Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial to begin
NEW YORK
Jury selection is set to begin on May 5 in New York in the blockbuster trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who dramatically fell from grace following his incarceration on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Combs, 55, has been awaiting his day in court since last year on accusations of leading a crime ring that prosecutors say coerced victims into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, insisting that any sex acts were consensual. At a recent hearing, his attorney Marc Agnifilo offered a preview of his team's defense by describing the artist's free-wheeling "swinger" lifestyle.
The prosecution said in court it had offered Combs a plea deal — the specifics were not disclosed — but that he had rejected it.
If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in ushering hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Over the decades, the artist amassed vast wealth for his work in music but also his ventures in the liquor industry.
The jury selection start date is notably the first Monday in May. It is expected to wrap up in about a week, with opening statements tentatively scheduled for May 12.
Combs was arrested by federal agents in New York in September 2024 and denied bail multiple times.
He is being held at Brooklyn's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility plagued by complaints of vermin and decay as well as violence.
