Diddy’s Trial: Jury Selection Underway in Sex Crimes Case

Jury selection has begun in the highly anticipated federal sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a potential life sentence if convicted.

The trial centers around allegations of Combs’s involvement in “freak-offs,” coercive, drug-fueled sexual marathons that sometimes included sex workers and were filmed. Combs’s relationship with his former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, is expected to be a key part of the trial.

A surveillance video from 2016 shows Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel.

Diddy has rejected a plea deal offered by prosecutors, and his attorney has described his client’s “swinger” lifestyle as part of their defense strategy.

The trial is expected to last 8-10 weeks, with jury selection wrapping up in about a week and opening statements tentatively scheduled for May 12.