Sean ‘Diddy' Combs caught making ‘vigorous' gestures at jury; Judge Arun Subramanium threatens to kick him out of court

Indian Express

a day ago

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' questionable behaviour during a court hearing could risk his sex trafficking trial. The music mogul was recently scolded by presiding judge Arun Subramanian for making certain facial gestures while looking at the jury and attempting to make eye contact. The judge made it clear that such actions are 'absolutely unacceptable' and warned that if Diddy doesn't stop, he could be kicked out of the courtroom entirely. This led to an apology from his legal team. The incident came just a day after a woman, reportedly a Diddy supporter, was removed from the courtroom for yelling obscenities at the jury, accusing them of targeting Black legacy.
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According to Variety, during a lunch break, the Bad Boy record producer was nodding vigorously at the jurors while a witness was testifying. 'I was very clear there should be no facial expressions to the jury, and I could not have been clearer,' Judge Subramanian scolded attorney Marc Agnifilo. 'There was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury,' he said, adding that, according to the rules, there should never be any attempts to interact with the jury by any means. The judge then asked the rapper's legal team if this behaviour would be repeated, to which Agnifilo replied, 'No, your honour, it's not going to happen again.'
The judge then warned, saying, 'I will give an instruction to the jury or it could result in the exclusion of your client from the courtroom,' if he doesn't comply with the rules. Throughout the trial, Diddy has appeared mostly calm, even when his ex, Cassie Ventura, was testifying. Journalists said he mostly tried to look in her direction but kept a stoic expression. However, during some testimonies, he looked directly at the jurors and even made gestures to the public and his family sitting behind him, especially during the testimony of his former assistant, George Kaplan.
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On June 5, Diddy, who is currently facing severe charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, prostitution, and assault, witnessed testimony from Bryana Bongolan. The woman, who claimed to be a longtime friend of Ventura, said Diddy once dangled her from a 17th-floor balcony. However, her testimony came under intense scrutiny due to inconsistencies in her statements. Bongolan said Diddy later threw her onto the balcony furniture, leaving her with bruises and cuts. Attorney Westmoreland, representing Diddy, cross-examined her about whether Cassie witnessed the entire incident, to which she replied, 'I don't remember.' The attorney then asked, 'Isn't it true that just two days ago, you told the prosecution you don't recall the details of the balcony allegation?'
Another key witness, testifying under the name 'Jane Doe,' said she was in a relationship with Diddy and described long, forced 'hotel nights' in court. She mentioned feeling pressured to be with him because he was paying her rent. Despite the tense moments in court, Diddy kept reacting—shaking his head, passing notes to his lawyers, and even blowing kisses to his mother in the audience. If found guilty, Diddy could face life in prison. The trial is ongoing.