Breaking Diddy trial live updates: Disgraced mogul shows off new appearance as rapper’s kids arrive in court EnglishHeadline

A star witness within the Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs trial is reportedly MIA, throwing the disgraced Unhealthy Boy mogul’s intercourse trafficking case into chaos.

Opening statements are set to start subsequent week. However federal prosecutors have been left scrambling.

They can not discover one of many feminine victims who’s central to their case. She doesn’t reside in New York the place the Combs’ trial is being held.

Diddy is dealing with 5 felony prices, specifically:

• Racketeering conspiracy
• Two counts of intercourse trafficking by pressure, fraud or coercion
• Two counts of transportation to interact in prostitution

The cost of racketeering conspiracy, the federal statute recognized by its acronym RICO that was as soon as primarily used to focus on the mafia however in recent times has been wielded in instances of sexual abuse, together with in opposition to the fallen R&B star R. Kelly.

It permits authorities attorneys to mission an extended view of prison exercise quite than prosecuting remoted intercourse crimes.

If convicted, the one-time rap producer and world celebrity, who is commonly credited for his function in ushering hip-hop into the mainstream, might spend the remainder of his life in jail.

Legal professionals on either side now get an opportunity to strike jurors from the pool.

Protection attorneys are allowed to remove 10 people and prosecutors can dismiss six to create a panel of 12 jurors. All sides is allowed to remove one other three jurors from the group of six alternates. They don’t have to elucidate their causes except the opposing attorneys declare they have been placing jurors from the panel for inappropriate causes, comparable to race.

This section of jury choice normally takes lower than an hour. Considered one of Combs’ attorneys claimed on Friday that it could possibly be completed in 10 to fifteen minutes. The attorneys are working from a panel of about 45 potential jurors.

As a rapper, music producer and entrepreneur concerned in quite a lot of corporations from broadcasting to alcohol, Diddy’s web value topped out in 2019 at $740 million – and he was nicely on his means towards billionaire standing.

However his empire started crumbling in November final yr when his ex-girlfriend Cassie accused him of sexual assault and bodily abuse, which triggered no less than 9 others to launch related lawsuits in opposition to him.

With out figuring out them publicly, prosecutors have mentioned 4 of Combs’ accusers will testify on the trial.

The prosecution shall be allowed to indicate the jury safety video of Diddy beating and kicking one in every of his accusers, the R&B singer Cassie, in a Los Angeles lodge hallway in 2016.

Diddy’s attorneys are anticipated to argue at trial that the federal government is demonizing and distorting the sexual exercise of consenting adults. They’ve additionally argued that two of Combs’ longtime girlfriends willingly introduced a male intercourse employee into their relationship.

Cassie, whose authorized identify is Cassandra Ventura, was Combs’ on-again-off-again romantic companion for greater than a decade. Her 2023 lawsuit in opposition to Combs alleging years of abuse, together with rape, started the scrutiny that ultimately led to his prosecution.

All the rappers children, besides his youngest, a three-year previous woman, confirmed as much as court docket on Monday.

In a sexual assault lawsuit filed in opposition to him by the music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, a decide dismissed nearly all of claims made in opposition to the embattled 55-year-old music mogul.

In accordance with court docket paperwork obtained by DailyMail.com, the decide threw out 5 of 9 claims Jones had levied in opposition to Diddy — who not too long ago made the head-scratching resolution to collaborate with Kanye West.

Diddy walked in sporting a crew neck, gentle grey sweater and lightweight grey pants, and a white shirt, a change from the navy sweater he wore final week.

He put his hand on his coronary heart and smiled at his household and did a coronary heart image earlier than hugging his attorneys and shaking the fingers of his jury guide, Linda Moreno.

Earlier than sitting down, Diddy blew one in every of his sons a kiss.

He appeared calm and targeted and was seen poring over paperwork along with his lawyer, Teny Geragos. Two US Marshals in fits sat instantly behind him and a 3rd sat to the facet.

His indictment said that some ‘Freak Offs’ would final for days, requiring Combs and victims to obtain IV fluids to get well from the exertion and drug use.

Combs’ lawyer claims the rapper was discovered with so many bottles of child oil in his house as a result of the star likes to purchase in bulk like some other American.

Diddy was arrested in New York Metropolis on September 16, 2024.

He had spent the day enjoyable on the turf in New York’s Central Park earlier than assembly up along with his son Christian to wander the streets of Manhattan.

Adoring followers ran as much as snap selfies and shake the hand of their idol, who flashed a prized smile from behind a pair of thick celebrity sun shades as he revelled within the consideration.

However Diddy’s large day trip within the Massive Apple was dropped at an abrupt finish when Homeland Safety officers busted into his Manhattan lodge room and took him into custody late final night time.

Prosecutors on Friday revealed they may embody a fifth sufferer of their sex-trafficking case in opposition to Diddy.

The protection had tried to maintain the witness’ testimony from trial however Decide Arun Subramanian dominated no less than a few of it is going to be admitted in court docket.

Nonetheless, the decide mentioned the alleged sufferer won’t be granted anonymity.

Prosecutos urged in court docket paperwork that the witness will talk about an act of sexual misconduct that Diddy has not been charged with within the case however will present a sample of habits.

Six of Diddy’s kids could possibly be seen sitting nervously within the public gallery two rows again from the entrance.

They included his twin daughters D’Lila and Jessie and his sons King and Jessie.

Diddy’s mom Janice was sitting subsequent to them sporting a black blazer with sun shades and vibrant orange hair.

Diddy’s mom Janice Combs and a few of his kids have arrived in court docket for opening statements Monday.

They have been escorted previous a crowd of media and would-be trial watchers and introduced straight into the constructing.

Janice Combs, mom of Sean Combs

Combs’ Twins are pitured left alongside Quincy Brown (R), stepson of Sean Combs, and King Combs (2nd R)

Diddy’s attorneys are looking for to introduce explosive proof that there was ‘mutual violence’ in his relationship to one of many girls who will testify at his trial

The rapper’s attorneys mentioned they wished to boost problems with earlier violent incidents by Sufferer 1 as a result of it might be related as to if or not she was coerced into sexual assault.

The mutual abuse between Sufferer 1 and Diddy was so unhealthy it amounted to ‘home violence’, the court docket heard.

Diddy has employed Nicole Westmoreland because the eighth lawyer on his protection group.

Westmoreland revealed she was raped in 2001 when she was simply 19 years previous.

She mentioned a person named Alfred Cleveland raped her at Patchwerk Recording Studio in Atlanta, as reported by TMZ.

The star lawyer joined Diddy’s group on Tuesday morning.

She is pictured leaving court docket final week.

The daughter of former FBI director James Comey, Maurene Comey, is without doubt one of the prosecutors within the sex-trafficking trial in opposition to Diddy.

She was additionally among the many prosecutors within the trial of Ghislane Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage women to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

James Comey, nominee for FBI Director, shares amusing along with his daughters, Kate, middle, and Maureen and his spouse Patrice throughout his conformation listening to in 2013.

Maurene Comey factors at Ghislaine Maxwell as she delivers the rebuttal argument for the federal government in the course of the trial of Maxwell in 2021.

With opening statements within the trial anticipated to start Monday, the road to get into the federal courthouse in Manhattan stretches all the way in which down the block.

An enormous crowd of individuals started forming exterior the courtroom at 2pm on Sunday, 43 hours earlier than the listening to on Monday was on account of start.

A few of the rapper’s supporters have been seen exterior court docket, however none of his family have been noticed as of 8.30am EST.

One line-sitter was making an attempt to promote his spot for $300 after holding his place in a single day.

Marc Agnifilo walks on the primary day within the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on intercourse trafficking and racketeering conspiracy prices

Legal professional Brian Metal arrives at federal court docket for Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis

Decide Arun Subramanian admonished Mark Geragos in court docket after he made feedback in a podcast calling Diddy’s prosecutors a ‘sick-pack of white girls.’

In accordance with prosecutors, Geragos has been advising Diddy’s group in the course of the jury choice course of though he’s not one of many rapper’s officers attorneys within the trial.

Subramanian, who’s of South Asian descent, known as Geragos’ feedback ‘outrageous,’ however Geragos’ whose daughter Teny is a member of Diddy’s authorized group, pushed again on the decide.

‘I believe if you’ve obtained a Black man who’s being prosecuted and the shopper seems like he is being focused, it is a — it is an commentary,’ Geragos mentioned.

However the decide wasn not having and shot again: ‘I believe that is ridiculous.

‘I believe referring to the prosecution on this case as a six-pack of white girls is outrageous. All proper. And I perceive what you are saying in regards to the instances and every thing else, however I believe that is outrageous and this may not be tolerated in any court docket from any lawyer wherever throughout the nation.’

The ultimate stage of selecting jurors is called ‘peremptory’ or discretionary strikes: jurors that both facet doesn’t wish to sit on the jury.

Diddy’s protection will get 10 strikes for the primary jury of 12 individuals and the prosecution wil have six.

Then both sides will get three every for the six alternate jurors.

There are 45 jurors who’re certified for this remaining stage: none of them shall be in court docket and they’re on account of return on Monday for opening statements.

A number of who have been eradicated from the jury pool had seen or heard media stories associated to the case, together with some who mentioned they noticed a video during which Combs was hitting and kicking one in every of his accusers in a Los Angeles lodge hallway in 2016.

However one man who had written on a questionnaire that the video left him with the ‘impression of an indignant hostile one that is entitled’ was not dismissed from the jury pool.

After the video aired on CNN final yr, Diddy apologized, saying, ‘I take full accountability for my actions in that video. I used to be disgusted then once I did it. I’m disgusted now.’

In November, prosecutors claimed that the rapper had tried to succeed in out to potential witnesses and affect public opinion from jail in a bid to have an effect on potential jurors forward of the trial.

Prosecutors wrote {that a} evaluation of recorded jail calls made by Combs confirmed he requested members of the family to succeed in out to potential victims and witnesses and urged them to create ‘narratives’ to affect the jury pool. They mentioned he additionally inspired advertising and marketing methods to sway public opinion.

An lawyer for Combs, Anthony Ricco, mentioned in court docket that the prosecution’s portrayal of Combs as ‘a lawless one that doesn’t comply with directions’ or ‘an out-of-control particular person who needs to be detained’ was inaccurate.

Decide Arun Subramanian denied the bail software, saying proof confirmed Combs to be a ‘critical danger of witness tampering.’

If some other man had requested how she was feeling, pregnant Fox5 reporter Michelle Ross would not have batted an eyelid.

However coming from the lips of probably the most well-known showbiz villain on the earth, the straightforward ‘how are you?’ carried what could possibly be perceived as a seedy undertone.

Ross, who’s seven months pregnant, is not the one expectant mom on the rapper’s thoughts.

Subsequent week, Cassie Ventura, who can also be closely pregnant, is anticipated to take the stand in Diddy’s blockbuster intercourse trafficking trial.

The rapper’s ex-girlfriend and sufferer of the notoriously violent smackdown video that was the catalyst for his arrest, she now holds the important thing to probably the most hotly anticipated movie star trial in latest reminiscence.

Rapper Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs faces a slew of prices associated to his alleged sexual and bodily abuse of girls.

He was charged with three crimes – racketeering, intercourse trafficking and transportation to interact in prostitution.

Diddy jurors will be capable of depart court docket and go house after every day of the trial.

‘There are not any plans to sequester the jury, which suggests you’ll go house day-after-day after court docket,’ the jury questionnaire obtained by the outlet learn.

Nonetheless, jurors have been instructed to “keep away from all media protection and to not go on the Web or social media with regard to this case for any objective.”

They’re suggested to keep away from discussing the case with household, mates and colleagues till after the trial is finished.

Composed and along with his fingers in his pockets, Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs greeted potential jurors who maintain his destiny of their fingers with a slight nod because the intercourse trafficking trial that might ship him to jail for all times started Monday.

And regardless of the gravity of the crimes in opposition to him, Combs, 55, remained composed and calm, hugging his attorneys as he got here in and nodding his head barely when he confronted the jurors along with his fingers in his pockets.

Till he cracked halfway via the method after Diddy’s authorized group requested a rest room break. When the decide requested if they may keep on, Diddy put up his hand and mentioned: ‘I am sorry your honor, I am just a little nervous as we speak.’

The singer, who’s anticipating her third youngster with husband Alex Wonderful, was noticed in New York this week as jury choice in her ex companion’s case dragged on.

She introduced her being pregnant in February this yr, and is known to be in her third trimester.

Not like different high-profile instances, the rapper’s trial won’t be televised as it’s in federal court docket.

Digital media, together with cameras, are banned within the Manhattan court docket room.

A sketch artist’s work would be the solely visuals popping out of the courtroom.

Jury choice in Diddy’s trial was initially scheduled to final three days, ending on Wednesday.

However decide Arun Subramanian alloted extra time for the method, intially delaying the ultimate steps to Friday after which once more to Monday.

Diddy’s attorneys had requested for the delay on Friday, saying that they have been involved that extra jurors would get chilly toes between now and Monday and it might be safer to attend till then.

Prosecutors strongly opposed this and mentioned it ought to transfer forward as we speak as a result of it might trigger lengthy delays on Monday earlier than opening statements.

The decide had leaned in the direction of the delay, saying that in the event that they completed selecting the jury on Monday you bought a ‘certainty you’re not going to need to redo jury choice or worse’.

He mentioned opening statements would nonetheless start early on Monday.