection following a series of evidentiary rulings. Combs is accused of leading a criminal enterprise that exploited women through coercion, violence, and manipulation over two decades. The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks.
Diddy Sex Trafficking Trial: Quick Looks
- Jury Selection Underway: Trial proceedings start with judge setting evidence parameters.
- Serious Allegations: Combs accused of leading a sex trafficking and racketeering operation.
- “Freak Offs” Described: Prosecutors allege drug-fueled group sex events with coerced participation.
- Pattern of Abuse: Alleged acts include beatings, kidnappings, and even attempted balcony-hanging.
- Defense Claims Consensual Acts: Combs’ lawyers argue no crime was committed.
- Past Violence Cited: 2016 assault on Cassie likely to be discussed during trial.
- Celebrity and Power: Combs accused of using status to control and manipulate victims.
- Eight-Week Trial: Opening statements expected next week; trial could last two months.
- Prior Legal Troubles: Past incidents include nightclub shootings, assaults, and dropped charges.
- Potential Sentence: Conviction could mean decades behind bars.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sex Trafficking Trial Begins With Jury Selection
Deep Look
Sean “Diddy” Combs, one of the most influential figures in hip-hop and entertainment, stood before a New York courtroom Monday as jury selection began in a high-profile sex trafficking and racketeering trial that could result in a lengthy prison sentence.
The 55-year-old mogul faces explosive allegations detailed in a 17-page indictment, which paints a portrait of a man who, over more than two decades, allegedly used his wealth, celebrity, and business empire to orchestrate and conceal widespread abuse. Prosecutors accuse Combs of leading a criminal enterprise that used coercion, manipulation, and violence to entrap women — including some who aspired to careers in music and fashion — into non-consensual, drug-fueled sexual encounters referred to internally as “Freak Offs.”
Jury selection is expected to span several days, with opening arguments anticipated next week. Before jurors were brought in, Judge Arun Subramanian issued key rulings regarding the scope of expert testimony, setting the tone for what will likely be one of the most scrutinized celebrity trials in recent years.
The indictment reads more like a criminal case against an organized crime boss than a music mogul, charging Combs under racketeering statutes often reserved for gang leaders. Prosecutors say he was aided by members of his entourage and employees from his various businesses in creating an environment of fear and submission, leveraging fame, money, and force to get what he wanted.
Among the allegations, the indictment claims Combs and associates beat, drugged, and kidnapped victims, at times offering career advancement in exchange for compliance, or retaliating with violence when they resisted. One incident even describes Combs allegedly dangling a person from a balcony as an intimidation tactic.
Combs and his attorneys deny all criminal wrongdoing, arguing that any group sexual encounters were consensual and that there is no legal basis for the racketeering charges. Defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo has acknowledged that Combs had a history of “toxic relationships and drug use” but insists there was no coercion or abuse.
A particularly damning piece of evidence likely to surface is surveillance footage from 2016, which shows Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend, R&B artist Cassie (Casandra Ventura), in a hotel hallway. Cassie has publicly accused Combs of years of abuse, including rape and physical violence, filing a civil lawsuit in late 2023. That suit was settled, but prosecutors are expected to cite the incident to establish a pattern of behavior.
The Associated Press generally withholds names of sexual abuse victims, but Cassie has chosen to go public with her identity.
The trial adds to a long list of legal entanglements that have followed Combs throughout his career. In 1999, he was charged with assault after storming a record executive’s office. That same year, he was acquitted on weapons charges related to a nightclub shooting in New York, although his associate Jamal “Shyne” Barrow was convicted and served prison time. In 2015, Combs was arrested for allegedly attacking a UCLA football coach with a kettlebell — charges that were later dropped.
This time, however, the stakes are far higher. The trial could last at least eight weeks, and if convicted, Combs faces decades in prison under federal racketeering and sex trafficking statutes.
As the music industry and public watch closely, the case could mark a turning point in how celebrity power and abuse allegations are prosecuted in the post-#MeToo era.
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