First celebs named in Diddy trial as potential jurors grilled on who they recognize and if they saw Cassie beating video
POTENTIAL jurors in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial are being grilled on whether they recognize any celebrities on a list of 190 names presented during jury selection.
They’ve also been asked if they’ve seen the horrific video of Combs, 55, beating ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura as the meticulous process of seating a jury gets underway in Manhattan.
Why jurors were asked about the list of celebrities remains unclear at this stage of the court proceedings.
Combs has been sitting in jail since September, awaiting trial on five criminal counts.
He’s accused of racketeering, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Jury selection finally got underway on Monday as Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution, and Combs’ defense began questioning around 150 people to determine if they should serve on the jury.
Potential jurors were questioned about the list of 190 celebrities and public figures, which included actors Michael B. Jordan and Mike Myers and rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi, Variety reported.
Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams, actor Lauren London, and singer Dawn Richard were also on the list.
It isn’t known why certain celebrities are named; however, Kid Cudi is believed to be a victim of an alleged 2011 car bombing by Combs.
The alleged attack happened after Cudi was rumored to be romantically involved with Combs’ then-ex-girlfriend and star witness in the case, Cassie.
One juror, identified as number two, reportedly said he was familiar with Jordan and Myers from their films.
The judge asked whether “views on Kanye West” would make them an unfair juror.
In addition to their familiarity with various celebrities, jurors were asked about their views on law enforcement as well as more intimate questions about their sex lives and any previous history with domestic violence.
Due to allegations in the case, potential jurors were also asked whether they were or knew anyone who had been sexually assaulted.
It comes as…
- Combs turned down a plea deal days before jury selection began
- He begged fellow rapper Kanye for support after repeatedly having his $50 million bail bid denied by a judge
- The music sensation was arrested in September 2024 at a New York City hotel hours after he was seen relaxing in Central Park
- In March 2024, two of Combs’ mansions were raided by federal investigators, who seized three AR-15s, drugs, and 1,000 bottles of lube which were part of his ‘Freak Off’ supplies
- The arrest came after Combs’ ex Cassie Ventura accused him in a lawsuit of physically and sexually abusing her for years
- Haunting surveillance video from 2016 showed Combs chasing Cassie down and punching, kicking, and beating her in a hotel hallway
About 90 minutes into the intense juror questioning, Combs asked the judge for a two-minute bathroom break.
“I’m sorry your honor, I’m a little nervous today,” Combs said.
The hip-hop mogul sported a different as he was permitted to wear street clothes rather than his baggy jail uniform.
He arrived in court at 9 am in dark glasses and a dark sweater.
A half-hour later, jury selection began.
Subramanian had already excused several juror candidates before lunch was called.
The judge dismissed one person who called the video of Combs dragging and kicking Cassie in a hotel hallway “damning.”
Combs’ lawyers also fought to remove a woman who worked for HBO as the media company recently released a documentary called The Fall of Diddy.
Subramanian overruled the attempt as the woman did not have any involvement in the making of the film.
HIGH-PROFILE TRIAL
The trial is expected to last eight weeks with opening arguments slated for May 12.
All jury members will remain anonymous as is standard in high-profile cases.
Combs faces life in prison if he is convicted of the charges against him.
It emerged at a final pre-trial hearing that he turned down a plea deal which would’ve likely meant less jail time.
The evidence against Sean 'Diddy' Combs
The months-long federal sex trafficking probe against Sean Combs has culminated in a searing incictment that was unsealed on Tuesday. Combs has been hit with one count of racketeering and one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of transportation to engage in prostitution. But behind those legal charges lies a mountain of alleged evidence of menace, violence, and horrific abuse of his fame. The indictment alleges:
- Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct.”
- He “created a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
- The rapper assaulted women by “striking, punching, dragging, throwing objects at, and kicking them.”
- Combs “manipulated women to participate in highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity with male commercial sex workers” that he called “freak offs.”
- Freak offs “occurred regularly, sometimes lasted multiple days, and often involved multiple commercial sex workers.”
- During freak offs, he “distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant.”
- After freak offs, Combs and the victims “typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.”
- In March 2024, during searches of his residences in Miami and Los Angeles, “law enforcement seized various Freak Off supplies, including narcotics and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.”
- During and separate from Freak Offs, Combs “hit, kicked, threw objects at, and dragged victims, at times, by their hair…These assaults often resulted in injuries that took days or weeks to heal.”
- He also used the “sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings” that he made during freak offs as “collateral to ensure the continued obedience and silence of the victims.”
- Combs himself “brandished firearms to intimidate and threaten others, including victims of and witnesses to his abuse.”
- During searches of his homes, “law enforcement seized firearms and ammunition, including three AR-15s with defaced serial numbers, as well as a drum magazine.”
- Associates “assisted him in locating and contacting victims who attempted to flee his abuse.”
- When witnesses to the abuse threatened his authority or reputation, he and members and associates of the enterprise “engaged in acts of violence, threats of violence, threats of financial and reputational harm, and verbal abuse. These acts of violence included kidnapping and arson.”
Combs has insisted he’s innocent ever since his arrest last year.
He was taken into custody in New York in September after an explosive indictment by a federal grand jury.
The indictment included a raft of disturbing accusations, including that Combs orchestrated days-long, drug-fueled sex parties that he forced victims to take part in.
He would fly in sex workers for days of raucous sessions which he called “Freak Offs,” prosecutors claim.
Once at the party, workers would be coerced through money and intimidated into performing sick nonconsensual acts, the indictment said.
Combs organized and directed these parties in part, prosecutors allege, so he could record sex acts while he masturbated.
After days of non-stop drug use and drinking, participants were often mailed IV bags to help recover from the “Freak Offs,” according to the indictment.
The court docs also revealed the feds seized 1,000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil from Combs’ homes along with a stash of narcotics allegedly used during the sex parties.
They’d raided his mansions in Los Angeles and Miami as part of the probe into the alleged sex trafficking.
Diddy's downfall
By The U.S. Sun's Senior Reporter Forrest McFarland, who has been reporting on Diddy's legal battles for years
BEFORE Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest in September 2024, it was highly speculated that the rap star would find himself in custody after he was repeatedly hit with disturbing accusations – and had two of his mansions raided by the feds.
His mounting legal troubles finally came to a head on September 17, when he was charged with three federal counts, including sex trafficking, for allegedly forcing victims to take part in drug-fueled sex parties he called “Freak Offs.”
Hours before his arrest, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed the feds investigating Combs were secretly liaising with Tupac Shakur murder prosecutors on gangland activities.
The development also came after Combs was named 77 times in documents submitted by prosecutors in the Tupac murder case.
Aside from the Tupac probe, Combs was already facing a slew of lawsuits, including one he settled with his ex, Cassie Ventura, after she accused him of rape and abuse.
Disturbing hotel surveillance video from 2016 showed Combs chasing Cassie down and then punching, kicking, and beating her in a hallway.
Two months earlier, in March 2024, two of Combs’ mansions were raided by federal investigators, who seized three AR-15s, drugs, and 1,000 bottles of lube which were part of his “Freak Off” supplies.
In addition to his federal criminal charges, Combs also faces a handful of lawsuits with allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and sex trafficking dating back to the early 1990s.
Music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones filed one suit in February 2024, claiming Combs forced him to hire sex workers and participate in sex acts while he worked on his latest album.
Combs has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the federal sex trafficking charges against him, but his battle is far from over.
He faces life in prison if he’s convicted on all counts.