Jury selection is set to begin Monday in the trial of hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is accused of using his stardom and his perch as the powerful co-founder of Bad Boy Records to run an empire of sexual horrors, forcing women into sex trafficking and abuse at drug-fueled parties.
Combs, 55, has been locked up in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest in September, despite efforts by his lawyers to have him released on a $50 million bond.
His trial in Manhattan Federal Court will shine a spotlight on the goings on at his “freak-off” parties, where prosecutors allege he forced women to take part in sexual performances with male sex workers.
The charges against him include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and related counts, all of which he denies. His lawyers contend that all of his sexual encounters were consensual, and videos prove that one victim “not only consented, but thoroughly enjoyed herself.”
Combs’ legal problems started mounting after a video surfaced in 2023 showing him brutally beating R&B singer Cassie Ventura in a hallway at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City in 2016.
Ventura, who was in a longterm relationship with Combs, filed a lawsuit against him in November 2023, alleging years of rape, sex trafficking and physical abuse. Combs settled the suit with Ventura the next day, though the terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The trial is expected to focus on allegations by Ventura and three other women, who will be allowed to testify under pseudonyms.
This story will be updated.
