If you’ve been tuned into the news at all in the last two years, you’re likely already aware of the looming trial of rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. The Bad Boy Records founder is currently being held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center amid his trial on federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. As discovery and pre-trial motions have played out, hundreds of alleged victims have come forward to share their own private tales of encounters with Diddy, painting a picture of a serial abuser. The rapper has been denied bail on numerous occasions, and deemed a potential flight risk in the months leading up to the trial, while his incarceration has served as a near-constant source of tabloid news.

Those curious about the status of Diddy’s trial should be sure to read ahead, as we’ll outline all of the key information in the massive legal case. It should be noted that Combs has denied any and all wrongdoing and has not yet faced a conviction for any of the alleged misconduct. With no further preamble, let’s dive right in and parse through the latest updates on Diddy’s ongoing legal battles.

Combs’ reign in the entertainment industry took a sharp turn in late 2023

Though Diddy has been a massive public name for decades, his legal troubles didn’t begin until late 2023. In November of that year, the rapper’s former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit in a New York court, accusing him of physical abuse and sexual assault. The case was settled privately just a day after it was filed, though many onlookers consider it to be the beginning of the end for the mogul’s illustrious career.

Shortly after this suit was thrown out, Diddy was accused of sexual assault, racketeering and breach of contract by his producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. Jones’ filing stemmed from Diddy’s apparent failure to compensate him for work done on the latter’s 2023 project The Love Album: Off The Grid. Jones also alleged that Diddy had coerced him into helping to procure sex workers for a series of off-shore yacht parties, including one where Diddy and others allegedly groped and sexually harassed the producer.

From there, Diddy’s luck continued to run thin. Homeland Security agents raided Combs’ properties along both coasts in March of 2024, citing an ongoing investigation into an alleged sex trafficking operation. In doing so, the federal agents uncovered multiple firearms, including a pair of AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers, per the New York Times. They also found a now-infamous stockpile of more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil. These supplies, and others, are said to have been utilized during Diddy’s so-called “freak-off” events. Such events are rumored to have included live sex shows, illicit prostitution and attendance from some of the entertainment industry’s biggest names.

Following Cassie’s bombshell allegations, when was Diddy arrested?

Just two months after the coordinated Homeland Security raid, a shocking surveillance video was released, which seemed to show Combs punching, kicking and dragging Cassie Ventura through the halls of the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Per CNN, Diddy publicly apologized for his actions in the video, originally filmed in 2016.

In a now-deleted social media post, the rapper stated, “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now… But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

Unfortunately for Combs, it seems that federal agents were not convinced that his misconduct was relegated to the past, as the rapper was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024 in connection with the raids from the spring. Since then, Diddy has been incarcerated while awaiting trial. During his incarceration, Combs became the subject of a series of additional civil and criminal suits dating back to the early 1990s.

An attorney by the name of Tony Buzbee has taken on numerous clients as part of a growing case against Diddy, and claims to have received thousands of calls from other potential victims. If Buzbee is to be taken at his word, the total number of civil suits to be brought against Diddy could clock in at over 300 victims, not counting those allegedly assaulted by the mogul in states where the statute of limitations has expired.

What is racketeering?

After Diddy was arrested, a number of fans took to the net to question the federal charges levied against him. While most understood the sex trafficking offenses as they relate to the freak-off events, many people took issue with the racketeering charges. Generally speaking, racketeering is defined as a set of multiple illegal activities, carried out with the intent of generating a commercial profit, which have been disguised as legitimate business deals.

This typically might refer to the kind of mob activity you might see in an episode of The Sopranos. In the case of Diddy specifically, these charges refer to his alleged use of his record label and other business deals to transfer cash for violent crimes, fraud, bribery and extortion.

The primary law which regulates these crimes is known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO for short. RICO charges are often brought against numerous parties at once for their involvement in a sweeping criminal conspiracy. This makes the charges against Diddy fairly unusual, as the federal government has not arrested anyone else in connection with Diddy’s case.

What was the embattled mogul’s plea deal?

As reported by NBC, Diddy rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors before his trial. Though the exact details of the plea deal have not been released to the public, accepting the deal would have resulted in a marginally lighter sentence. Crucially, this deal would require Diddy to plead guilty to some number of charges, despite his firmly-held stance that he is an innocent man. Had he accepted the terms, the rapper could have effectively skipped the entire trial by jury process and accepted a direct sentence of prison time, parole or added community service. Given the nature of his alleged offenses, however, it seems likely that he would remain behind bars for some years no matter what terms the plea bargain contained.

What’s happening in Diddy’s courtroom so far?

After Combs’ initial arrest back in September 2024, his trial was scheduled to kick off the following May. This allowed both sides to prepare their statements, parse through a mountain of discovery data and establish arguments that align with court precedents. On Monday, May 12, jury selection finally concluded, allowing the courts to proceed with the trial. The jury panel is composed of a 12-member grouping with eight men and four women.

Opening statements also took place on May 12, with the prosecution leaning heavily on the infamous InterContinental video and discussing the terms of Diddy’s relationship with Cassie over the years. According to the previously mentioned report in the New York Times, the state’s case will rest on the notion that Combs has constructed an elaborate web of criminal conspiracies over the past two decades, which include kidnapping, trafficking, forced labor, bribery, witness intimidation and even arson.

Combs’ on-camera abuse of Cassie is the first of many examples prosecutors plan to employ in order to outline an ongoing pattern of behavior. If convicted, Diddy could spend the rest of his life behind bars. Although the soon-to-be mother of three has been called as a witness for the state, Diddy’s legal team aims to negate any connection between their tumultuous relationship and the other charges the rapper is facing.

Multiple employees and former employees of Combs have also been tapped to appear as witnesses, though the full state witness list has not been publicly released. Los Angeles Police Officer Israel Florez took the stand as the state’s first witness, according to CNN, before testifying that he responded to a “woman in distress” call during the 2016 InterContinental incident.

Unpacking the trial’s opening statements

As stated, most of the opening statements made by the prosecution were focused on convincing the jury that Diddy has built a carefully constructed criminal empire over the course of the last several decades. Per a report from CNN, Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson argued that Combs instructed his employees to carry out a series of illegal acts on his behalf, tantamount to criminal racketeering.

In court, Johnson articulated, “Together they agreed to commit different crimes, kidnapping, arson, distributing drugs to other people, exploiting employees for labor.” While presenting these arguments, Johnson highlighted dozens of text messages exchanged by Diddy and his staff, as well as a number of explicit videos from the multi-day freak-off events. She concluded that Diddy “called himself the king and expected to be treated like one.”

In contrast to the state’s damning testimony, Diddy’s defense team argued that the music mogul is a complicated, emotional and flawed man. However, as attorney Teny Geragos stated in response to the InterContinental footage, “Domestic violence is not sex trafficking.” Geragos conceded that the freak-off video footage contained uncomfortable-to-watch material. However, she argued that the sex acts caught on camera were all consensual in nature, and “not based on coercion.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Diddy ever propose to Cassie?

Outside of the now-infamous Intercontinental Hotel video, Diddy and Cassie’s relationship was a known fixture in the entertainment industry for a number of years. The couple, who first began seeing each other in 2007, had an on-again, off-again romance through to 2018. Throughout that time, they collaborated on songs, appeared arm-in-arm at numerous red carpet events, and sparked a number of engagement rumors. Despite these rumors, there is no concrete evidence ever to suggest that Diddy ever proposed to Cassie Ventura. Just a year after their eventual break-up, Cassie married personal trainer Alex Fine.

How many kids does Cassie have?

Cassie and Diddy never had any children together. Still, Cassie is a mother of two, and has a third child on the way, according to a February 2025 Instagram post. All three of Cassie’s children have been fathered by her husband, Alex Fine. The couple share two daughters, Frankie and Sunny. The name and gender of their next addition have not yet been revealed to the public.

How much is Diddy worth now?

As you can imagine, the entire legal saga Combs has faced over the last two years has been extremely taxing on his finances. Diddy has lost numerous business deals due to the fallout from these controversies and has been forced to sell off some assets to protect the reputation of his brand partners. The rapper was once rumored to have a net worth of over $1 billion, though today, he touts an estimated $400 million in total, per Newsweek. While this number is still quite impressive, it’s expected that his ongoing legal defenses and upcoming civil suits will put a heavy drain on Diddy’s funds.