Jury selection for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial began Monday morning in New York as a media circus surrounded the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
One hundred and fifty potential jurors were asked to fill out a questionnaire that gauged their knowledge of Combs, their views on law enforcement, whether they have experienced a sexual assault and more. They were also given a list of at least 190 people including celebrities and public figures and asked to indicate which names they recognized.
Among the names on that list are Michael B. Jordan, Kanye West, Mike Myers and Kid Cudi. It’s unclear how the names on the list relate to the Combs trial, if at all. Combs is known to have hosted big Hollywood parties and was well-connected among celebrities.
Prosecutors believe that Kid Cudi, for one, is the victim of a car bombing committed by Combs in 2011. During that time, the “Pursuit of Happiness” rapper was romantically involved with Combs’ longtime ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the star witness of the federal trial.
A source familiar with the case indicates to Variety that Jordan will not be a witness. The “Sinners” actor went on a date with Ventura in 2015 and Combs was said to be upset about it.
Other names listed include Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams, actor Lauren London, singer Dawn Richard, singer-producer Dallas Austin and many of Combs’ family members. A surprising number of potential jurors indicated that they were not familiar with any of the names.
Combs’ trial is expected to last at least eight weeks. Jury selection will take place until May 12, which is when opening arguments will likely occur.
Thirty-two prospective jurors were interviewed by Judge Arun Subramanian on Monday. They were given the option to discuss sensitive or personal questions in a private sidebar with just the judge, court reporter and two attorneys from each party.
Several of the potential jurors detailed being sexually assaulted or harassed in the past. They were asked if their experience would prevent them from making an impartial judgment, and most said no.
The majority said they have received sexual harassment training as mandated by their employers. And many said they had seen the hotel surveillance video obtained by celebrity.land that allegedly shows Combs physically assaulting Ventura. celebrity.land’s copy of the video will not be used as evidence in the trial, but it’s possible the original footage will be discussed or shown.
One potential juror is a photo producer at HBO who has worked on series including “The White Lotus” and “The Last of Us.” Her employment at the cabler caused concern among the defense, as a “negative” docuseries about Combs, “The Fall of Diddy,” streamed on Max earlier this year. The judge overruled the defense’s application to excuse the juror, and she is still currently in the pool of potential picks.
Another potential juror, a marketing executive at Simon & Schuster, was excused due to her proximity to an upcoming memoir by Al B. Sure!, who in his book lobs allegations of gang stalking and death threats against Combs.
One potential juror sparked laughs from the press area when she was lightly grilled on a shoplifting incident when she was 16 years old. (Each person was required to disclose whether they have been convicted of a crime.) The juror said she stole an item from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Hollywood. She was fined and prevented from returning to the amusement park for one year. Answering a separate question, this juror also owned up to liking an Instagram clip in which a stand-up comedian made a “funny” joke about the hundreds of bottles of baby oil seized from Combs’ property in a raid.
Combs is facing five counts, including one for racketeering, two for sex trafficking and two for transportation to engage in prostitution. If he is convicted on any or all counts, Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Since 2023, the music mogul has been hit with more than 70 civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct ranging from rape to sex trafficking. Those lawsuits are separate from the federal trial, which will likely feature testimony from high-profile figures such Ventura and other alleged victims whose names have yet to be revealed.
Federal prosecutors say they have interviewed more than 50 witnesses and recovered evidence from over 100 laptops, cellphones and other electronic devices that paint Combs as a serial abuser who led a vast criminal network held together by assistants, security guards and other employees who kept quiet for years. The charges in the indictment stem from alleged crimes that span from 2004 to 2024. Combs has denied all allegations and has insisted that all sexual activities were consensual.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source variety.com ’
