By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
Jury selection began today in Manhattan in the federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, who faces multiple charges, including sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. The music and business mogul has been held in custody since his arrest on September 16, 2024, at the Park Hyatt New York. The arrest, caught on hotel surveillance video, was widely circulated. Combs initially faced three charges, but in April 2025, a superseding indictment added two more, bringing the total to five. Despite a request from his defense team to delay the trial due to the new charges, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied the motion. Opening statements are scheduled for May 12. The trial is at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in Manhattan. While open to the public, it will not be televised due to federal court rules.
Federal prosecutors accuse Combs of operating a long-running criminal enterprise within the entertainment, fashion, and music industries. The government alleges that Combs used his influence to lure women into his circle, where they were coerced into commercial sex acts—sometimes under the guise of romantic or professional relationships. Prosecutors argue that the acts meet the threshold of trafficking under federal law, even in cases where the exchange wasn’t strictly monetary. The government’s team includes six female prosecutors led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. The defense is led by Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, joined by Brian Steel, Alexander Shapiro, Anna Estevao, and Xavier Donaldson.
Four alleged victims are expected to testify. Only one—singer and ex-partner Cassie Ventura—is publicly named. The others will testify anonymously under pseudonyms. Ventura filed a civil lawsuit in November 2023 alleging sexual abuse and trafficking, which Combs denied before settling the matter privately the next day. A central piece of evidence in the trial is hotel footage showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura in 2016. Prosecutors cited the footage as justification to deny bail. Combs’ attorneys attempted to exclude the video, claiming it was edited and irrelevant to trafficking. The judge rejected that argument and ruled the footage admissible. Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ lead attorney, said the video does not prove trafficking. “It’s our defense to these charges that this was a toxic, loving 11-year relationship,” Agnifilo stated during a pre-trial hearing.
