What we know about the case against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
The trial against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is kicking off. How strong is the case against him? Here’s what we know now.
The day of reckoning has arrived for Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose trial on a range of sexual assault charges could result in the one-time billionaire spending the rest of his once-gilded life behind thick steel bars.
As he entered the Manhattan courtroom on May 5, Combs hugged his lawyers as they, and the prosecution, began the laborious task of selecting the 12 people who could free or doom the rap mogul.
Combs, whose empire once extended to fashion, traded the jail garb he has donned since September for a navy blue sweater over a white collared shirt. Dark glasses shielded his eyes, while salt-and-pepper tufts flecked his goatee.
Jurors were questioned one at a time by the judge, the prosecution and defense, their stated mission to try and seat a jury of 12 in just three days. May 5’s slow pace could put that timeline in jeopardy, as finding jurors who remain unbiased in such a high-profile case could prove challenging.
Judge Arun Subramanian even joked that the process could feel as long as the famously lengthy “Lord of the Rings” movie series.
The rapper’s connections with celebrities from Jay-Z to Jennifer Lopez bring increased interest to the case. A huge array of big stars flocked to Combs’ fabled White Parties, which ran from 1998 to 2009, and there is some debate as to whether abuse took place at this high profile events in addition to more intimate gatherings known as freak-offs and While King Night parties, where accusers allege they were drugged and sexually assaulted.
One juror, identified only as No. 2, said that despite having a sister who was physically assaulted by her first husband decades ago, he could remain impartial in the case. He also said, despite being familiar with the actors Michael B. Jordan and Mike Myers, two celebrity names that apparently could be mentioned in the trial, he could remain objective.
In contrast, some prospective jurors were dismissed after saying they had seen “damning” images of the defendant, or had relatives who had suffered abuse.
Combs, 55, is facing federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts and recently turned down a plea deal that could have found him serving less than the life sentence that is possible if he is convicted on the major charges.
The case against Combs, who rose from concert promoter to rap impresario to fashion and spirits magnate, is one of the highest-profile trials for sexual misconduct since R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein, both of whom were found guilty of a range of sexual abuse charges.
Like those two men, Combs’ power and influence created an impenetrable cocoon of privilege that, prosecutors will argue, insulated him from repercussions while devastating the lives of men and women who stayed largely silent for fear of his reach.
Combs’ team, anchored by high-profile lawyer Brian Steel, will aim to convince jurors that whatever happened in the rapper’s private orbits was between consenting individuals and did not constitute the machinations of a criminal enterprise.
Contributing: Marina Pitofsky, Patrick Ryan
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