Sean ‘Diddy' Combs admits he's ‘nervous' as federal sex trafficking trial begins jury selection
NEW YORK — An anxious Sean 'Diddy' Combs sat for the first day of jury selection in his federal sex trafficking case Monday, asking the judge for a two-minute bathroom break after hearing from a half-dozen prospective jurors.
'I'm sorry, your honor. I'm a little nervous today,' said the hip hop mogul, dressed in a dark blue sweater and white button-down shirt.
Combs, 55, is accused of using his stardom and his perch as the powerful co-founder of Bad Boy Records to run an empire of sexual horrors, forcing women into sex trafficking and abuse at drug-fueled parties.
Jury selection is expected to continue through the week, with the roughly eight-week trial starting on May 12, Manhattan Federal Court Judge Arun Subramanian said.
Several of the jurors questioned in Monday's morning session said they'd seen the video, which was released in in 2023 showing Combs brutally beating R&B singer Cassie Ventura in a hallway at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City in 2016. Ventura is one of the alleged victims in the case.
One juror was excused for cause after she answered in a questionnaire that a still photo from the video 'could be damning evidence.'
Three potential jurors talked about their own experiences with sexual abuse.
Another potential juror, a photography producer for HBO, told the judge, 'I've seen the video. I've read a few headlines and articles … The video was disturbing. It was upsetting to watch, but I don't know the full story.'
Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, tried to have her removed because HBO had recently aired a documentary titled 'The Fall of Diddy,' but the judge reserved his decision on her for the time being.
One potential juror was booted for a different connection to the case — she's a top marketing officer at publisher Simon & Schuster, and she reviewed a press release that went out about Al B. Sure's memoir, 'Do You Believe Me Now?' Sure's late ex-wife, Kim Porter, dated Combs, and Sure has called for an investigation into her 2018 death.
Combs, 55, has been locked up in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September, despite efforts by his lawyers to have him released on a $50 million bond.
His trial in Manhattan Federal Court will shine a spotlight on the goings on at his 'freak-off' parties, where prosecutors allege he forced women to take part in sexual performances with male sex workers.
The charges against him include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and related counts, all of which he denies. His lawyers contend that all of his sexual encounters were consensual, and videos prove that one victim 'not only consented, but thoroughly enjoyed herself.'
Ventura, who was in a longterm relationship with Combs, filed a lawsuit against him in November 2023, alleging years of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse. Combs settled the suit with Ventura the next day, though the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The trial is expected to focus on allegations by Ventura and three other women, who will be allowed to testify under pseudonyms.
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