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 trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicked off May 5, cracking the seal on what is expected to be a closely watched and scandal-ridden celebrity trial.
Potential jurors shuffled into a Manhattan courtroom on a gray Monday in New York City as lawyers for both sides prepared to winnow down the class of people who will be entrusted with the fate of one of the biggest names in music.
Combs is on trial for an array of federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Finding a group of jurors unfamiliar with Combs, who once ruled the world of hip-hop, and his recent legal struggles presents a unique challenge − a fact evident in the questions posted to potential candidates.
In addition to questions about a history of sexual assault, jurors were given a list of people and places related to Combs in some ways.
The names included Michael B. Jordan, Kid Cudi, Cassie Ventura, Michelle Williams, Mike Myers, Dallas Austin, Lauren London and Dawn Richard.
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The likely reason Kid Cudi was on the list of celebrities shown to jurors
The list, a who’s who of Hollywood and music elite, paints a picture of Combs’ far-reaching influence in the entertainment industry.
Kid Cudi, an Ohio-born rapper who was briefly romantically involved with Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, is likely on the list as a 2023 civil lawsuit from Ventura against Combs accused the hip-hop mogul of threatening to blow up Cudi’s car. (Ventura and Kid Cudi briefly dated “during a rough patch” in her relationship with Combs, she said.) Cudi’s vehicle later allegedly exploded in his driveway around the time Ventua alleges Combs made the threat.
The alleged arson incident also appeared to be part of prosecutors’ case against Combs. In a Sept. 17 letter to the judge, the U.S. attorney for New York’s Southern District claimed that in early January 2012, Combs’ “co-conspirators set fire to” an unnamed individual’s vehicle “by slicing open the car’s convertible top and dropping a Molotov cocktail inside the interior.”
Rolling Stone reported a Los Angeles City Fire Department report confirmed Kid Cudi’s Porsche was set on fire by an “incendiary device” on Jan. 9, 2012, in Los Angeles.
In a 2023 statement to The New York Times, Kid Cudi confirmed Cassie’s claim that his car had exploded.
USA TODAY has reached out to Kid Cudi’s rep for comment.
Cassie, Dawn Richard have both sued Diddy
Ventura, who is also on the list, alleged in a bombshell lawsuit in 2023 that Combs had trafficked, sexually assaulted and physically abused her during their decade-long relationship. The two “amicably” settled the lawsuit a day after Cassie’s filing, and Combs’ team alluded to a “substantial eight-figure settlement” in court documents for his criminal case.
Last May, a 2016 hotel surveillance video exclusively shared by CNN showed Combs kicking, hitting and dragging the singer – actions that were first described in her legal complaint. Days later, Combs issued a video apology, saying he took “full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
Richard, a former member of the girl group Danity Kane, is likely on the list as she filed a lawsuit last year alleging she witnessed Combs’ abuse of Ventura and was also sexually assaulted and deprived food, sleep and pay by the “Bad Boy Records” founder.
What do the other celebrities on the list have to do with Combs?
Dallas Austin, a fellow music producer, came up in the business at a similar time to Combs, and may have made the list for his close childhood relationship with Kim Porter, a longtime romantic partner of Diddy’s.
Actress Lauren London, who also appears on the list, has been open about Combs’ support for her in the wake of her late partner, rapper Nipsey Hussle’s death.
It is not immediately clear why Williams, Jordan or Myers made the list, though there is a brief segment in “Austin Powers,” among Myers’ most famous movies, that pokes fun at the music mogul. USA TODAY has reached out to all of their reps for comment.
What federal charges does Diddy face?
Combs is charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering.
Federal authorities claim Combs turned his “multi-faceted business empire” into a “criminal enterprise” in which he and his associates engaged in kidnapping, arson and physical violence, sex trafficking and forced labor, among other alleged crimes.
Could Diddy go to jail?
Yes.
If convicted on the racketeering charge, Combs could face life in prison, while the statutory minimum sentence for sex trafficking is 15 years and for transportation to engage in prostitution is a maximum of 10 years.
The disgraced music mogul is already in custody, and, despite repeated attempts at bail, has remained confined to the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. He has been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
Contributing: Patrick Ryan, Taijuan Moorman, KiMi Robinson, Edward Segarra, Naledi Ushe, USA TODAY
