2 months ago
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SEAN “Diddy” Combs has appeared in court at the start of his sex trafficking trial.
The disgraced rap mogul’s family were seen arriving as his mum and six of his children packed the gallery at the New York City courthouse.
ReutersSean ‘Diddy’ Combs is being tried over five criminal counts which include sex trafficking[/caption]
ReutersJanice Combs – Combs’s mum – on the first day of the trial[/caption]
APKing Combs (right) – son of Combs – arrives at the courthouse[/caption]
ReutersJustin Combs and Quincy Brown walk, on the first day in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs[/caption]
Combs, 55, was seen in court – dressed in a beige sweater and khaki pants – as opening statements of the landmark trial kicked off on Monday.
His mum, Janice Combs, watched on from the second row of the gallery along with six of her sons children.
As he entered the courtroom Combs was spotted waving to his family and blowing one of his sons a kiss before sitting down.
A court clerk reportedly asked him if he had got some water and Combs said: “I could use a little more if you don’t mind.”
The disgraced music star is being tried over five criminal counts which include sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy ranging from across a 20-year period.
Combs denies all of the allegations against him.
Combs was previously offered a chance to accept a plea deal from prosecutors in court which would have reduced any final sentence and allowed him to leave jail at an earlier date.
But he rejected the offer at a hearing in a Manhattan federal court.
According to a prosecutor with the Manhattan US Attorney’s office, Maurene Comey, this means Combs now faces a more severe sentence if he is convicted at trial.
The rapper is facing a two-month trial during which the jury will hear testimonies from three and possibly four of the rapper’s female accusers.
Testimonies from his former employees who prosecutors say helped arrange and cover up his actions will also be heard.
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, 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.
ReutersCombs has been in and out of court hearings for the past year[/caption]
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