The federal court case against Sean “Diddy” Combs officially began on May 5 at the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. Presided over by Judge Arun Subramanian, it began with the careful selection of jurors. Potential jurors are questioned about their pre-existing knowledge of the case and Combs. Any preconceived notions about either him or the case can result in biased rulings, which has no place in court. Two weeks have passed since the beginning of the trial, and it is suspected to continue on for eight to ten weeks in total.
Combs, also known as “Diddy,” “P. Diddy,” “Puff” and “Puff Daddy,” is known for his very successful music career. He got his start in the 90s. Most of his money came from his career, investments and business ventures. His own record label, Bad Boy Records, has also branched into many subsidiaries covering many markets from fashion to real estate.
On May 12, opening arguments began. Prosecutors accused Combs of directing and participating in sex trafficking, the act of transporting to engage in prostitution and conspiracy. If convicted, he could spend life in prison. He was arrested and has been in federal custody in Brooklyn since September 2024 and has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Among many other high-profile lawyers on Combs’ team, attorney Brian Steel is well known for his work with rapper Jeffrey “Young Thug” Williams’ trial. That specific trial is the longest one in the history of Georgia, lasting over 22 months. Steel is known in the public eye for his strange and unorthodox methods of defense, such as claiming Williams’ stage name “Thug” was an acronym for “Truly Humble Under God” to try to sway jurors to believe he had no gang affiliation.
One of the biggest deals in a court case is selecting unbiased jurors. A large deciding factor about the selection of jurors is their opinions or knowledge of a popular video in which Combs is seen physically assaulting his then-girlfriend and star-witness of the case, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura. The video has come up in trial during Ventura’s prosecution and her evidence and claims are currently being cross examined.
Combs has been under the public eye for years, although accusations of his misconduct go back over 50 years to 1972. Assuming 1969 is Combs’ birth year, which is widely accepted, he would have been three years old. However, the plaintiff Yinka Adeshina claims that Combs is lying about his age, alleging that he is “at least 12 years older” than he says he is. According to a 2025 filing under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act, Combs allegedly sexually assaulted and trafficked Adeshina, who Combs’ mother regularly babysat.
According to another 2023 lawsuit, in 1990, Combs allegedly sexually assaulted an unnamed victim and friend after a music event, then beat her later on. Another 2023 lawsuit claims that Combs drugged, sexually assaulted and videotaped 19-year-old Joi Dickerson after going on a date with her. A different 2025 filing under the Gender-Motivated Violence Act alleges that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted NYU student Aristalia Benitez. At least 30 more lawsuits from at least 30 different people claim that Combs sexually assaulted each one of them between 1995 and 2023, many of whom were minors at the time. This doesn’t include many alleged victims that claim they were abused by Combs as well.
In 1998, Combs started throwing his infamous “White Parties.” He would have annual all-white parties with hundreds of guests, including musicians, music industry executives, actors, sports team owners, real estate moguls and more. These parties were incredibly lavish, earning him the title of “modern-day Gatsby” and would typically last almost 24 hours. Although the White Parties were his most popular and lavish events, he would regularly throw many smaller parties, collectively known as “Diddy Parties.” All of Combs’ parties have dozens of alleged victims who claim to have been drugged and/or sexually assaulted by Combs and other party-goers.
Ventura alleges that Combs physically, mentally and sexually assaulted her all throughout their multiple-year long relationship. The defense claims that Ventura was complicit with what was done to her by taking text messages out of context. The prosecution has reinforced that Ventura was manipulated and groomed by Combs to make her feel like she needed to participate in the illicit activities the case is centered around.
Given the sheer amount of evidence and people who have come out against Combs, this case has the potential to go far past the ten weeks it’s predicted to take. The public has already shown interest in big court cases in the past like with Depp v. Heard. Given the huge outburst of attention that came out against Combs, his trial is bound to explode with popularity as the case develops.
