The final phase of jury selection in the high-profile racketeering and sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been postponed to early next week, just before opening arguments are set to begin. The decision came Friday from U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
Federal prosecutors claim Combs leveraged his celebrity status and influence within the hip-hop industry to exploit and abuse women over a span of two decades, from 2004 to 2024. Arrested in September, the Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody without bail at a Brooklyn detention center.
At the defense team’s request, Judge Subramanian agreed to delay the final round of juror selection until Monday. That session will involve narrowing the current pool of 45 down to 12 jurors and six alternates. During this phase, attorneys are allowed to dismiss potential jurors without providing any explanation.
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Defense lawyers argued that striking jurors should only take about 10 to 15 minutes and suggested it made more sense to handle the task Monday when everyone will already be present in court. While the jury pool had Friday off, Combs himself appeared in the Manhattan courtroom, AP reported.
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Prosecutors, however, pushed back on the delay. They warned that finalizing the panel too late might backfire, as jurors could reconsider their participation in what is likely to be an intense and lengthy trial. Some might even back out after being officially selected, they said, rattled by the public scrutiny or the graphic nature of the evidence.
Earlier in the week, potential jurors had been questioned on their ability to remain impartial and whether they could objectively weigh evidence—including explicit videos expected to be shown in court despite their disturbing content.
Under the current plan, prosecutors on Monday will be allowed to strike six people from the jury pool, while Combs’ defense team can remove 10, with the entire process expected to last roughly an hour.
Should the 55-year-old rapper be found guilty on all counts—which include racketeering, bribery, kidnapping, arson, and sex trafficking, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison.
The federal indictment outlines disturbing allegations, including so-called “Freak Offs”—drug-fueled sex parties where women were allegedly coerced into performing sex acts with male sex workers while Combs recorded the events.
Prosecutors also describe violent behavior, painting Combs as physically abusive. The indictment accuses him of attacking women by choking, kicking, and dragging them by their hair. In one alleged incident, he reportedly held someone over a balcony.
The defense does not deny Combs’ history of drug use, saying he has since sought treatment, but maintains the sexual activity at the center of the case involved consenting adults. “They’re trying to criminalize private behavior,” his lawyers argue.
Key evidence includes video footage from a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 showing Combs assaulting a longtime girlfriend. The footage became public last year when CNN broadcast it.
“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” Combs said in response.
The impact of the footage on jury selection has been clear. Several prospective jurors admitted to seeing the video, and some were dismissed after the judge determined they couldn’t remain unbiased.
READ ALSO: Why Diddy’s trial can’t be watched on TV unlike other high-profile celebrity trials
