A federal judge has refused to delay the upcoming criminal trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, confirming that the court proceedings will proceed as originally scheduled in May.
Diddy, founder of Bad Boy Records, is facing multiple serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering. He appeared in a Manhattan federal courtroom on Friday, April 18, before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, who rejected the defense’s plea to postpone the trial.
Diddy’s attorneys had requested a two-month delay, arguing they had not received critical evidence from prosecutors in a timely manner. The defense said the delay stemmed from a superseding indictment filed in April, which they claimed impacted their ability to adequately prepare for trial.
However, Judge Subramanian firmly rejected that argument, stating it was “unclear why there isn’t sufficient time to prepare,” according to CNN reports. The ruling leaves jury selection scheduled to begin on May 5, with the trial set to follow.
A major point of contention in the case is a surveillance video allegedly showing Diddy assaulting his former partner, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, at a Los Angeles hotel back in 2016. The footage, first obtained and published by CNN, depicts a violent incident where Diddy, wearing only a towel and socks, chases Ventura, strikes her, and throws an object at her as she lies motionless.
Ventura filed a civil suit in November 2023, referencing this very incident. The lawsuit was quickly settled just one day later. Diddy’s defense team is now pushing to have the video excluded from evidence, claiming CNN “manipulated, altered, and sped up” the footage and destroyed the original.
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CNN, however, has strongly denied those accusations, stating the original copy remains with the source who provided it.
In another development, Judge Subramanian approved the addition of high-profile attorney Brian Steel to Diddy’s defense team. Steel is known for his past work defending rapper Young Thug in a Georgia RICO case and is expected to bring strategic strength to Combs’ legal fight.
Diddy has pled not guilty to all criminal accusations and maintains his innocence in the face of an increasing number of legal challenges, including more than two dozen civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct, all of which he rejects.
He remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, following a bail denial in September 2024.
If convicted, the consequences could be life-altering, with the charges carrying the potential for a life sentence. As the trial date draws near, all eyes remain on the courtroom for what promises to be one of the most watched celebrity trials of the year.