NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs shocked courtroom attendees with a grizzled new look at a pretrial conference Friday.
Combs’ legal team and prosecutors disputed various aspects of the disgraced rapper’s trial – including jury selection, submitted evidence and the trial’s court timeline – during the Friday conference in front of U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian at Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan.
Combs is charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution following his arrest in September. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The graying music mogul appeared in mostly good spirits throughout the 35-minute conference – grinning and waving to a small group of family and friends seated toward the back of the gallery ‒ although at other times, he could be seen shaking his head and whispering in his attorney’s ear.
Combs was arraigned in court on a new indictment, which added accusations that the hip-hop mogul forced employees to work long hours and threatened to punish those who did not assist in his alleged two-decade sex trafficking scheme.
His upcoming trial is scheduled to begin May 5. The indictment follows numerous lawsuits and allegations of rape, sexual assault, physical abuse and similar claims over the course of three decades.
Earlier this month, prosecutors submitted a second superseding indictment, updating the amended indictment from January that added three unnamed women who were allegedly victims of his so-called sex trafficking enterprise, which claims Combs subjected employees to forced labor under inhumane circumstances.
After the judge dismissed the court, Combs looked back at his family, blew a kiss, put his hands to his chest and smiled before he was escorted out.
Daughter Chance Combs, son Christian “King” Combs and mother Janice Combs, who have been staunch in their support for the hip-hop mogul, were seated in the gallery and pictured arriving at and leaving the Manhattan courtroom. — Patrick Ryan and KiMi Robinson
As court adjourned for the day, Subramanian set the next pretrial conference for April 25. — Patrick Ryan
Mitzi Steiner, an assistant U.S. attorney, said the prosecution would file a letter — for attorneys’ eyes only — that would reveal the names of some of the witnesses and victims who are willing to testify against Combs.
“We want to protect the identities of these witnesses and victims,” Steiner told the judge. Some of them are “incredibly frightened” to have their identities revealed to the defense, she said, but the prosecution would produce a list of their names. The judge and both sides agreed to this. — Patrick Ryan
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo said the defense recently came in possession of “a great deal of medical records,” some related to prescription medications. The defense team added that they’ll need an expert to “explain what they mean,” although Agnifilo did not detail the nature of the medical records. — Patrick Ryan
In the matter of the bombshell CNN video released last year that showed Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel, Subramanian left the opposing parties to find middle ground as to whether it can be presented to jurors.
Agnifilo reiterated the claims his team brought forward in a letter to Subramanian filed Thursday. He called the video “deceptive” and “a misleading piece of evidence” as, they claim, it has “been changed.”
Agnifilo claimed that the footage was re-sequenced and sped up, and that it was run through an editing software, according to analysis from an expert who reviewed the video.
Steiner, the assistant U.S. attorney, said the CNN footage is “a key piece of evidence that (the defense is) trying to keep out” of trial.
Subramanian suggested that if the footage was indeed edited that perhaps it can be slowed back down, re-sequenced or otherwise changed back to its original state. If the defense still disagrees with the contents of the video or how it is presented, then Agnifilo can file a motion to have the material dismissed. — Patrick Ryan and KiMi Robinson
Subramanian determined that potential jurors could begin filling out questionnaires on April 28 before jury selection begins on May 5. Both sides aim to review roughly 300 jurors per day until a jury is assembled.
Opening statements are scheduled to begin May 12. Attorneys for both sides agreed with this scheduling decision. — Patrick Ryan
This second superseding indictment was filed by prosecutors on March 6.
The 15-page document details the charges against the hip-hop mogul and is, for the most part, the same as the one filed on Sept. 12 and made public Sept. 17. The second superseding indictment, an update from the first amended indictment filed in January, showed how the government has continued to build its case against Combs over the past several months, as they are now adding the claim that he’d subjected employees to forced labor under inhumane circumstances. — KiMi Robinson
While interacting with the judge, Combs chose to stand and spoke briefly.
He said he was “fine” and answered that he was pleading “not guilty” to the new indictment, which prosecutors brought forward last week. — Patrick Ryan
When Combs walked into the courtroom Friday afternoon, he waved and blew a kiss to his family in the gallery. Sporting white hair and a matching beard and donning a tan jumpsuit, he had a smile on his face. Reporters in the courtroom could be heard commenting on his appearance, saying, “Oh my god” and “He looks terrible.” — Patrick Ryan
Earlier this week, lawyers came forward with allegations about a nearly decade-old video showing the music mogul physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, which plays a role in his criminal trial.
Ventura’s Nov. 16, 2023, sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit, which the former couple settled for an undisclosed amount a day later, spurred an avalanche of civil lawsuits and allegations against the scandalized music mogul. –KiMi Robinson
In a motion filed in New York Federal Court late last month, one of Combs’ lawyers, Anthony Ricco, notified the judge of his intent to withdraw, adding it had followed discussions with Combs’ lead counsel, Marc Agnifilo.
“Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs,” Ricco wrote. He declined to offer the specific details that led to the decision, citing attorney/client privilege in the filing. – Anna Kaufman
