The once-untouchable hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs faces a dramatic fall from grace as his blockbuster trial begins in New York. Jury selection is set to start on May 5, 2025, in a case that could see the 55-year-old music icon sentenced to life in prison. Combs, charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, is accused of leading a criminal enterprise that coerced victims into drug-fueled “freak-offs” using threats and violence. The trial, unfolding in Manhattan’s federal court, marks a potential reckoning for the music industry’s complex relationship with power and accountability. AFP reported on the case’s high stakes.
[](https://www.yahoo.com/news/diddy-sex-trafficking-trial-everything-you-need-to-know-as-jury-selection-begins-monday-204625629.html)A Rapid Descent from Stardom
Sean Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, rose from Harlem to global fame, founding Bad Boy Records and shaping hip-hop’s mainstream success with artists like Notorious B.I.G. His ventures in music, fashion, and liquor amassed a billion-dollar fortune, making him a red-carpet staple at events like the Met Gala. However, his arrest in September 2024 by federal agents in New York City shifted the spotlight to allegations of decades-long misconduct. Combs has been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility notorious for its harsh conditions, alongside high-profile inmates like R. Kelly and Ghislaine Maxwell. Reuters noted his rejection of a plea deal on May 1, 2025, paving the way for trial.
[](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/sean-diddy-combs-due-court-hearing-over-jury-sex-trafficking-trial-2025-05-01/)
The Charges: “Freak-Offs” and Racketeering
The federal indictment, unsealed in September 2024, alleges that from 2004 to 2024, Combs ran a racketeering conspiracy involving sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, and bribery. Central to the case are the so-called “freak-offs”—drug-fueled, sometimes filmed sexual performances involving sex workers that prosecutors claim were coercive. NBC News reported that Combs allegedly used his business empire to silence victims through blackmail and violence. A superseding indictment filed on April 3, 2025, added two more charges, bringing the total to five counts, including forced labor allegations against employees.
[](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jurors-will-chosen-sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-trial-rcna203333)[](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/04/16/diddy-sex-trafficking-trial-delay/83130263007/)A key piece of evidence is a 2016 surveillance video aired by CNN, showing Combs assaulting his former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel after one such “freak-off.” While the video’s admissibility is debated due to quality concerns, Judge Arun Subramanian has ruled that parts will be shown to jurors. Ventura, who filed a 2023 civil suit alleging over a decade of abuse, is expected to testify openly, alongside three other victims who will use pseudonyms. People confirmed her role as a prosecution witness.
[](https://people.com/cassie-is-prepared-to-testify-against-diddy-using-her-name-in-sex-trafficking-trial-11709896)The Defense: A “Swinger” Lifestyle?
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with his legal team, led by Marc Agnifilo, arguing that the alleged “freak-offs” were consensual acts within a “swinger” lifestyle. They claim the prosecution is mischaracterizing Combs’ relationships with former partners, including Ventura, as criminal. Fox News reported that the defense will emphasize consensual sexual conduct, a strategy permitted by a judge’s ruling. The team, bolstered by Brian Steel, who defended rapper Young Thug, faces a formidable prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Ryan Comey, known for her work on Ghislaine Maxwell’s case.
[](https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-dealt-huge-blow-ahead-trial-disgraced-rappers-team-prepares-swingers-defense)[](https://people.com/diddy-sex-trafficking-trial-everything-to-know-about-the-case-11725337)Posts on X have highlighted the defense’s approach, with some users framing the “swinger” argument as an attempt to normalize Combs’ behavior, though public sentiment remains divided.
Jury Selection and Trial Timeline
Jury selection begins May 5, 2025, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan, with 600 prospective jurors from eight New York counties filling out questionnaires to assess biases given the case’s media frenzy. ABC News reported that 300 jurors will be questioned daily until a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates is seated, expected within a week. Opening statements are scheduled for May 12, with the trial projected to last eight to ten weeks.
[](https://abcnews.go.com/US/sean-diddy-combs-due-back-court-enter-plea/story?id=119775285)[](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jurors-will-chosen-sean-diddy-combs-sex-trafficking-trial-rcna203333)The timing is poignant: May 5 coincides with the Met Gala, where Combs was once a fixture. His appearance in court, marked by gray hair and jail garb (though a judge approved non-prison clothing for trial), contrasts sharply with his former glamorous image.
[](https://6abc.com/post/judge-approves-sean-combs-request-wear-prison-clothing-trial-beginning-week/16289275/)A Broader Reckoning
Combs’ trial is seen as a potential turning point for the music industry, which has largely sidestepped the #MeToo movement’s scrutiny compared to Hollywood. The use of the RICO statute, successfully applied in R. Kelly’s 2021 conviction, allows prosecutors to present a broad pattern of alleged crimes, including predicate acts like kidnapping and arson. The New York Times noted Combs’ history of allegations, from a 1991 City College tragedy to nightclub shootings, which may resurface at trial.
[](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/arts/music/sean-combs-diddy-trial.html)Over 50 civil lawsuits, including one from former producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr., accuse Combs of sexual misconduct, though he denies all claims. Vulture documented 63 such cases, amplifying the case’s significance. If convicted, Combs faces life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 15 years for sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
[](https://www.vulture.com/article/diddy-lawsuit-allegations-explainer.html)[](https://news.sky.com/story/p-diddy-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-sean-combs-trial-13349908)As the trial unfolds, it will test the music industry’s willingness to confront systemic issues of power and abuse. For now, the world watches as a hip-hop titan fights for his freedom in a courtroom far from the glitz of his past.
Author: Planet-Today.com
Source: AFP