In the 1990s and 2000s, Sean “Diddy” Combs reigned over American hip-hop. He produced chart-topping albums, launched an influential record label, recorded hit songs, inked lucrative branding deals and catapulted hip-hop into a worldwide cultural force.
But over the last two years, Combs’ empire has come crashing down amid a wave of sexual abuse and misconduct allegations. The scrutiny on the mogul reached an apex in September when he was indicted by federal prosecutors in a sweeping sex trafficking case.
The case, United States v. Combs, goes to trial in downtown Manhattan this month. Combs has pleaded not guilty and vehemently denied wrongdoing. Here’s what you need to know about the allegations, the charges, the defense and more.
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What do prosecutors allege?
The prosecution’s case against Combs, 55, centers on “elaborate and produced sex performances” known as “freak offs.” Combs, prosecutors allege in their indictment, orchestrated marathon hotel room encounters involving heavy drug use and coerced sex.
Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,” prosecutors write in the 14-page indictment, which has been updated three times since September.
“Combs relied on the employees, resources and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled — creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” prosecutors allege.
What are the charges?
Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison; and two counts transportation to engage in prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
What does the defense say?
Combs has vociferously denied the allegations against him.
In a statement in April, Combs’ legal team described his accusers as “former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships. This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”
Who are the accusers?
The federal case revolves around four alleged victims, identified in the indictment as “Victim-1,” “Victim-2,” “Victim-3” and “Victim-4.” They are all expected to testify during the trial.
Combs’ accusers have not been named publicly, but the allegations of Victim-1 track closely with those of his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, an R&B singer whose stage name is Cassie.
In a civil lawsuit filed in November 2023, Ventura accused Combs of rape and repeated physical abuse spanning roughly a decade. The lawsuit was settled privately in a day without Combs admitting any wrongdoing.
Ventura’s allegations drew greater attention after CNN aired hotel surveillance video, recorded in 2016, showing Combs beating, kicking and dragging Ventura.
The judge in the case has ruled the video can be shown during the trial as evidence. Combs’ lawyers tried to get it excluded, arguing in part that it was “wholly inaccurate” and altered — claims CNN has strongly denied.
Who is the judge?
The judge presiding over the trial is Arun Subramanian, who has been on the federal bench for about two years. He was nominated to the Southern District by President Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2023 in a 59-37 vote. (Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., reportedly recommended Subramanian to Biden.)
Combs’ trial appears to be the most high-profile judicial assignment to date for Subramanian, who once clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before working at the white shoe Manhattan law firm Susman Godfrey.
Who are Combs’ lawyers?
Combs’ lead attorneys are no strangers to high-profile cases. Marc Antony Agnifilo, a veteran criminal defense lawyer, previously represented NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere, former Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng, former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn and “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli.
Agnifilo will be joined by Teny Geragos, one of the partners at his firm. She is “particularly experienced in defending and investigating allegations of sexual misconduct,” the firm’s website says. She is also the daughter of famed defense lawyer Mark Geragos, whose clients have included artists Michael Jackson and Chris Brown.
The court docket lists five other attorneys on Combs’ side, including Alexandra Shapiro and Brian Steel. Steel, who recently joined the defense team, represented rapper Young Thug in Georgia’s longest-ever criminal trial.
What is the trial schedule?
The trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks. It will be held five days a week, Monday through Friday. The first week of the trial will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET; after that, it’ll go from 9:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. ET.
Where is Combs being held?
Combs is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where the list of inmates includes Luigi Mangione, the man accused of gunning down health insurance executive Brian Thompson.
Combs has been held without bail since his arrest in September.
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