Rapper P. Diddy's sex trafficking trial gets to the heart of the matter
The defense will have its opening argument after the prosecution, and then the parade of witnesses will begin. R&B singer Cassie, who was once in a relationship with Diddy, will be one of the most anticipated witnesses.
The first rounds of argument between the prosecution and defense are expected to begin Monday at the New York trial of rapper and producer P. Diddy , a key figure in hip-hop, accused of using his empire to support violent sex trafficking. Jury selection, which began a week ago at this trial, one of the most anticipated of the year in the United States, is expected to conclude Monday in Manhattan federal court.
Judge Arun Subramanian will then give his initial instructions to the 12 jurors. They will remain anonymous and must ensure they stay away from social media commentary and media coverage of this highly scrutinized case. After approximately two months of trial, they will have to decide whether the 55-year-old rapper and producer is guilty of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, transporting people for the purpose of prostitution, as well as acts of kidnapping, bribery, and violence grouped under the criminal enterprise charge.
The proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday with a preliminary indictment from the prosecution. Prosecutors want to convince jurors that P. Diddy, a multi-Grammy-winning artist who has also produced numerous rappers, has used his fame, power, and financial resources since at least 2004 to support a trafficking ring that forced women to have lengthy sexual encounters with sex workers. According to the prosecution, P. Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, forced his employees to distribute drugs to the victims during these sexual marathons called "freak-offs," which were sometimes videotaped. They were also allegedly tasked with keeping them silent afterward.
The Bad Boy Records founder, who mentored stars such as hip-hop soul queen Mary J. Blige and rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who was murdered in 1997, maintains his innocence and insists he only engaged in consensual sex. He declined a plea deal offered by the prosecution, the details of which have not been disclosed.
The defense will present its opening argument after the prosecution, and then the parade of witnesses will begin. R&B singer Cassie, who was once in a relationship with Diddy, will be one of the most anticipated witnesses. A video broadcast last year by CNN and captured by surveillance cameras showed Sean Combs violently attacking her in 2016 at a Los Angeles hotel.
The singer filed a civil complaint against the producer in the fall of 2023, which was immediately settled out of court. However, dozens of civil complaints from women and men were subsequently filed.
Diddy was arrested in Manhattan in the fall of 2024. Since then, the man, whose hair turned white during his court appearances, has been sleeping behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, an institution known for its complaints of unsanitary conditions and violence.
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