New York, May 10, 2025 — The last stage of jury selection in the celebrity sex trafficking trial of hip-hop billionaire Sean “Diddy” Combs has been delayed until Monday, May 12, due to concerns about possible juror stress and panel stability.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian approved a motion by Combs’ lawyers to postpone the final phase of jury selection, citing the possibility that jurors selected before the weekend would become nervous and ask to be excused from the case before opening arguments even start.
“We don’t want to risk losing jurors before we even start,” Subramanian said Friday during the hearing.
Juror Well-Being Issues Raised
The ruling followed after one of the possible jurors sent an email to the court asking to be excused due to “personal well-being issues.” Defense attorneys claimed that dismissing the remaining jurors would take not more than 15 minutes and should be carried out in the presence of the panel on Monday.
Even though jurors did not have to appear in court Friday, Combs attended the proceedings. Prosecutors objected to the postponement, cautioning that public exposure to the case over the weekend could spook jurors.
12 Jurors and 6 Alternates to Be Selected Monday
On Monday, both sides will complete the jury: prosecutors get to strike six jurors, and the defense gets to strike 10. Twelve jurors and six alternates will be sworn in, and the process should take less than an hour.
Jurors were asked earlier in the week if they could remain impartial and if they could deal with graphic evidence, including graphic videos prosecutors might show.
Charges and Defense Strategy
Combs, 55, is the target of a federal indictment claiming he used his fame to commit sex trafficking, coercion, violence, and other crimes during a 20-year span (2004–2024). He is being detained without bail at a Brooklyn federal detention facility.
Lead defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo informed the court Friday that the defense will not dispute Combs committed acts of domestic violence, but will contest that there was “mutual violence” between Combs and a woman named Victim-1 in the indictment.
“There was hitting on both sides,” Agnifilo said. “We are admitting domestic violence, but it’s relevant to whether coercion occurred.”
Trial Set to Spotlight Four Women’s Testimonies
Prosecutors indicate the case will center on four women, including R&B artist Cassie Ventura, who previously accused Combs of abuse over several years. CNN last year released hotel footage of Combs beating and dragging Ventura in 2016. The video caused outrage and prompted a quick public apology from Combs.
Ventura sued Combs in 2023, claiming rape, physical assault, and staged sex acts called “freak-offs,” as laid out in the federal indictment. The suit settled within 24 hours.
A few months later, federal agents searched Combs’ residences in Los Angeles and Miami, removing 96 electronic devices and multiple unregistered AR-15-type rifles.
Charges and Punishments
Charges against Combs include:
Racketeering conspiracy
Sex trafficking (2 counts)
Transportation for purposes of prostitution (2 counts)
If convicted on all charges, he faces a possible life sentence. Prosecutors say Combs utilized workers and sophisticated networks to bribe, intimidate, kidnap, and silence victims.
Combs still denies all charges since his arrest in September 2024 despite the mounting legal pressure.