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When is Diddy's trial starting? What to know about his legal troubles Diddy: When is the trial and what are the charges?
(2 months later)
If convicted, Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces up to life in prison
Sean "Diddy" Combs, one of the most successful rappers and music moguls in the US, will soon be on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering charges.Sean "Diddy" Combs, one of the most successful rappers and music moguls in the US, will soon be on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
At a hearing attended by Mr Combs, a judge ruled his trial will begin on 5 May next year. He also faces dozens of lawsuits from individuals who say they were harmed and exploited by the rapper through drugs, alcohol and physical abuse.
Mr Combs, wearing a creased beige prison uniform, sat next to his attorneys as the judge discussed imposing a gag order that would prevent attorneys or prosecutors from discussing the case publicly or with the media. Mr Combs has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and rejected the accusations in the individual lawsuits, calling them attempts "for a quick payday".
Members of Mr Combs' family lined seats in the courtroom. The rapper mouthed "I love you" to the group, which included his three daughters, three sons and his mother. He also repeatedly put his hand to his heart and made a prayer sign. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison on the racketeering charge and a minimum of 15 years for sex trafficking.
In addition to the criminal case, Mr Combs is being sued by more than two dozen people who have accused him of sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation. Who is Sean 'Diddy' Combs?
Mr Combs has pleaded not guilty in the criminal trial and lawyers for the rapper have repeatedly maintained his innocence, calling allegations against him “false and defamatory”. Mr Combs - who has also gone by the names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love - emerged into the hip-hop scene in the 1990s.
Here is a breakdown of his legal troubles. His early music career success included helping launch the careers of Mary J Blige and Christopher Wallace - aka Biggie Smalls, or the Notorious B.I.G.
BBC Sounds: Get the latest updates on the Diddy allegations in the weekly podcast, Diddy On Trial His music label Bad Boy Records soon became one of the most important labels in rap and expanded to include Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez.
When will Diddy's trial happen? Mr Combs also had a prolific business career outside of music, most notably, signing a deal with British drinks company Diageo in 2007 to promote the French vodka brand, Cîroc, in the US.
On Thursday 10 October, US District Judge Arun Subramanian set the trial for next May, and it will take place in Manhattan. In 2023, he released his fifth record The Love Album: Off The Grid and earned his first solo nomination at the Grammy awards. He also was named a Global Icon at the MTV Awards that year.
10 October was the rapper's third time appearing in court since his arrest. What are the charges and allegations against Diddy?
Prosecutor Emily Johnson told the judge that the government will need three weeks to present its case. In the federal criminal case, Mr Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the rapper's team will need a week for theirs. He is accused of kidnapping, drugging and coercing women into sexual activities, sometimes by using firearms or threatening them with violence.
As the hearing ended, some of Mr Combs' supporters lingered at the door, on their tiptoes hoping to catch a sight of the rapper as he was escorted away. In a raid on his Los Angeles mansion, police found supplies that they said were intended for use in orgies known as “freak offs”, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil.
What has Diddy been accused of?
The rapper faces criminal charges in federal court. He also faces dozens of lawsuits from individuals who have accused him of harming and exploiting them.
In the federal criminal case, Mr Combs has been accused of kidnapping, drugging and coercing women into sexual activities, sometimes by using a firearm or threatening them with violence.
In a raid on his Los Angeles mansion, police found supplies that they say were intended for use in orgies known as “freak offs”, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil.
Separately, Mr Combs faces a number of lawsuits accusing him of rape and assault.Separately, Mr Combs faces a number of lawsuits accusing him of rape and assault.
Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer handling some of these cases, has said that more than 100 women and men from across the US have either filed lawsuits or will soon against the rap mogul. Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer handling some of these cases, said that more than 100 women and men from across the US have either filed lawsuits against the rap mogul or will do so.
Some have alleged that the assaults happened when they were minors, including as young as nine years old, Mr Buzbee has said. In December 2023, a woman known in court papers as Jane Doe alleged that she was "gang raped" by Mr Combs and others in 2003, when she was 17. She said she was given "copious amounts of drugs and alcohol" before the attack.
On 14 October, Mr Buzbee filed six lawsuits on behalf of four men and two women who accused the rapper of rape, sexual assault and sexual exploitation. Mr Combs' legal team dismissed the flurry of lawsuits as "clear attempts to garner publicity."
Read more on the allegations against Diddy:
'He thought of himself as a king': The parties that led to Diddy's downfall'He thought of himself as a king': The parties that led to Diddy's downfall
Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces more than 100 new assault allegations
The charges against Sean 'Diddy' Combs explained
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Who is the US rapper accused of sex trafficking?Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Who is the US rapper accused of sex trafficking?
'Chaos reigns' - the notorious jail holding Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura were in an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade
When is Diddy's trial starting? What to know about his legal trouble His current legal issues began when he was sued by his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, in late 2023. She accused him of violently abusing and raping her.
One of the accusers is a man who was 16 at the time of an alleged sexual assault in 1998. He said in his lawsuit that Mr Combs allegedly forced him to undress while at one of the rapper's notorious annual New York parties, which were frequented by A-list celebrities.
The next day, another lawsuit was filed by a woman in California who claims that Mr Combs raped her as "payback" for a comment she made suggesting that he was responsible for the 1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur.
Mr Combs' legal team has dismissed the flurry of lawsuits as "clear attempts to garner publicity."
"Mr Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts, their legal defences, and the integrity of the judicial process," his attorneys said in a statement, adding "Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted anyone - adult or minor, man or woman.”
Mr Combs current legal troubles began when he was sued by his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, in late 2023. She accused him of violently abusing and raping her.
That lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount a day after it was filed, with Mr Combs maintaining his innocence.That lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount a day after it was filed, with Mr Combs maintaining his innocence.
In the following weeks, multiple women filed lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of sexual assaults, with accusations dating back to 1991. One of them alleged that she was “sex trafficked” and “gang raped” by the rapper and two others when she was 17. Since then, multiple women have filed lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of sexual assault, with accusations dating back to 1991. He denies all claims.
Mr Combs responded to the flurry of lawsuits in a statement on his Instagram page in December, writing: "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.” His controversial history with Ms Ventura resurfaced in 2024, when CCTV footage leaked by CNN showed Mr Combs kicking his former girlfriend as she lay on a hotel hallway floor in 2016.
“I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth,” he said. He apologised for his behaviour shortly afterwards, saying: "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now."
Nine months later, he was arrested and arraigned. Diddy's violence left me broken, says Cassie
Where is Diddy now? 'Studio sex' and 'hitman threats': Insiders speak out about Diddy's 90s music empire
Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his 16 September arrest. What has Diddy said about the charges?
His lawyers have argued for his release pending trial, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions. Mr Combs has consistently denied the allegations made against him in the civil lawsuits, and has previously labelled them as "sickening" – suggesting they were "made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday".
A New York federal judge denied their request for bail, arguing that Mr Combs was a “serious flight risk”. In a statement issued at the start of February - in response to a claim from a lawyer that he would face more than 10 more civil lawsuits - Diddy's own lawyer restated that his client was innocent.
What’s next in Diddy’s criminal case? In a statement to the BBC in response to the federal criminal charges, his lawyer said: "Mr Combs and his legal team have full confidence in the facts and the integrity of the judicial process.
On Wednesday 9 October, his lawyers petitioned the court to throw out a video from 2016, which shows Mr Combs kicking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura as she lay on a hotel hallway floor. "In court, the truth will prevail: that Mr Combs never sexually assaulted or trafficked anyone - man or woman, adult or minor."
They argued that the government was responsible for leaking the video to CNN, and that it has "led to damaging, highly prejudicial pretrial publicity that can only taint the jury pool and deprive Mr Combs of his right to a fair trial". Is Diddy in jail?
Lawyers for the government deny leaking the video to the media, saying that the government did not have possession of it before it was broadcast in May. Several US judges have criticised the dangerous conditions which inmates face at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
When the video first emerged, Mr Combs posted an apology, saying: “I was disgusted when I did it.” Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his arrest on 16 September 2024.
His lawyers are still fighting to get the rapper out on bail. On Tuesday 8 October, they filed an appeal arguing that Mr Combs had agreed to “restrictive conditions” on a possible release from jail that would prevent him from fleeing. His lawyers have argued for his release in the run-up to the trial, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions.
“Mr Combs is presumed innocent. He traveled to New York to surrender because he knew he was going to be indicted,” his lawyers said in a court filing. Critics describe the prison as overcrowded and understaffed, and describe a culture of widespread violence.
“He took extraordinary steps to demonstrate that he intended to face and contest the charges, not flee.” A New York federal judge denied the request for bail, arguing that Mr Combs was a “serious flight risk”.
The lawyers have also argued that everyone involved in the so-called “freak offs” were consenting adults. Prosecutors have alleged that Mr Combs has been breaking prison rules by contacting potential witnesses ahead of the sex trafficking trial.
If guilty, could Diddy see prison time? They accuse him of "relentless efforts" to "corruptly influence witness testimony".
Yes. 'Chaos reigns' - the notorious jail holding Sean 'Diddy' Combs
Mr Combs faces up to life in prison if convicted on the racketeering charge. He faces another statutory minimum of 15 years for the sex trafficking charge. When is the Diddy trial and how long will it last?
Will Diddy's trial be public? US District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled his trial will begin on 5 May.
All federal cases in the US are open to the public, except in rare circumstances when trials include sensitive information pertaining to national security. Prosecutor Emily Johnson told the judge that the government will need three weeks to present its case.
So far, all of Mr Combs' court proceedings have been open to the media and the public. Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the rapper's team will need a week for theirs.
None of his appearances, however, have been livestreamed. Most federal courts do not allow cameras or electronics in the courtroom. Mr Combs' trial - scheduled to take place at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouse in New York City - is expected to be public.
Sketch artists will typically attend these hearings to draw moments from court for the media and the public. All of Mr Combs' court proceedings thus far have been open to the media and the public, but not livestreamed.
Could Diddy face more charges? Most federal courts do not allow cameras or electronics in the courtroom.
It is unclear whether Mr Combs will face further criminal charges. How long could Diddy spend in jail?
Prosecutors, however, have said that the investigation remains “active and ongoing” and have encouraged potential victims to reach out to the authorities. Mr Combs faces up to life in prison if convicted on the racketeering charge.
He faces another statutory minimum sentence of 15 years if he is found guilty of the sex trafficking charge.