Sean Combs, who once proclaimed himself "Bad Boy for Life," now faces what could amount to a life sentence if convicted.
NEW YORK -- The sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs started Monday -- beginning the first courtroom test of whether one of hip-hop's most important figures used power and wealth amassed in the music, clothing and spirits industries to sexually abuse, coerce and exploit alleged victims for decades.
Known by various names through the years - Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Diddy and Love - Combs became a rap impresario in the 1990s, launching the careers of Mary J. Blige, Usher and the Notorious B.I.G. and lending his hip-hop credentials to the songs of Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez.
Combs is on trial over an alleged conspiracy that ran for 20 years from 2004-2024 in which federal prosecutors in New York allege he "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes he called "freak offs" and threatened them into silence.
Combs, who once proclaimed himself "Bad Boy for Life," now faces what could amount to a life sentence if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
"Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy," a new podcast from "20/20" and ABC Audio, traces how the whispers of abuse came to light and led to the downfall of Sean "Diddy" Combs, who was once among the most influential entertainers and entrepreneurs in hip hop. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more.
(ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Legal analyst Rachel Maimin is answering questions as the Sean Combs trial gets underway in Lower Manhattan.
It's hard to think of anyone who doesn't know of the music mogul -- she explains how hard it will be to pick a jury.
Maimin also explains how strong the prosecution's case may be as well as what could possibly be Diddy's defense strategy.
She explains in the video below:
Diddy walked into court with a dark crew neck sweater and a dress shirt -- he was not wearing a tie.
He came in and hugged Brian Staal and Marc Agnifilo, and shook his attorney's hands.
His hair is a blend of salt and pepper, leaning slightly more to salt.
His hair is a little grown out but neat.
Sean "Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop entrepreneur whose wildly successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence, was brought to a New York courthouse Monday to be tried on charges that he used the influence and resources of his business empire to sexually abuse women.
Jury selection was scheduled to begin in the morning and potentially take several days. Opening statements by the lawyers and the start of testimony were expected next week.
Judge Arun Subramanian started the proceedings shortly after 9 a.m. by making several rulings on what things experts would be allowed to testify about when they take the witness stand.
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Although dozens of men and women have alleged in lawsuits that Combs abused them, this trial will highlight the claims of four women.
One of them is Cassie Ventura, who filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape after they met in 2005.
Her lawsuit, which offered the first public account of the Freak Offs described in the indictment, was settled in a day. Four months later, though, federal investigators raided Combs homes in Los Angeles and Miami and confronted him at a private airport in Florida, seizing 96 electronic devices. They also found three AR-15-style rifles with defaced serial numbers.
The 17-page indictment against Combs accuses him of using employees of his business endeavors - including record labels, a recording studio, an apparel line, an alcoholic spirits company, a marketing agency, a television network and a media company - to facilitate his crimes through acts that included kidnapping, arson and bribery.
Prosecutors plan to show jurors travel records, text messages and emails, hotel records and videos to supplement testimony and support their claims about what they call "Freak Off activity."
Jurors will also see security camera video showing Combs punching, kicking and then dragging Cassie in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
After the video aired on CNN last year, Combs apologized, saying, "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now."
