The opening debate at the famous criminal trial of rapper and music mogul Sean Combs, well known by his nickname Diddy, is scheduled to begin Monday in Manhattan, New York.
The three-time Grammy Award winner has been in federal custody since September on charges of sex trafficking, assault conspiracy and transport to engage in prostitution. His trial officially began on May 5th.
The millionaire American record producer and founder of Bad Boy Record has been accused of using his fame and money to abuse women over the course of 20 years.
The 55-year-old rap star pleaded not guilty to all charges. However, if he is found guilty in all numbers, he could face a minimum sentence of 15 years or more.
Here’s everything you need to know about his trial:
What can you expect on Monday?
On Monday, 12 ju umpires and six alternative ju umpires are expected to be confirmed, paving the way for a government statement and a statement to launch the defense.
US District Judge Arun Subramanian will be the main side of the trial.
Over the course of the two-month trial, the ju judge is expected to hear testimony from three, and perhaps four rapper female accusers. Prosecutors say they helped arrange and cover up his actions.
What are the charges against Comb?
The five-count indictment against a hip-hop artist accused individuals of sex trafficking, assaulting and transporting them for the purposes of prostitution. The indictment also makes allegations of sexual assault, physical violence, inducement, forced labor, bribery, obstruction of justice, and arson against combs.
He “engaged in a persistent and widespread pattern of abuse against women and other individuals,” the indictment said.
This included years of long-standing enforcement of threatening and forced actions against women “to satisfy sexual desires, protect their reputation, and hide his actions.”
For more than 20 years, Comb used violence and threats to force women to participate in several days of drug-fuel sexual performances with male sex workers known as “freak-offs.”
Comb often watches performances, masturbates and films, and sometimes uses recordings as a horrifying email to prevent his suspected victim from reporting his abuse, prosecutors say.
As prosecutors were trying to leave behind a “freak-off,” Combs was seen kicking and dragging a woman in a 2016 incident, which was filmed on hotel surveillance footage where prosecutors plan to show a ju court, prosecutors say.
Last year, CNN aired footage in 2016 in a hotel corridor in Los Angeles, which appeared to be attacking ex-girlfriend Rhythm and blues singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. After the video aired, the comb apologized.
Who is going to testify?
Ventura is likely to testify as a key witness to the prosecutor.
She sued Combs in November 2023, saying he abused her for years and was also involved in the rape allegations. However, the lawsuit was settled the next day, and the terms of the settlement remained private.
But it sparked law enforcement investigations, followed by dozens of lawsuits from those making similar claims.
Three other victims, all women, and victims, who are allegedly known only by pseudonyms, will also testify as former business associates and law enforcement officers.
What evidence has been presented so far?
The heart of the prosecutor’s case is found in a leaked video from 2016 showing a comb breaking a Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
Released in May 2024 by US media outlet CNN, the video was widely distributed on other news platforms and social media sites.
Combs’ lawyers argue that the video should not be presented in court, but Judge Subramanian said he would allow it.
“The defense cannot show that footage is unacceptable,” he said in a ruling in late April. “There is no unfair bias against Mr. Combs.”
Additionally, in March 2024, his home in Los Angeles and Miami was attacked by federal authorities, retrieving dozens of electronic devices.
At an October hearing, one of the prosecutors, Emily Johnson, said 96 electronic devices were seized in March. Eight of these included 90 terabytes of data, which Johnson labeled as “extraordinary.”
What is defense?
combs has repeatedly denied the allegations.
His lawyers are expected to argue that sexual activity described by the prosecutor is a consensus, and that there is nothing illegal about the “swinger” lifestyle in which Comb and his girlfriend sometimes bring third parties to their relationship.
Their strategy at trial will depend on undermining the credibility of women who testify against the comb.
His lawyer, Mark Agnifilo, argued that the charges were “unfair prosecution” of his client and that the comb was not a “criminal.”
Agnifilo says the 2016 hotel incident portrayed the aftermath of an affair conflict and was not evidence of sex trafficking.
During a court hearing Friday, Agnifilo said Ventura had a history of domestic violence and undermined prosecutors’ argument that she was the victim.
Ventura’s lawyer declined to comment.
Where is it now?
The founder of Bad Boy Records was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, without bail since his arrest in September.
He has been denied bail three times, and Judge Subramanian says there is a “serious risk” of eyewitness tampering.
What sentences does Comb face if convicted?
If the ju judge convicts him of assault, the comb could come back to life in prison.
If convicted of sex trafficking, he must serve in prison for up to 10 years if convicted of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted of a charge of transport engaged in prostitution.
The test is expected to last for about two months.