Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Sex-trafficking trial to begin Monday, who will testify, will it be televised

The trial will see jury selection on the first day and opening statements on May 12. The case involves serious allegations, and if convicted, Combs could face up to life in prison.

What charges does he face?

Combs, 55, is facing five federal charges, including, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking (two counts) and transportation to engage in prostitution (two counts).

The charges stem from a 2024 indictment and a superseding indictment filed in April 2025, in which federal prosecutors allege Combs coerced at least three women into sex acts—sometimes involving male prostitutes—during events referred to as “Freak Offs.”

Prosecutors claim the women were drugged and forced to engage in sex for extended periods and that Combs filmed some of the acts, offering career opportunities or using threats of violence to maintain control. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Who is involved?

Judge Arun Subramanian, who was nominated to the federal bench by President Joe Biden and confirmed in 2023, will preside over the case. Subramanian previously denied Combs’ third request for bail, ruling that “there were no conditions that alleviated concerns that Combs could engage in witness tampering.”

The prosecution team includes Assistant US Attorneys Meredith Foster, Emily A. Johnson, Christy Slavik, Madison Reddick Smyser, and Mitzi Steiner from the Southern District of New York.

Combs’ legal team is led by Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, with Brian Steel, known for defending rapper Young Thug, joining the defence in April. Agnifilo has represented high-profile defendants like Martin Shkreli and Keith Raniere.

Who will testify?

Four women are expected to testify, according to court filings. Three will use pseudonyms, but two, including Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend, will testify under their real names.

Ventura previously filed a lawsuit in 2023 accusing Combs of rape and years of physical abuse, which was settled one day after filing. A surveillance video from 2016 showing Combs assaulting Ventura surfaced in May 2024. The footage will be shown to the jury after the court denied multiple attempts by the defence to block it.

In a video statement after the footage was released, Combs said: “My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”

Will the trial be televised?

No. The trial will not be televised, in accordance with federal court rules. No cameras are allowed inside the courtroom. Sketch artists may provide limited visuals, and journalists will report from inside and outside the courtroom throughout the proceedings.

Combs has been held in Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024.