Live updates: Jury set to begin deliberations in the Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial
Update:
Date: 5 min ago
Title: Catch up on the charges and evidence presented to the jury in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial
Content:
It's been more than six weeks since testimony began in the federal criminal trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
As the case heads to the jury today, CNN's Laura Coates recaps the five counts faced by the music mogul — and the key evidence jurors will consider:
CNN's Laura Coates goes over the five counts hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs is charged with, the key evidence and testimony presented to jurors, and how the defense disputes the allegations. #cnn #diddy #seancombstrial
Update:
Date: 5 min ago
Title: How media coverage of major trials has evolved in the post-OJ Simpson era
Content:
Salacious details, discussion of domestic violence and a Black male celebrity who for decades had a strong base of supporters: While the alleged crimes are not the same, some of the cultural issues involved could describe both the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs in 2025 and that of OJ Simpson in 1995.
Simpson's case sparked an era of 'trialtainment,' with an abundance of viewers and readers following an exhaustive round-the-clock news cycle, absorbing every detail of the bombshell murder case.
Thirty years later, as the world awaits a verdict in Combs' federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial, interest in celebrity court cases remains high, but public discourse around race and intimate partner violence has changed.
'I think a lot of women have evolved in terms of taking a stance that we can speak up. We are now just being comfortable with speaking up, and this is as a result of the #MeToo movement,' legal analyst and entertainment law expert Lisa Bonner, who is not connected to either case, told CNN.
Simpson, who died in April 2024 at the age of 76 following a battle with cancer, was accused of fatally stabbing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. The star football player and actor was acquitted in 1995.
Combs is facing allegations of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. The mogul and music artist has pleaded not guilty.
Read more here about how the coverage of the two cases reflects an evolution in 'trialtainment.'
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Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Jury returns to deliberate for a second day at Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his fame, fortune and a roster of employees and associates to help him coerce and force two different girlfriends to repeatedly perform sexually with male sex workers for days at a time while he watched and sometimes filmed the drug-fueled events. Defense lawyers say prosecutors are unjustly basing federal crimes on what Combs did in the bedroom with his girlfriends as they participated in the swinger lifestyle and on acts of domestic violence involving their client. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Combs, 55, could face 15 years in prison to life behind bars if he is convicted of all charges. Advertisement After pleading not guilty, Combs chose not to testify as his lawyers built their arguments for acquittal mostly through lengthy cross examinations of dozens of witnesses called by prosecutors, including some of Combs' former employees who took the witness stand reluctantly only after being granted immunity. When jurors first left the room to begin deliberating on Monday, Combs sat for a while slumped in his chair at the defense table before standing and turning toward three rows of spectators packed with his family and friends. Those supporters held hands and lowered their heads in prayer, as did Combs, who was several feet from them in the well of the courtroom. After they finished, they together applauded, and so did Combs, still clapping as he turned back toward the front of the room. Advertisement Combs also showed off two books he's reading: 'The Power of Positive Thinking' by Norman Vincent Peale and 'The Happiness Advantage' by Shawn Achor. Barely an hour into deliberations, the jury foreperson sent a note to the judge, complaining that there was one juror 'who we are concerned cannot follow your Honor's instructions. May I please speak with your Honor or may you please interview him?' The judge decided instead to send jurors a note reminding them of their duties to deliberate and obligation to follow his instructions on the law. By day's end, the jury seemed back on track, requesting clarification about what qualifies as drug distribution, an aspect of the racketeering conspiracy charge that will help determine whether Combs can be convicted or exonerated on the count.
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Jury returns to deliberate for a second day at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK (AP) — A jury returns to deliberate for a second day Tuesday at the sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs. On Monday, jurors deliberated over five hours without reaching a verdict after receiving instructions on the law from the trial judge, Arun Subramanian. They are deciding whether prosecutors have proven racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges during a trial that began in early May. Prosecutors say Combs for two decades used his fame, fortune and a roster of employees and associates to help him coerce and force two different girlfriends to repeatedly perform sexually with male sex workers for days at a time while he watched and sometimes filmed the drug-fueled events. Defense lawyers say prosecutors are unjustly basing federal crimes on what Combs did in the bedroom with his girlfriends as they participated in the swinger lifestyle and on acts of domestic violence involving their client. Combs, 55, could face 15 years in prison to life behind bars if he is convicted of all charges. After pleading not guilty, Combs chose not to testify as his lawyers built their arguments for acquittal mostly through lengthy cross examinations of dozens of witnesses called by prosecutors, including some of Combs' former employees who took the witness stand reluctantly only after being granted immunity. When jurors first left the room to begin deliberating on Monday, Combs sat for a while slumped in his chair at the defense table before standing and turning toward three rows of spectators packed with his family and friends. Those supporters held hands and lowered their heads in prayer, as did Combs, who was several feet from them in the well of the courtroom. After they finished, they together applauded, and so did Combs, still clapping as he turned back toward the front of the room. Combs also showed off two books he's reading: 'The Power of Positive Thinking' by Norman Vincent Peale and 'The Happiness Advantage' by Shawn Achor. Barely an hour into deliberations, the jury foreperson sent a note to the judge, complaining that there was one juror 'who we are concerned cannot follow your Honor's instructions. May I please speak with your Honor or may you please interview him?' The judge decided instead to send jurors a note reminding them of their duties to deliberate and obligation to follow his instructions on the law. By day's end, the jury seemed back on track, requesting clarification about what qualifies as drug distribution, an aspect of the racketeering conspiracy charge that will help determine whether Combs can be convicted or exonerated on the count.
3 hours ago
Could you be an impartial juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial?
For more than 30 years, Sean Combs was a dominant presence in New York's music and culture scene, as he turned a startup record label and a "Bad Boy" reputation into a nearly billion-dollar business empire. Now, some of the same New Yorkers who witnessed Combs' stunning rise are following his staggering fall from grace during the rap mogul's federal trial. On Monday, a jury of eight men and four women began deliberating whether Combs is guilty of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in proposition. Prosecutors allege that Combs leveraged his employees and influence to coerce women into sex before turning to threats and violence to ensure their silence. Combs has pleaded not guilty and insists that any sexual activity was between consenting adults. With the allegations against Combs well-publicized ahead of the trial, about half of the jurors on the panel acknowledged they had previously heard about the claims. Some of the jurors said they watched the 2016 surveillance video of Combs violently assaulting his ex-girlfriend and star witness Cassie Ventura, while others admitted seeing online memes about baby oil and AstroGlide, of which prosecutors say they recovered more than 1,000 bottles when they raided Combs' homes. Each of the jurors who made it on the final panel told the judge they would be able to set aside their knowledge of the case and decide it based on only the evidence at trial. "The right to an impartial jury doesn't mean jurors who've never heard of a defendant," said Justin Levitt, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. "It means jurors who are able to hear the evidence and the judge's instructions on the law, and come to a fair conclusion without making up their minds in advance." Trials of high-profile figures put a unique strain on the process for selecting jurors, with the fame of some defendants limiting the pool of potential jurors while also raising the possibility that some people are overly eager to serve on the jury. After weeks of testimony, one juror in the Combs trial was dismissed over concerns he provided inconsistent answers during the selection process to ensure he made it on the jury. When ABC News approached 12 New Yorkers randomly -- in New York City and Combs' hometown of Mount Vernon in Westchester County -- nearly every person said they were familiar with Combs' life, work, and the allegations against him. "I think that you have to be able to take out your appreciation for someone, and you know, things you might love about them to make a true and honest conviction of what you believe the truth is," said Travis Lapp, a 22-year-old student and musician from SoHo. "I love me some Diddy. I love me some Diddy music. But if he's wrong, he's wrong," said Salisha Winter, who was interviewed by ABC News in downtown Mount Vernon. Other New Yorkers said they were unfamiliar with the specific allegations against Combs or his body of work; however, the prolific number of online memes or jokes about the claims has defined their view of the case. "I know who Sean Combs is," said Max, a 36-year-old art dealer. "I guess, musician, the whole baby oil thing." "I feel like I would probably have some issues being able to be unbiased. I mean, he's all over social media," added Brinkley, a 25-year-old filmmaker who was interviewed in SoHo. According to Levitt, the jury selection process was built to root out those preexisting biases from making their way into the courtroom. While Combs' reputation might precede him in the eyes of some potential jurors, to be seated on the final jury, individuals need to vow to set those beliefs aside. "The trial system is structured to try to help jurors decide impartially. Vibes are always in the background, but it's not just vibes -- it's a stream of evidence under particular rules, with constant reminders to let that evidence be the guide," Levitt noted. When asked by ABC News, most of the 12 New Yorkers who were questioned on the street said they believe Combs will ultimately get a fair trial, even if the same people who witnessed his rise and fall in real time are the ones to decide his fate. "I do think I could do it fairly and impartially, but I also think it takes a special person to do that," said Lapp. "I think that you have to be able to take out your appreciation for someone, and you know, things you might love about them to make a true and honest conviction of what you believe the truth is." In other words, can you separate the man from the art? "Yes exactly," Lapp responded. "I can." And while Combs was recognized by many New Yorkers, his fame was not universal. Sandy, a 82-year-old retiree from Manhattan, told ABC News he would have no issues being a juror against Combs, in part because he has no idea who he is. "I've heard the name," he said. "I don't care."
