Diddy turns down plea deal, will place fate in jury hands: ‘His image is international'
NEW YORK (PIX11) – One of the most highly anticipated trials of the year gets underway this Monday in Lower Manhattan.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs, once a celebrated Bad Boy Records mogul, now sits behind bars in Brooklyn. The Harlem-born entertainer is accused of racketeering and sex trafficking—charges that could result in a life sentence.
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In his final court appearance before the trial, it was revealed that Combs turned down a plea deal and will instead place his fate in the hands of a jury of his peers.
For Combs, the first Monday in May meant dressing to impress at the Met Gala.
But this year, the first Monday in May will mark the start of his federal sex trafficking trial. His wardrobe has already been selected—and it won't include a prison jumpsuit.
Instead, the court is allowing him to wear up to five button-down shirts, pants, sweaters, socks, and shoes without laces, in an effort to maintain an impartial appearance before the jury.
'His image, power, wealth, influence is on an international scale,' said entertainment attorney Yohayra Azcona.
PIX11 News got a look at the proposed questions for the jury selection process. From a pool of 150 people, attorneys will choose 12 jurors and six alternates for the expected eight-week trial.
'Juries are humans that have biases that subconsciously play a role,' Azcona added.
That's why both sides will have input when asking prospective jurors about their views on sex, assault, infidelity, prostitution, drugs, and hip-hop. The defense also wants to explore whether personal experiences and opinions could impact a juror's ability to remain impartial.
At a recent hearing, Combs' attorney likened his client to a 'swinger,' offering a possible glimpse into the defense's strategy—something prosecutors may seize upon.
'When did content turn to coercion? Where did the abuse happen?' Azcona asked. 'The prosecution will have to pinpoint where things took a turn.'
Celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos, who once represented Michael Jackson, will now watch his daughter, Teny Geragos, attempt to secure an acquittal for Combs.
'I think you'll see witness after witness say, 'I never went to police and didn't do anything in this case, or in Cassie's case, until the eve of the Adult Survivors Act [deadline],'' Mark Geragos told NewsNation's Chris Cuomo, Friday night.
Jury selection is expected to take a week, with the trial possibly running through July 5.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Boston Globe
19 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Zdeno Chara was surprised to be elected to the IIHF Hall of Fame, but he shouldn't have been
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Clearly, if not Chara for such an honor, then who? Advertisement The Slovak-born strongman played his final NHL game three years ago at age 45, his 1,680 regular-season games ranking seventh in league history and No. 1 among defensemen. His name is on the Stanley Cup as a Bruin (2011) and he was awarded the Norris Trophy in 2009 as that season's top blue liner. He spent 14 years as Bruins captain, instilling and curating a culture woven into the club's three trips to the Cup Final (2011, '13, and '19) during his tenure. Advertisement Chara also captained two Slovak national squads that won silver medals at the Worlds, and three times wore his country's colors at the Olympic Games (2006, '10, '14). So it should have been zero surprise when International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif called a couple of months ago to welcome Chara to this year's class. Yet it was a surprise, to Chara. 'I said, 'Whoa! I mean, are you sure?,' said Big Z, chuckling as he related his back and forth with Tardif. 'And he said, 'Yeah, of course … it's been voted on … you're in!' ' Related : To help understand that response, understand Chara — not only for his genuinely unassuming nature and presence, but particularly for the unconventional path he traveled to the summit of his profession. Decades ago in Trencin, as a gangly and athletically awkward young teenager, his dream was not to play in the NHL or one day see his name placed next to the game's greatest European players. 'I was cut … and cut again … all I wanted to do was make my hometown team!' recalled an animated Chara. 'You move up by age groups, right? And that's automatic … good or bad, you move up. 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'Obviously, I'd be very, very grateful, But again, like IIHF, I know there's so many names that deserve to be there and, rightfully, they have so many great candidates that should be there. If I am there … we'll see, that's up to others to decide. Right now, I'm just enjoying my life, being a dad … but yes, it would be a tremendous, tremendous honor.' Chara played his final NHL game three years ago at age 45, his 1,680 regular-season games ranking seventh in league history and No. 1 among all defensemen. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff LONG DROUGHT Canada Cupless since 1993 The question in the 1980s and '90s of whether the NHL would thrive in the Sun Belt faded into the twilight by the end of the 20th century, Dallas winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 (six games vs. Buffalo) in what remains Texas's lone star Cup. If anyone still held the romantic notion that the game is best served cold, the state of Florida has smashed such thoughts to smithereens. With the Panthers clinching the East for a third straight year after Advertisement Canada, largely due to the Oilers' powerhouse squads throughout the '80s, saw one of its teams reach the Cup Final in nine consecutive seasons, 1982-90, culminating with Since that last Oiler triumph, a Canadian team has squeezed through to the final only eight times, with the lone win in those 35 years by the Canadiens (1993). It may be Canada's game, but this drought of 30-plus years is by far the longest in its history. The list of Canadian runners up since '93 consists of: Vancouver ('94), Calgary (2004), Edmonton ('06), Ottawa ('07), Vancouver ('11), If the Oilers can close the deal now, it will be the longest distance a Canadian team has gone to get the job done. Air miles, Edmonton to Sunrise, Fla.: 2,546. ETC. Verhaeghe worth the wait Former Bruins captain Brad Marchand , wearing No. 63 for the Panthers, is headed to the Cup Final for a fourth time (with Boston in '11, '13, and '19). 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Karl B DeBlaker/Associated Press Swayman high on Warsofsky Jeremy Swayman's read on Ryan Warsofsky , the Team USA bench boss at the world championship that concluded last Sunday: 'Since [the time] I walked through the door, he was incredible.' Warsofsky, who'll begin his second season as the Sharks coach this fall, was raised in Marshfield and played high school hockey for his hometown Rams, followed by a season at Cushing Academy. He moved into the top job in San Jose last summer after two years as one of David Quinn's assistant coaches. Related : With Swayman in net for Warsofsky, 'I've got nothing to say but great things about Warsy,' offered Swayman, 'the way he carried himself and he's just so well spoken. I think he takes over a room very well. Every one of the guys in there would do anything he asked — and it takes a special kind of human to get 25 or 30 guys all on the same page within three weeks. That's a testament to his coaching ability and his style.' Credit, too, added Swayman, to the entire Team USA staff for such a successful effort, including adapting to the bigger (200x100 feet) European/Olympic ice sheet. 'And you're playing against guys, a lot of them who've been playing with each other for a long time,' continued the Bruins' backstop. 'They have their game plans, know how to play on the [bigger sheet]. To see [Warsofsky] articulate the game and get us to play to our strengths … every one of us knew that we could have a serious chance of winning with him at the helm. 'That's something I'll never forget from him — and he's stuck with me for life now. We're pretty tight … that's pretty cool.' With Swayman in net, the US won its first World gold since 1933. Petr David Josek/Associated Press Shopping list The July 1 unrestricted free agent list includes 17 players, including Marchand and the Oilers' Trent Frederic , who were once property of the Bruins. The list also includes Ryan Lindgren , drafted by Boston at No. 49 in 2016, but dealt to the Rangers (for Rick Nash ) before ever wearing the Spoked B. A look at the pending UFAs, including their most recent team and cap hit (by descending order): Forwards: Marchand, Florida $6.125 million; Reilly Smith , Vegas, $5 million; Sean Kuraly , Columbus, $2.5 million; Frederic, Edmonton, $2.3M; Ryan Donato , Chicago, $2 million; Pat Maroon , Chicago, $1.3 million; Craig Smith , Detroit, $1 million; Curtis Lazar , New Jersey, $1 million; James van Riemsdyk , Columbus, $900,000; Tomas Nosek , Florida, $775,000; Cole Koepke , Boston, $775,000; Justin Brazeau , Minnesota, $775,000. Defensemen: Dmitry Orlov , Carolina, $7.75 million; Lindgren, Colorado, $4.5 million; Matt Grzelcyk , Pittsburgh, $2.75 million; Derek Forbort , Vancouver, $1.5 million; Mike Reilly , NY Islanders, $1.25 million. It's not out of the question that two or three alums could be offered deals to return. 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Maroon, by the way, announced his retirement as his season came to a close with the Blackhawks — his eighth NHL employer over a career that included 848 games and three Cup rings. Loose pucks Marco Sturm , then 27, proved to be the best of the three assets (along with Wayne Primeau and Brad Stuart ) the Bruins acquired from San Jose in the infamous Nov. 30, 2005, deal that sent Jumbo Joe Thornton to the Sharks. Also known as 'The German,' Sturm remained in Boston for four more seasons, then was dished to the Kings early in 2010-11, in what was the season the Bruins won the Cup. Among the candidates believed to be interviewing to be the next Bruins bench boss, Sturm, 46, in the spring wrapped up his third season as coach of the Ontario (Calif.) Reign, the Kings' AHL affiliate. 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With apologies to Chief Brody, looks like you're gonna need a bigger bench. Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Diddy's prison duds are up for sale — but not from his ongoing trial
Life imitates art. The prison costume that Sean 'Diddy' Combs donned on screen in 'Monster's Ball' more than two decades before he was locked up for a horrifying string of alleged sex and abuse crimes is up for auction. Bidding on GWS Auctions will open next week for the rapper's iconic ensemble from the star-studded 2001 romantic-thriller drama. 3 Sean 'Diddy' Combs played a convicted murderer in the 2001 film 'Monster's Ball.' ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement In the film, Combs, 55, played a murderer — 11 years before he allegedly broke into rapper Kid Cudi's home in a real-life plot to kill his love rival. 'The costume is worn by Sean Combs during the beginning to middle of the film while in prison and meeting with his son and wife 'Leticia' (portrayed by Halle Berry) to say goodbye before being executed,' the auction house wrote. The outfit includes a short-sleeved white Hanes crew neck T-shirt, a light grey crew neck sweatshirt with cut-off sleeves, a pair of Faded Glory blue jeans — with one pant leg sliced off — and a pair of black canvas slip-on shoes. Advertisement It also comes with a production costumer's tag with insider details on the costumer and movie scene in which it appears. 3 The costume will be up for bidding next week. GSW Auctions The duds are a far cry from the orange monochrome jumpsuit Combs is mandated to wear while he sits at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Combs' trial has been ongoing for more than three weeks, with the judge expecting it to last as long as eight. Advertisement On Friday, the rapper's former live-in assistant remained strong as she was laboriously grilled in Manhattan court over her explosive accusations that the disgraced music mogul repeatedly sexually assaulted her. 3 The film came out more than two decades before Combs was arrested in Manhattan. ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection 'Mia' – who testified anonymously as an alleged victim of sexual abuse – also claimed that her ex-boss threatened to throw her off a yacht because she took too long counting $100,000 in cash. She is just one of Combs' many alleged victims over his decades as an A-list celebrity, the most notorious being his ex-girlfriend and alleged hostage, Cassie Ventura. Advertisement Combs allegedly sexually and physically abused Ventura and refused to free her from his toxic grasp — going so far as to plot to kill rapper Kid Cudi when he heard Ventura had moved on with him, prosecutors allege. Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carry up to life in prison, if convicted.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
The Jewish Students Punished in the Name of Jewish Safety
'I sat in that hearing, and I sobbed.' C, a Jewish senior at Columbia University's Barnard College, said she found out she had to attend a disciplinary hearing two days before her senior thesis was due. She was being called in, she was told, because she attended a demonstration earlier in the semester and because she had, a few weeks later, chained herself to a campus gate. (As she and other Jewish students have been doxed for their participation in pro-Palestine protests, I am not using her real name in this piece.) The demonstration she and several other Jewish students attended was a protest of the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Syrian-born Palestinian green card holder, recent Columbia graduate, and her friend, by ICE. She and several other Jewish students had chained themselves to a campus gate demanding to know 'the names of the Columbia trustees who facilitated the abduction of our beloved friend by collaborating with the Trump administration.' She and her fellow Jewish students had felt that, 'as Jewish students, we were the only ones who could do this safely,' she told me, 'AND send a message: This does not keep us safe.' Weeks later, she was in a disciplinary hearing, trying to explain to a conduct officer what had happened. 'My friend was abducted. My university was complicit. This was done in the name of the religion I love and care about.' 'I didn't expect to break down that much,' she told me. Her degree conferral has been deferred until October. Hers is one of several similar cases: Jewish students disciplined by a university that has said, publicly and repeatedly, that it is attempting to demonstrate that it takes Jewish safety seriously. She was able to walk at graduation, she said, even though the administration was withholding her degree. But the victory, such as it was, was a hollow one. 'I just felt so angry at my commencement, and I feel sad because I worked so hard for four years. I wanted to feel good and proud. And I just couldn't feel anything but frustration and anger.' 'I think it's both highly problematic and unfortunate,' James Piacentini, a Jewish adjunct assistant professor in urban planning and architecture at Columbia, told me, 'that the university and school administrators have become so warped in their thinking that they're purporting to believe that undermining free expression of Jewish students is somehow combating antisemitism on campus.'Barnard is not the only college—and Columbia not the only university—to use graduation and the awarding of a degree as a way to push back against students protesting for Palestinian rights. The universities say it is a matter of enforcing rules; their critics, that they are chilling speech. The backdrop to all of this is, of course, the Trump administration, which is threatening to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from a number of universities, including Columbia, if they do not do what the administration tells them to in order to 'fight antisemitism.' This series of demands includes turning over a university's academic independence to the federal administration (Columbia has tried to acquiesce; Harvard is tied up in court). And so, with millions intended for scientific research hanging in the balance, ostensibly for the good of Jewish students, universities entered graduation season locked in an existential battle and firmly under the national spotlight. The universities say that they are upholding their own rules and policies and keeping campus safe for all. New York University decided to withhold the diploma of a student speaker, Logan Rozos, who delivered an unapproved graduation speech on 'the atrocities currently happening in Palestine' that quickly went viral. 'He lied about the speech he was going to deliver and violated the commitment he made to comply with our rules,' an NYU spokesperson said in a statement. 'NYU is deeply sorry that the audience was subjected to these remarks and that this moment was stolen by someone who abused a privilege that was conferred upon him.' George Washington University, meanwhile, announced an investigation after commencement speaker Cecilia Culver delivered a speech, also different from the one she submitted, encouraging her peers not to donate to the university until it divests from Israel. Culver (and the dean who followed her and thanked her for sharing her perspective) were denounced by some for antisemitism; Culver has since 'been barred from all GW's campuses and sponsored events elsewhere,' per the university. Barnard, for its part, insisted in a statement that 'no students were disciplined or had their degrees deferred as a response to the content of their speech or expression.' Instead, 'disciplinary measures were taken in response to vandalism, course disruption, and other actions that violated Barnard's Student Code of Conduct and interfered with the core academic mission of the college.' Others see the response of these colleges and universities as little more than a scare tactic meant to chill free speech. 'The College is using degree deferral to scare students into silence,' Debbie Becher, an associate professor of sociology at Barnard, who is Jewish, said in an email. 'It accomplishes what the administration wants: a show of force with no regard for due process. There is no warrant for this. The College has the power to revoke a degree, so it could wait until due process has been followed. Instead, it chose to impose a punishment before the process.' I put to Becher that some would say that rules were indeed broken and that there should be consequences when policies are not adhered to. 'There needs to be a sound conduct process for breaking rules; this would include judgment by peers, transparency, accountability, reasonable sanctions, and protection of student rights. Barnard has none of this,' she replied. There's just centralized power and harsh punishment. Piacentini also suggested that people take more extreme action when other, arguably milder forms of protest have been taken from them. Perhaps if Jewish and non-Jewish pro-Palestinian groups weren't kicked off campus, he said, 'other forms of protest might not be necessary.' But they were, and so 'people are putting their ideas, their bodies on the line because other mechanisms have been taken away from them.' H, a Jewish recent graduate of Barnard who was also disciplined for chaining herself to the gate, said that the administration talks 'about wanting to build community.' 'I have tried to do that,' she continued. 'The university has made that difficult at every turn.' She tried to organize Shabbat gatherings for Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist Jewish group. 'But the university suspended the club.' She felt that it was difficult to be Jewish on campus—because her administration 'has decided that we are not.'Jewish students are not the only, or even primary, individuals caught up in crackdowns against pro-Palestinian speech and criticism (including often harsh criticism) of Israel. After all, the reason C chained herself to the gate, she said, is that she thought she'd be safer than many of her peers. In our conversation, she repeatedly stressed that her Palestinian and Arab peers in particular are 'subjected to worse' than what she faces as a Jewish student. Piacentini too made clear that Jews are not the most impacted by policies that challenge pro-Palestinian speech and protest—many others are 'more at risk than we are.' There are dramatic examples of that risk: Khalil is still detained. Palestinian Columbia student Mohsen Mahdawi was also arrested and detained (though he has been released and was able to walk at graduation). H noted that her own discipline was essentially 'an art project'—she had to write an essay with visual accompaniment about how to properly register events on campus. She believes that, if she were not a white Jewish student, her punishment would have been worse. Still, as Becher put it, 'the punishment of Jewish students for these protests reveals the hypocrisy of the claim that the college or federal administration wants to protect us. The punishment of Jewish students instead betrays a disregard for their safety.' The administrations at Barnard and Columbia alike, she added, have 'ignored Jewish students, scholars, and community members who have told them repeatedly that they must adopt a definition of antisemitism as hatred against Jews for being Jews, not a definition that connects Jewish identity to Israel. The definition of hatred against Jews for being Jews would lead to policies that actually defend Jewish safety.' There are, after all, many types of Jewish students at Barnard, and Columbia, and every campus: students who relate differently to Israel and Palestine and Zionism and anti-Zionism and Jewish institutions of various stripes. (Studies suggest that the majority are neither agitating for Zionism and Israel nor for Palestine.) Piacentini said that, while he considers himself anti-Zionist, even Jewish colleagues and students who don't but are critical of Israel's war feel 'primarily threatened and targeted by people with power who claim to be trying to protect us from antisemitism.' Listening to C, I thought of how Jewish students should have the right to go to class and extracurriculars and parties and protests and feel safe. I thought about that as I listened to her tell me how she and her fellow Jewish students had been doxed and harassed and accused by a Jewish faculty member of being not dissimilar to the Judenrat, councils that acted as go-betweens for the Nazis and Jewish communities. I listened as she talked about trying to finish her senior thesis, crying in her disciplinary hearing, and attending musical theater class while worrying about her friend Mahmoud, sitting in a prison in Louisiana. Was the point of all of this to make sure that Jewish students can learn safely? So they can focus on being students? If the education of Jewish students had been disrupted on campus, who had disrupted it? C told me that she had chosen Barnard because 'I wanted to be around people who would encourage me to stand up for what I believe in.' And she loved so much of her experience. But in the end, she said, she felt her identity and beliefs—those of an anti-Zionist Jewish student—were ignored. 'If it wasn't so dangerous and sad, it would be bordering on a farce,' said Piacentini. ''The best way to protect Jewish students is to silence them, arrest them, and take away their degrees.' How can you say that out loud and not hear you're wrong?'
