Diddy’s trial to start in May 2025

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, one of the most successful rappers and music moguls in the US, will soon be on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

At a hearing attended by Mr Combs on Thursday, a judge ruled his trial will begin on 5 May next year.

Mr Combs, wearing a creased beige prison uniform, sat next to his attorneys as the judge discussed imposing a gag order that would prevent attorneys or prosecutors from discussing the case publicly or with the media.

Members of Mr Combs’s family lined seats in the courtroom. The rapper mouthed “I love you” to the group, which included his three daughters, three sons and his mother. He also repeatedly put his hand to his heart and made a prayer sign.

In addition to the criminal case, Mr Combs is being sued by dozens of people who have accused him of sexual assault, rape and sexual exploitation.

Mr Combs has pleaded not guilty in the criminal trial and lawyers for the rapper have repeatedly maintained his innocence, calling allegations against him “false and defamatory”.

Here is a breakdown of his legal troubles.

On Thursday, US District Judge Arun Subramanian set the trial for next May, and it will take place in Manhattan.

Thursday was the rapper’s third time appearing in court since his arrest.

Prosecutor Emily Johnson told the judge that the government will need three weeks to present its case.

Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said the rapper’s team will need a week for theirs.

As the hearing ended, some of Mr Combs’s supporters lingered at the door, on their tiptoes hoping to catch a sight of the rapper as he was escorted away.

The rapper faces criminal charges in federal court. He also faces multiple lawsuits from individuals who have accused him of harming and exploiting them.

In the federal criminal case, Mr Combs has been accused of kidnapping, drugging and coercing women into sexual activities, sometimes by using a firearm or threatening them with violence.

In a raid on his Los Angeles mansion, police found supplies that they say were intended for use in orgies known as “freak offs”, including drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil.

Separately, Mr Combs faces a number of lawsuits accusing him of rape and assault.

Tony Buzbee, a Texas lawyer handling some of these cases, has said that more than 100 women and men from across the US have either filed lawsuits or will soon against the rap mogul.

Some have alleged that the assaults happened when they were minors, including as young as nine years old, Mr Buzbee has said.

Mr Combs current legal troubles began when he was sued by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, in late 2023. She accused him of violently abusing and raping her.

That lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount a day after it was filed, with Mr Combs maintaining his innocence.

In the following weeks, multiple women filed lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of sexual assaults, with accusations dating back to 1991. One of them alleged that she was “sex trafficked” and “gang raped” by the rapper and two others when she was 17.

Mr Combs responded to the flurry of lawsuits in a statement on his Instagram page in December, writing: “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.”

“I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth,” he said.

Nine months later, he was arrested and arraigned.

Mr Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his 16 September arrest.

His lawyers have argued for his release pending trial, citing the jail’s “horrific” conditions.

A New York federal judge denied their request for bail, arguing that Mr Combs was a “serious flight risk”.

His lawyers on Wednesday petitioned the court to throw out a video from 2016, which shows Mr Combs kicking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura as she lay on a hotel hallway floor.

They argued that the government was responsible for leaking the video to CNN, and that it has “led to damaging, highly prejudicial pretrial publicity that can only taint the jury pool and deprive Mr Combs of his right to a fair trial”.

Lawyers for the government deny leaking the video to the media, saying that the government did not have possession of it before it was broadcast in May.

When the video first emerged, Mr Combs posted an apology, saying: “I was disgusted when I did it.”

His lawyers are still fighting to get the rapper out on bail. On Tuesday, they filed an appeal arguing that Mr Combs had agreed to “restrictive conditions” on a possible release from jail that would prevent him from fleeing.

“Mr Combs is presumed innocent. He traveled to New York to surrender because he knew he was going to be indicted,” his lawyers said in a court filing.

“He took extraordinary steps to demonstrate that he intended to face and contest the charges, not flee.”

The lawyers have also argued that everyone involved in the so-called “freak offs” were consenting adults.

Yes.

Mr Combs faces up to life in prison if convicted on the racketeering charge. He faces another statutory minimum of 15 years for the sex trafficking charge.

All federal cases in the US are open to the public, except in rare circumstances when trials include sensitive information pertaining to national security.

So far, all of Mr Combs’ court proceedings have been open to the media and the public.

None of his appearances, however, have been livestreamed. Most federal courts do not allow cameras or electronics in the courtroom.

Sketch artists will typically attend these hearings to draw moments from court for the media and the public.

It is unclear whether Mr Combs will face further criminal charges.

Prosecutors, however, have said that the investigation remains “active and ongoing” and have encouraged potential victims to reach out to the authorities.

BBC Correspondent Emma Vardy contributed reporting for this story.