Trial Insights: The Sexual Exploitation Allegations Against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Get ready for the high-stakes federal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, commencing next week!
Old Diddy is in hot water, facing charges of racketeering conspiracy, transportation to engage in prostitution and sex trafficking. If guilty on all counts, he could be looking at spending the rest of his days behind bars.
The embattled music tycoon has been locked up at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest.
Here's how to keep tabs on the drama unfolding:
Timeline
Jury selection starts on May 5, with opening statements anticipated to commence on May 12. The trial is predicted to last for several weeks.
The Specifics
Diddy is facing a total of five charges relating to the allegations against him. He was taken into custody in New York City following his indictment on one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of sex trafficking, and one count of transportation to engage in prostitution.
He pleaded not guilty to these charges. In April, prosecutors filed yet another superseding indictment, adding one additional count of sex trafficking and one additional count of transportation to engage in prostitution. Once again, he entered a not guilty plea.
Authorities allege that Diddy coerced several women to participate in sex acts and at times, forced them to engage in sexual encounters with male prostitutes during the notorious "Freak Offs" events, during which the women were drugged and held for days.
The government claims Diddy recorded some of these encounters and controlled his victims via promises of financial and career opportunities and threats of violence and harm.
Beyond this federal criminal trial, Diddy is the center of numerous civil lawsuits from alleged victims, including minors at the time of the accusations, who assert they were drugged and sexually assaulted by the music mogul. These civil suits, however, are not part of the federal criminal trial proceedings.
During an April hearing, Judge Subramanian decided that most evidence pertaining to past sexual assault claims against Diddy, unrelated to the indictment, would not be allowed during the trial.
No Cameras Allowed
This trial won't be broadcast, as per Federal court rules. Any visuals from within the courtroom will likely come from a sketch artist.
CNN will bring you reports from journalists both inside and outside the courtroom, across linear and digital platforms as events unfold.
The Judge
Judge Arun Subramanian is presiding over the trial. He took the bench in 2023 after being nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022. Before his judicial career, he spent most of his career at the law firm Susman Godfrey as a civil litigator as well as working as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Magistrate Judge Robyn F. Tarnofsky was the initial judge Diddy stood before upon his arrest. Diddy's case was then randomly assigned to District Judge Andrew Carter, who later recused himself, with the case ultimately being transferred to Subramanian.
Carter and Tarnofsky had previously denied Diddy's legal team's requests for him to be released on bail following his arrest. Diddy was denied bail for the third time in November, with Subramanian ruling that there were no conditions that alleviated concerns that Diddy could potentially tamper with witnesses.
The Legal Team
Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos are Diddy's main attorneys. Brian Steel, who represented rapper Young Thug in his recent racketeering trial in Georgia, recently joined Diddy's legal team in April.
According to court records, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York indicted Diddy in 2024, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Foster, Emily A. Johnson, Christy Slavik, Madison Reddick Smyser, and Mitzi Steiner handling the case for the government.
Witness Testimony
The government has identified four victims who are scheduled to take the stand, according to court filings. During the April 18 pre-trial hearing, Judge Subramanian ruled that three of the four alleged victims mentioned in the indictment can testify using pseudonyms. However, Diddy's former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, referred to as "Victim 1" in the indictment, has chosen to testify under her own name. Another alleged victim, known as "Victim 3", has also elected to testify using her real name, according to a court filing.
Ventura filed a lawsuit against Diddy in 2023, alleging that he raped her in 2018 and repeatedly abused her both physically and psychologically over the course of their relationship. Diddy denied Ventura's accusations when they were first made and they settled her lawsuit the day after it was filed.
In May 2024, a video showing Diddy striking and dragging Ventura surfaced and was published by CNN. Two days following the video's release, Diddy issued an apology, stating, "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video." During a pre-trial hearing in April, Subramanian decided the footage will be shown to the jury at trial, despite Diddy's attempts to have it excluded.
With all this information at your fingertips, don't miss a beat as the trial unfolds!
- The 2024 indictment has added two additional counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution against Sean "Diddy" Combs, who is currently facing five charges in total.
- The trial, commencing on May 12, will be held in the realm of crime-and-justice, with Judge Arun Subramanian presiding over the proceedings.
- Several celebrities might keep tab on the high-stakes trial, as entertainment news outlets often cover general-news stories involving the legal woes of famous figures.
- As court rules prohibit camera broadcasts, viewers will rely on sketch artists and news anchors for visual accounts of the trial, with CNN promising to provide updates both from within and outside the courtroom.
