A federal judge has set May 5 as the trial date for Sean “Diddy” Combs in a sex trafficking case that alleges the U.S. entertainment mogul sexually abused and coerced women over several years.
During a hearing in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, members of Combs’ family were present as his defense team requested that a video of Combs allegedly assaulting a former girlfriend in 2016 be excluded from the trial. Combs’ lawyers argued that the video had been leaked by the government and could unfairly influence the jury.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson dismissed the defense’s claims, stating that they were “baseless and simply a means to try to exclude a damning piece of evidence.”
“Not a single one of those alleged leaks are from members of the prosecution team,” Johnson added.
Combs, 54, has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering and sexual assault. He is accused of using his associates and employees to traffic sex workers across state lines and using blackmail and physical violence to silence victims.
Appearing in court dressed in prison attire, Combs blew kisses to his family members. He sat beside his lawyer, Anthony Ricco, throughout the proceedings.
Federal Judge Arun Subramanian instructed defense attorney Marc Agnifilo to draft a proposed order for all parties to follow regarding the public disclosure of information that could impact the fairness of the trial.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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