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A jury has been selected in the high-profile racketeering and sex-trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, with opening statements set to begin shortly.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and has been charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation for prostitution – all felony charges.
Attorneys on both sides removed several jurors on Monday morning, with Combs lawyer Marc Agnifilo noting that prosecutors eliminated seven Black potential jurors. The prosecution says it did not demonstrate any bias during jury selection and selected a “very diverse group of jurors”.
The jury selected includes eight men and four women; the six alternates are two women and four men.
Federal prosecutors allege that Combs used his expansive multimedia empire as a “criminal enterprise” with the help of associates and employees, to engage in or attempt to engage in crimes including sex trafficking, kidnapping, forced labor, arson, bribery, enticement to engage in prostitution and obstruction of justice, over several decades.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and firmly denies any wrongdoing. Earlier this month, he rejected a plea deal during his final pre-trial hearing.
If convicted, Combs, who has been in custody since his September arrest, faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
The trial is expected to last around eight weeks, with testimony from at least three, possibly four, accusers, according to Reuters.
Combs, who was seen in court wearing khaki pants, a gray sweater and a white collared shirt, blew a kiss to supporters on Monday at the start of the trial. His mother, Janice Combs, sons and 17-year-old daughters were seen entering the courthouse earlier in the morning to show their support.
Jury selection began last week and was originally slated to wrap up by Friday.
However, Judge Arun Subramanian, who is presiding over the case in New York, ruled on Friday morning to push the final phase of jury selection to Monday, due to concerns that jurors might drop out over the weekend.
Two potential jurors were removed last week for not having trust in police and because one of their partner’s once worked on an unrelated Combs court case three decades ago, respectively, according to the BBC.
The proceedings are taking place at the federal district court in lower Manhattan. Due to federal court regulations, the trial will not be televised.
