OAN Staff James Meyers
2:17 PM – Friday, October 11, 2024
Sean “Diddy” Comb has been handed a date for his upcoming trial in relation to the sex trafficking and racketeering charges against him, which were filed in September.
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The famous music tycoon attended a hearing on Thursday, during which it was announced that his trial will begin May 5th, 2025, in Manhattan.
Combs appeared in court wearing a beige prison jumpsuit as he sat beside his attorneys. He smiled to his family as he was led into the courtroom by a U.S. Marshal, taking a moment to wave to his relatives sitting in the second row.
Prosecutor Emily Johnson said the prosecution is expecting the case to last up to three weeks, but also noted that a superseding indictment could affect the length of the trial, which means additional charges or defendants could be added to the case.
This comes after Combs was arrested in September. Authorities allege that the 54-year-old celebrity had “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others, and led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes,” per a U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York.
Prosecutors also said that Combs “engaged in a persistent and pervasive pattern of abuse toward women and other individuals. This abuse was, at times, verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual.”
Additionally, Combs is also facing over 120 charges that include complaints from at least 25 alleged victims who claim they were minors at the time of the abuse. Attorney Tony Buzbee said that his law firm, along with California firm AVA Law Group, would be filing the cases individually, rather than as part of a class action suit.
Meanwhile, the rapper’s mother issued a statement addressing the charges, saying, “It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies. To bear witness what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have his day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Combs pleaded not guilty to federal charges and has also been denied bail twice.
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