A timeline of allegations and charges against Sean ‘Diddy' Combs
Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and any group sex was consensual. They say there was no effort to coerce people, and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket.
The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks. If convicted, Combs faces the possibility of decades in prison.
Here is a timeline of events:
Combs's federal sex trafficking trial began in New York City with jury selection. It is expected the trial will last eight weeks.
The 17-page indictment against Combs alleges the music mogul engaged in a pattern of abusive behavior against women and others over the course of two decades, helped by his employees and people in his entourage.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the case, rules that the Combs sex-trafficking trial will move forward as scheduled and begin on 5 May.
Combs's attorneys ask a federal judge in New York to delay his 5 Maysex-trafficking trial by two months, arguing that they need more time to prepare a defense and they claim that the prosecutors have been slow to turn over some potential evidence.
Prosecutors opposes the request.
Federal prosecutors add two additional criminal charges – one additional count of transportation to engage in prostitution – to Combs's indictment, so he now faces five federal charges.
Combs denies the allegations against him, and his attorneys release a statement saying: 'These are not new allegations or new accusers. These are the same individuals, former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships.' They add: 'This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.'
Combs pleaded not guilty to a new indictment, which added accusations that the hip-hop mogul forced employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who did not assist in his two-decade sex trafficking scheme.
A fresh round of lawsuits alleging sexual assault are filed against Combs. The rapper and mogul continues to deny wrongdoing.
Federal prosecutors file a superseding indictment against Combs, expanding the racketeering conspiracy allegations to include two additional victims, though no new charges are added.
In response, Combs's attorneys issued a statement saying: 'The government has added the ridiculous theory that two of Mr. Combs' former girlfriends were not girlfriends at all but were prostitutes. Mr. Combs is as committed as ever to fighting these charges and winning at trial.'
Three more accusers file sexual assault lawsuits against Combs, alleging that they were drugged via spiked drinks and then raped in incidents as recently as 2022. The plaintiffs are all male and identified in court documents only as John Doe, according to NBC News.
Combs has denied all the allegations and pleaded not guilty.
An amended lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that Combs and Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl during a party in 2000.
Jay-Z denies the allegations on social media and lambastes the lawsuit, calling it part of a 'blackmail attempt' by the plaintiff's lawyer.
Combs had the opportunity to settle Ventura's accusations of rape and other physical abuse before she went public – but he refused, according to the forthcoming podcast The Rise and Fall of Diddy.
'She came to him before she filed [any] lawsuit and said: 'I believed I was wronged by you,'' attorney and legal commentator Donte Mills says on the podcast from Law & Crime, a preview of which was provided to the Guardian. 'And she gave him an opportunity to settle the case before she brought [a] lawsuit.'
Combs is denied bail for the third time by a judge in New York City who describes him as a 'serious risk' for witness tampering.
Combs has tried to reach out to prospective witnesses and influence public opinion from jail in a bid to affect potential jurors for his upcoming sex-trafficking trial, prosecutors claim in a court filing that is part of a bail request.
A wave of new sexual assault and rape accusations are made against Combs, including an accusation of rape from a then 13-year-old.
Among the plaintiffs, two are men and three are women. All of the alleged incidents reportedly occurred at parties hosted by the music mogul.
In one lawsuit, Jane Doe claims that in 2000, when she was 13 years old, Combs invited her to attend his MTV Video Music awards afterparty, where she was allegedly drugged and raped.
All five lawsuits are filed in the southern district of New York by the Texas-based attorney Tony Buzbee.
'We expect to be filing cases weekly naming Mr Combs and others as defendants as we continue to gather evidence and prepare the filings,' Buzbee says in a statement to NBC News.
Combs wants prosecutors in his sex-trafficking case to disclose the names of his accusers, Manhattan federal court documents show.
The music executive needs to know the identities of his accusers to prepare for the 5 May trial, his legal team argues in a Tuesday letter to Judge Arun Subramanian.
Combs is hit with six new lawsuits that accuse the rap impresario of raping women, sexually assaulting men and molesting a 16-year-old boy.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuits, filed anonymously in federal court under New York's Gender-Motivated Violence Act, are identified only as two women – Jane Does – and four men, John Does.
The accusers are part of what their attorney says is a group of more than 100 alleged victims who are in the process of suing Combs in the wake of his arrest in September.
In a statement, attorneys for Combs say a new tip line and the new filings are 'clear attempts to garner publicity'. The statement maintains that 'Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone – adult or minor, man or woman.'
Combs's sex-trafficking trial is scheduled to start on 5 May 2025.
During an appearance in Manhattan, prosecutors reveal that authorities seized 96 electronic devices in raids of Combs's Miami and Los Angeles homes, as well as a private airport in south Florida.
Prosecutors say Combs might face more charges, something they have floated during prior court proceedings.
Combs's lawyers have pushed unsuccessfully to get him freed on bail since his 16 September arrest.
Tony Buzbee, a Texas-based attorney, reveals at a press conference that he is representing 120 accusers who allege misconduct against Combs over the course of two decades.
Andrew Van Arsdale, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, tells the Washington Post that there will be 120 individual lawsuits filed in New York, Los Angeles and Miami in the coming weeks. He says that more than 3,000 individuals have come forward to his office with accusations against Combs.
Buzbee says that the new civil claims against Combs will include 'violent sexual assault or rape, facilitated sex with a controlled substance, dissemination of video recordings, sexual abuse of minors'.
Thalia Graves alleges in a new lawsuit that Combs and his bodyguard sexually assaulted her some two decades earlier and distributed video of their attack.
Combs is denied bail and ordered to jail as he faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He appears in court in New York and pleads not guilty. His lawyers try unsuccessfully to keep him out of jail, requesting his release to home detention, travel restrictions and a $50m bond in Manhattan court. Prosecutors argue that Combs is 'a serious flight risk' and has 'the money, manpower and tools' to flee without detection.
Combs is arrested in New York and charged with three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering, in a federal indictment that describes 'a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice'.
Following Ventura, another high-profile musician files her own lawsuit against Combs. Dawn Richard, who was part of the Combs-signed girl group Danity Kane and later a trio with him called Diddy – Dirty Money, alleges that Combs sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions by touching her body, as well as verbally abusing and overworking her. She also alleges seeing him physically assault Ventura on numerous occasions.
Combs does not appear at a virtual hearing for a lawsuit filed against him by Derrick Lee Cardello-Smith, who alleges he was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs at a party in Detroit in 1997. The no-show leads to a default judgement against Combs of $100m to be paid to Cardello-Smith, who is currently incarcerated following an unrelated case. Combs's lawyers say they hope to have the case dismissed, claiming Combs has never heard of Cardello-Smith; on 13 September, emergency motions are filed by Combs's legal team to try to overturn the ruling.
Via his lawyers, Combs again proclaims his innocence as he faces his eighth lawsuit alleging sexual assault. Adria English claims she was 'groomed into sex trafficking over time' at events between 2004 and 2009 at Combs's famous, star-studded 'white parties'. 'No matter how many lawsuits are filed it won't change the fact that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex-trafficked anyone,' the lawyer Jonathan Davis says.
Howard University in Washington DC announces that it is revoking an honorary degree it awarded Combs, returning a $1m donation and ending a scholarship program in his name. The following week, Combs is ordered to return the ceremonial key to New York City by Mayor Eric Adams, who writes that he is 'deeply disturbed' by the video footage of Combs assaulting Ventura.
The model Crystal McKinney files a lawsuit against Combs, alleging that he drugged her and forced her to perform oral sex in a 2003 incident. Later that week, another woman, April Lampros, files her own lawsuit alleging four instances of sexual assault between 1995 and about 2000, as well as the allegation that Combs filmed one of the incidents and showed it to others.
CNN publishes surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. The following day, Combs apologises, saying: 'I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now.'
According to unnamed law enforcement sources, US federal agents raid Combs's properties in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex-trafficking investigation. No charges are made against Combs at this stage.
Combs is sued by the music producer Rodney Jones, who alleges Combs groped him and attempted to 'groom him into accepting a homosexual relationship', during sessions for Combs's 2023 release The Love Album: Off the Grid. A lawyer for Combs describes the allegation as 'pure fiction', and later, on 26 August, Combs calls on a judge to throw out the case.
Combs denies all allegations made against him in the preceding weeks, including in a new lawsuit filed by another anonymous woman who alleges Combs participated in a gang rape against her and sex-trafficked her when she was 17. 'I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth,' Combs says.
Combs steps down as chair of the TV network he founded, Revolt. The following week, Hulu scraps plans for a reality show, produced by James Corden's company Fulwell 73, that was to focus on Combs and his family.
Combs is accused of sexual assault dating back to 1991 in two new lawsuits: one anonymously by a woman who claims Combs and another man coerced her into sex; the other by Joi Dickerson-Neal, who alleges Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her, as well as filming the incident and showing it to others. Later, on 26 April 2024, Combs's lawyers file a motion to dismiss elements of Dickerson-Neal's lawsuit.
These lawsuits, and some of the other subsequent ones filed against Combs, are made possible by New York state laws such as the Adult Survivors Act and the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act that allow for lawsuits alleging sexual assault to be made even if the statute of limitations – the window of time for allegations to be made – has expired.
Ventura and Combs announce their lawsuit has been settled with undisclosed terms. Ventura says in a statement: 'I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control.'
Casandra Ventura, a singer and model known as Cassie who dated Combs for more than a decade, files a lawsuit against him, alleging incidents of rape and physical assault between 2007 and 2018. She describes 'a cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking' after being lured into an 'ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle' allegedly designed to keep her compliant – including engaging in sex acts with others against her will. The lawsuit also alleges that Combs destroyed the car of another successful US rapper, Kid Cudi – real name Scott Mescudi – to deter him from seeing Ventura. Combs denies the allegations.
The severity of Ventura's allegations are the most serious Combs faces. He was charged with assault in 1998 and sentenced to an anger management class; in 1999, he was acquitted of gun charges following a nightclub shooting. In 2019, an ex-girlfriend, Gina Huynh, spoke to a blogger alleging emotional and physical abuse during her relationship with Combs, but no legal case was filed.
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The Sun
14 minutes ago
- The Sun
Bryan Kohberger can SUE over leaked jail footage after investigation launched into ‘shocking clip from inside his cell'
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The U.S. Sun is chosing not to publish the full clip until its authenticity and origin is confirmed. In the footage, a man is seeing walking from one side of the jail cell to another and is then seen placing an item on top of a makeshift rack. Kohberger is supposedly seen in the video staring up at the shelf and looking around as he shows no emotion. Criminal defense attorney John W. Day told The U.S. Sun that Kohberger himself would have grounds to sue if the video is real. He also alleged that if the clip was filmed by a prison staffer and leaked online, they could also be fired and hit with a civil suit by their employer, he alleged. All Bryan Kohberger documents are finally released in Washington with eerie details of Idaho murder investigation Day said, 'Kohberger himself could sue for invasion of privacy claims, but it's hard to imagine any jury in the world would be sympathetic to a man who admitted to four killings. 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Day Day added, "Jail guards and officials are sued and/or prosecuted all the time for misconduct against inmates, but I haven't found a case where there was a criminal prosecution over leaked video, not to say there are not cases out there. "The main point is - jail administrators would be embarrassed and angry if a rogue employee filmed something like Kohberger in his cell and disseminated it to the public — it would highlight that the jail has no control over its employees." The U.S. Sun has reached out to the IDOC for further comment and Kohberger's lawyer, but did not hear back. The IDOC's statement also added that staff had been warned about sharing infomation about the killer behind bars. "On July 23 and again on July 25, IDOC leadership sent two emails to staff reminding them of our policies and expectations concerning professionalism and the appropriate use of technology and social media," it said. "Videotaping and publicly sharing security footage is prohibited conduct, and we will be reviewing all legal options, including criminal prosecution." They added, "The safety and security of our staff and incarcerated population remain our top priority." The full details of Bryan Kohberger's sentence On July 23, 2025, Judge Steven Hippler sentenced Bryan Kohberger to the following: Count 1: Burglary - 10 years fixed, zero years in determinate. $50,000 fine. Count 2: First-degree murder of Madison Mogen: Fixed term of life in prison without the possibility of parole. $50,000 fine and civil penalty of $5,000 payable to the family of the victim. Count 3: First-degree murder of Kaylee Goncalves: Fixed term of life in prison without the possibility of parole. $50,000 fine and civil penalty of $5,000 payable to the family of the victim. Count 4: First-degree murder of Xana Kernodle: Fixed term of life in prison without the possibility of parole. $50,000 fine and civil penalty of $5,000 payable to the family of the victim. Count 5: First-degree murder of Ethan Chapin: Fixed term of life in prison without the possibility of parole. $50,000 fine and civil penalty of $5,000 payable to the family of the victim. The sentencings will run consecutively to one another. JAIL SPECULATION It is not clear where the video could have been filmed, as Kohberger has been in more than one jail. But the IDOC's statement appears to confirm it looks like the inside of the prison. Kohberger is currently being held at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, but previously spent time at the Ada County Jail and the Latah County Jail. Due to the size of his cell, many social media users have speculated it could have been taken at Ada County. The Ada County Sheriff's Office refuted the speculation in a statement on their Facebook page, however. 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Daily Mail
14 minutes ago
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Photos show fully-clothed stunt double Devyn LaBella smiling on set as Kevin Costner files to dismiss her lawsuit
has hit back at stuntwoman Devyn LaBella's lawsuit in new court filings containing images that appear to show she was smiling and 'comfortable' on set while rehearsing a 'rape' scene for his Horizon western film series. In a sworn declaration obtained by Daily Mail, the 69-year-old actor-director included behind-the-scenes photos that show the scene involving LaBella was 'carefully blocked' and contained 'no nudity, simulated sex, or simulated rape.' LaBella, who was stunt-doubling for actress Ella Hunt, filed a lawsuit in May claiming she was the victim of a 'violent, unscripted, unscheduled rape scene' directed by Costner, while filming Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 in May 2023. According to her complaint, LaBella was 'told to lie down' while an actor was brought into simulate rape on top of her 'without warning or rehearsal.' She also claimed her undergarments were exposed. But the series of images appear to dispute that account, show LaBella 'in full costume', with bike shorts under an ankle-length dress, lying fully clothed next to actor Roger Ivens in a covered wagon. In his declaration, Costner claims the stuntwoman agreed to block the moment, was never pressured, and 'did not look uncomfortable or in distress. He adds that he had 'no reason to believe that she was upset in any way.' 'In fact, I never heard that Devyn claimed to be upset about anything that happened that day until months after principal photography of the Picture was over when I learned that she had retained an attorney,' the document states. In an amended complaint filed on June 18, LaBella included screenshots of text messages with the film's intimacy coordinator along with detailed descriptions of the painful emotions she allegedly experienced after the scene was completed. 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And for that, I was met with silence, deflection, and efforts to discredit me. 'This case is not just about what happened to me. It's about a broken system that protects those in power and punishes those who speak out. It's about demanding change, not just for me but for everyone who deserves to work in safety and dignity. 'What happened on that set was wrong. Let it be known: I stood up. I told the truth. And I will never apologize for demanding the bare minimum - to be treated like a human being at work.' Her attorneys, James A. Vagnini and Kate McFarlane, both shared statements echoing LaBella's claims. Vagnini claims that, contrary to remarks made by Singer, Labella immediately objected to the traumatic incident she experienced on set and that there's strong evidence - such as texts and a report from the intimacy coordinator - that supports her account. '[T]he Defendants failed her in every possible way,' said Vagnini. 'The playbook used by Defendants like this is tired, archaic, and as hollow as their words. 'How many more men who have followed this same pattern of denial and redirection have to be sued or go to jail before they realize that leading with accountability and an apology goes a long way?'
The Independent
43 minutes ago
- The Independent
Former US Attorney Catherine Hanaway appointed as Missouri's next attorney general
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