Daily SumUp

Jury selection is set to begin Monday, May 5, in New York in the high-profile trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, whose career has unraveled following his incarceration on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering.

Combs, 55, has been awaiting trial since 2024, accused of leading a criminal enterprise that prosecutors say coerced victims into drug-fueled sex parties through threats and violence. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and maintains that any sex acts were consensual.

At a recent hearing, Combs’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, gave a glimpse of the defense strategy, characterizing the artist’s conduct as part of a consensual “swinger” lifestyle.

Prosecutors told the court that they had extended a plea deal to Combs — though the terms remain undisclosed but he declined to accept it.

If convicted, Combs, once credited with bringing hip-hop into the cultural mainstream, could face life in prison. Beyond his success in music, Combs has built a vast fortune through ventures in the liquor business and other industries.