Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs' sex trafficking trial begins with jury selection

Court artist drawing of Sean 'Diddy' Combs looking at jurors as they file into the jury box Credit: Elizabeth Williams via AP

The sex trafficking trial of hip-hop impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs has begun with jury selection in New York.

A judge described the charges against Combs to prospective jurors on Monday, telling them that he has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent.

Prosecutors say Combs coerced women into participating in sex acts with prostitutes during drug-fueled parties.

They say he used violence and threats to keep his victims compliant and silent.

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Lawyers for Combs say the sex was consensual.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges including racketeering conspiracy and bringing sex workers across state lines.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs participating in a panel in 2018 Credit: AP

Combs has acknowleded one episode of violence that is likely to be featured in the trial.

In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Cassie filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape.

Unlike other recent high-profile celebrity trials, Combs’ court case won’t be broadcast live because federal courtrooms don’t allow electronic recordings inside — meaning courtroom sketch artists serve as the public’s eyes in the courtroom.

The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks. If convicted, Combs faces the possibility of decades in prison.

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