Jury selection finalized for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s sex-trafficking trial in New York

A assemblage has been selected successful the high-profile racketeering and sex-trafficking proceedings of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, with opening statements acceptable to statesman shortly.

Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and has been charged with 1 number of racketeering conspiracy, 2 counts of enactment trafficking and 2 counts of proscription for prostitution –  each felony charges.

Attorneys connected some sides removed respective jurors connected Monday morning, with Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo noting that prosecutors eliminated 7 Black imaginable jurors. The prosecution says it did not show immoderate bias during assemblage enactment and selected a “very divers radical of jurors”. The assemblage is made up of 8 men and 4 women.

Federal prosecutors allege that Combs utilized his expansive multimedia empire arsenic a “criminal enterprise” with the assistance of associates and employees, to prosecute successful oregon effort to prosecute successful crimes including enactment trafficking, kidnapping, forced labor, arson, bribery, enticement to prosecute successful prostitution and obstruction of justice, implicit respective decades.

Combs has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges and firmly denies immoderate wrongdoing. Earlier this month, helium rejected a plea woody during his last pre-trial hearing.

Quincy Brown, stepson of Sean Combs, and King Combs, lad of Sean Combs, get astatine national tribunal successful New York City connected 12 May 2025. Photograph: Timothy A Clary/AFP/Getty Images

If convicted, Combs, who has been successful custody since his September arrest, faces the anticipation of spending the remainder of his beingness down bars.

The proceedings is expected to past astir 8 weeks, with grounds from astatine slightest three, perchance four, accusers, according to Reuters.

Combs, who was seen successful tribunal wearing khaki pants, a grey sweater and a achromatic collared shirt, blew a buss to supporters connected Monday astatine the commencement of the trial. His mother, Janice Combs, sons and 17-year-old daughters were seen entering the courthouse earlier successful the greeting to amusement their support.

Jury enactment began past week and was primitively slated to wrapper up by Friday.

However, Judge Arun Subramanian, who is presiding implicit the lawsuit successful New York, ruled connected Friday greeting to propulsion the last phase of assemblage enactment to Monday, owed to concerns that jurors mightiness driblet retired implicit the weekend.

Two imaginable jurors were removed past week for not having spot successful constabulary and due to the fact that 1 of their partner’s erstwhile worked connected an unrelated Combs tribunal lawsuit 3 decades ago, respectively, according to the BBC.

On Monday morning, a sheet of 12 jurors and six alternates was seated, and opening statements are expected to get underway soon.

The proceedings are taking spot astatine the national territory tribunal successful little Manhattan. Due to national tribunal regulations, the proceedings volition not beryllium televised.