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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat we know about the case against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs<\/p>\n
The trial against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is kicking off. How strong is the case against him? Here’s what we know now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Editor’s note: This page reflects news of Sean Combs’ criminal trial on May 5. For the latest updates on the case as jury selection continues<\/strong>, please follow USA TODAY’s live coverage<\/strong> here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The criminal trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs<\/a> kicked off with jury selection in Manhattan, as the one-time cultural mogul faces shocking federal sex crime charges in a case expected to stretch on for months.<\/p>\n Several dozen potential jurors were brought into a courtroom one by one and questioned by Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and defense to determine whether they’re qualified to serve on Combs’ jury.<\/p>\n As jury selection got underway, prospective jurors said they had heard news about allegations against the hip-hop star<\/a>, seen a video of him allegedly assaulting a woman<\/a> and even heard a comedian joke about the baby oil authorities say they found in his residences.<\/p>\n Jurors were given a list of people and places related to the defendant<\/a> in some way, including Hollywood and music industry celebrities such as Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, Michelle Williams, Mike Myers and others.<\/p>\n Sean Combs’ names through the years: Puffy, P. Diddy, Love and more<\/p>\n Music mogul Sean Combs, who’s on trial for heading an alleged criminal enterprise, has gone by various names since he rose to fame in the 1990s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Combs, 55, who at one time was among the most powerful figures<\/a> in the music industry, has experienced a sharp fall from grace after facing a bevy of lawsuits and criminal charges accusing him of rape and sexual assault.<\/p>\n During his final court hearing on May 2, Combs confirmed he turned down a potential plea deal<\/a>. Subramanian previously rejected<\/a> a request from the rapper’s legal team to delay the start of the trial.<\/p>\n He could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n Diddy on Trial newsletter<\/strong>: Step inside the courtroom with USA TODAY as Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces sex crimes and trafficking charges. Subscribe to the newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n The first day of jury selection in Combs’ trial wrapped for the day.<\/p>\n Subramanian deemed 19 qualified to serve, including two who said they were fans of 1990s hip-hop, and the rest were dismissed. More will be questioned on May 6, and jury selection is expected to finish by the end of the week.<\/p>\n The group of jurors who weren’t struck ranged in age from 30 to 75; most were college-educated, with careers spanning scientists, behavioral health associates, professional movers and grocery-store deli clerks.<\/p>\n During the group question portion, prospective jurors filled in details on their ages, occupations and interests. One woman, a 30-year-old manager at a sports facility, shared her love for watching \u201cNew Girl\u201d and \u201cGilmore Girls,\u201d while another woman \u2013 a 42-year-old dietary aide at a nursing home \u2013 expressed how she\u2019d rather read \u201cHarry Potter\u201d than the news.<\/p>\n Many prospective jurors shared their go-to news outlets \u2013 New York Times, NPR and celebrity.land were most commonly cited.<\/p>\n The most head-turning dismissal came late in the afternoon. A potential juror noted a possible conflict of interest with his wife, who served as an attorney in the trial of the 1991 City College stampede, when nine people were killed during a fatal crush at a celebrity basketball game in New York that Combs helped organize.<\/p>\n Combs was never criminally charged, although he did face lawsuits for his role in promoting the would-be deadly event.<\/p>\n The potential juror said his wife had a negative opinion of Combs from the court case: \u201cShe found his behavior disturbing,\u201d the man said. \u201cIn general, she doesn\u2019t like him.\u201d Despite claiming he could still be impartial, Subramanian agreed with Combs\u2019 team, who moved to have him excused from the trial.\u00a0<\/p>\n There were a handful of potential jurors dismissed throughout the afternoon, with reasons ranging from one woman\u2019s \u201cvery serious inability to understand English,\u201d to another man\u2019s ill will toward law enforcement officers after \u201cseveral\u201d occasions of being searched through the years for \u201cno good reasons.\u201d<\/p>\n One woman unsuccessfully requested to recuse herself from jury duty, given a number of major life events coming up for her this next month, including her son\u2019s prom and daughter\u2019s birthday party. (\u201cA lot of big things happening!\u201d Subramanian said good-naturedly.)<\/p>\n Another man also lobbied to withdraw, stating simply that he does \u201cnot like violence on video,\u201d whether it\u2019s something as innocuous as skateboarding or as serious as Combs allegedly beating Cassie Ventura in the much-discussed 2016 surveillance video<\/a>.<\/p>\n In addition to questions about a history of sexual assault, jurors were given a list of people and places related to\u00a0Combs<\/a>\u00a0in some ways. The names included Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, Cassie Ventura, Michelle Williams, Mike Myers, Dallas Austin, Lauren London and Dawn Richard.<\/p>\n The list, a who’s who of Hollywood and music elite, paints a picture of\u00a0Combs’<\/a>\u00a0far-reaching influence in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n For example, Kid Cudi, an Ohio-born rapper who was briefly romantically involved with Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, is likely on the list as\u00a0a 2023 civil lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0from Ventura against Combs accused the hip-hop mogul of threatening to blow up Cudi’s car. (Ventura and Kid Cudi briefly dated \u201cduring a rough patch\u201d in her relationship with Combs, she said.)<\/p>\n Ventura,<\/a>\u00a0who is also on the list, alleged in a bombshell\u00a0lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0in 2023 that Combs had trafficked, sexually assaulted and physically abused her during their decade-long relationship. The two \u201camicably\u201d\u00a0settled the lawsuit<\/a>\u00a0a day after Cassie\u2019s filing, and Combs\u2019 team alluded to a \u201csubstantial eight-figure settlement” in court documents for his criminal case.<\/p>\n Assuming all parties can agree on 45 jurors by the end of the May 7 session, the prosecution and defense will spend May 8-9 preparing for opening statements, which begin May 12.<\/p>\n One prospective juror said they had “liked” a video on social media in which a comedian joked about Combs and baby oil.<\/p>\n “I remember liking it because I thought it was funny,” said the juror, who Subramanian decided was qualified after they said they would be able to put the video aside and be impartial.<\/p>\n According to Combs’ original indictment, the baby oil bottles were used during the hip-hop mogul’s alleged “freak off” parties, which were described as “elaborate and produced sex performances” that involved sex workers.<\/p>\n As jurors continued to be dismissed, Combs asked Subramanian for a short bathroom break, according to<\/a> multiple reports<\/a>. He told the judge “I\u2019m sorry your honor, I\u2019m a little nervous today.”<\/p>\n Several potential jurors had been excused by Subramanian as the afternoon ticked on.<\/p>\n Due to the nature of the charges against Combs, a major issue coming up with the potential jury pool is whether those called or their loved ones are sexual assault survivors.<\/p>\n One person expressed some anxiety about being on the jury and revealed she had been assaulted as a teen. Combs\u2019 lawyer attempted to exclude her from the pool but was unsuccessful after the judge called her \u201ccareful\u201d in her answers rather than cagey, as the defense characterized her.\u00a0<\/p>\n Swaths of potential jurors have also admitted to seeing media coverage about the allegations against Combs, as well as a video of him dragging and kicking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura<\/a>, in a hotel hallway. While many have said that wouldn’t sway their ability to be impartial, one individual was excused after saying they had previously seen what could be a “damning” image of Combs.<\/p>\n As lawyers on both sides attempted to find a suitable batch of jurors for what promises to be one of the most closely watched celebrity trials in years, potential candidates were asked a wide array of questions and presented with a list of people and places related to Diddy including Kid Cudi, Mike Myers and Michelle Williams of Destiny\u2019s Child fame.<\/p>\n One juror, who said hearing from victims of alleged assault would make them \u201cuncomfortable,\u201d was quickly dismissed, while another was also let go after saying she had seen a screenshot of Combs allegedly beating ex-girlfriend Cassie which she thought could be \u201cdamning evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Combs’ lawyers have tried to remove potential jurors for other reasons. They moved to dismiss a 55-year-old woman who works at HBO because the media company recently released a documentary titled “The Fall of Diddy.” The potential juror did not work on the film, and the judge overruled the attempt.<\/p>\n Another prospective juror, who is a chief marketing officer at Simon & Schuster, was excluded for cause after saying that the company is publishing a memoir from Al B. Sure! this fall that contains accusations or references about Combs. The prospective juror said she would \u201cbe unlikely to read that book,\u201d but the judge still said this was \u201ctoo close to home.\u201d<\/p>\n Combs arrived in court<\/a> from the federal lockup in Brooklyn where he is being held shortly after 9 a.m. EDT, wearing dark glasses and a dark sweater over a white shirt. Sporting a salt-and-pepper goatee,\u00a0Combs\u00a0smiled and hugged his attorneys upon entering Subramanian’s courtroom.<\/a><\/p>\n About an hour-and-a-half later, Subramanian began questioning prospective jurors one-by-one, a process known as voir dire. The judge’s goal in voir dire is to choose 45 potential jurors who are qualified to serve, and lawyers for both sides will then have the opportunity to dismiss jurors without stating a reason.<\/p>\n The jury will be anonymous, which is frequently the case in high-profile trials<\/a> in which jurors could face threats or harassment if their identities are known.<\/p>\n The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings. USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom.<\/p>\n If your significant other cheated on you, could you get past it?<\/p>\n At first blush, the answer might not seem relevant to Sean “Diddy” Combs<\/a>‘ upcoming sex-trafficking trial<\/a>. But it’s the surprising type of clue lawyers may look for in picking jurors starting Monday.<\/p>\n Robert Hirschhorn<\/a>, a lawyer and jury consultant, told USA TODAY a potential juror who could compartmentalize cheating in a relationship might also be the type of person who could compartmentalize disturbing evidence at trial. Prosecutors are poised to show, for example, a video of Combs dragging and kicking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura<\/a>, in a hotel hallway.<\/p>\n “Everybody that says, ‘compartmentalize,’ I don’t care what else they say \u2013 Unless they say, ‘I already think Diddy’s guilty,’ I’m putting them on the jury every day,” Hirschhorn said.<\/p>\n Jury consultants and trial experts told USA TODAY the legal teams may also look for clues to how potential jurors would approach the trial in their musical preferences, their openness to alternative sexual lifestyles, and their history with sexual violence.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/05\/05\/USAT\/83463750007-diddy-name-changes.jpg?crop=1919,1079,x0,y0\"\/)
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat’s the schedule for Diddy’s trial?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
For potential Diddy jurors, a wide array of questions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Favorite music? Your friends’ sex lives? Diddy jury selection may surprise you<\/strong><\/h2>\n