Sean Combs’ Attempt to Postpone Sex Trafficking Trial Denied: What This Means for the Hip-Hop Mogul

A federal judge has chosen not to postpone the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, which means that it will proceed as planned in May.

Combs, who faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, appeared in Manhattan federal court before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian on Friday, April 18. Subramanian confirmed that the trial would not be delayed, as reported by various news outlets.

The founder of Bad Boy Records had requested a two-month delay, arguing that the prosecution had been slow in providing evidence following a superseding indictment filed in April. This delay, his attorneys claimed, hindered their ability to prepare adequately for trial.

Subramanian responded to Combs and his legal team, stating that he found it “unclear why there isn’t sufficient time to prepare.”

Additionally, Combs’ lawyers have sought to exclude a video allegedly showing the mogul abusing his former partner, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

This surveillance footage, reported last May, depicts Combs, dressed only in a towel and socks, pursuing Ventura and striking her.

As Ventura lay motionless on the floor, Combs appears to kick her and subsequently throws an object at her from a table.

In November 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of assault and alleging that his actions matched the events shown in the surveillance video. The lawsuit was settled just one day after being filed.

Combs’ legal team alleged that the video had been “altered, manipulated,” and “sped up,” and claimed the original had been destroyed. They argued that it should be excluded since prosecutors could not guarantee its authenticity.

The news organization in question refuted these claims, asserting that it had neither altered the footage nor destroyed the original, which it maintains was kept by the source.

On April 17, Judge Subramanian approved a request to allow Brian Steel, who previously represented rapper Young Thug in a prominent Georgia RICO case, to join Combs’ legal team.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which, if he is convicted on all counts, could result in a lifetime prison sentence. He also faces numerous civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, claims he has continually denied.

Since his arrest in September, Combs has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being denied bail.

Jury selection for his trial is set to begin on May 5.