The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs is expected to last at least eight weeks. Combs has been involved in various legal troubles over the years. In 1999, he was accused of breaking into the offices of an Interscope Records executive and hitting him with a champagne bottle and a chair. Later that same year, he was arrested after a shooting in a nightclub, to which he pleaded not guilty in a 2001 trial. In 2015, he was accused of assaulting someone with a gym weight at the University of California. Since last September, Combs has been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn.
The charges against Combs allege a pattern of abusive behavior over two decades, involving women and others. It is said that women were manipulated into participating in drug-fueled sexual acts with individuals referred to as "Freak Offs." Prosecutors argue that Combs used influence and violence to keep women subservient, offering boosts to their entertainment careers in exchange for favors, and resorting to violent acts when he did not get what he wanted. The trial for sex trafficking and violence allegations began in New York with the jury selection process.
Combs and his lawyers insist on his innocence, claiming that any activity was consensual and that there was no coercion. Despite an incident of violence acknowledged by Combs, which was withdrawn by prosecutors, opening statements and testimonies are expected to begin next week. In an additional situation, Combs was captured hitting his ex-girlfriend at a hotel in Los Angeles in 2016, resulting in a lawsuit filed against him in late 2023.
The trial represents the latest significant legal issue for Combs, and if convicted, he faces the possibility of spending decades in prison. Combs was casually dressed during the proceeding after the judge approved his request to not wear a prison uniform during the trial.
