A federal judge has rejected Sean “Diddy” Combs’ request to postpone his upcoming sex-trafficking trial in May.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian ruled on Friday that Combs’ motion came too late, as the court had already scheduled the trial to commence on May 5.
The hip-hop star, 55, is facing five criminal charges, including sex trafficking and other illegal activities for over two decades.
He has been held in custody at a Brooklyn detention centre since September 2024.
Federal prosecutors allege that Combs used his influential entertainment empire to facilitate and conceal sexual exploitation of women from 2004 to 2024.
According to them, he orchestrated and profited from “freak offs” — recorded sex acts involving women and male sex workers, who were sometimes transported across various states.
However, Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges with his legal team arguing that any sexual activity was consensual.
Defence attorney Marc Agnifilo asked the court earlier this week for a two-month delay, citing new charges filed on April 4 and the need to review additional email evidence related to an alleged victim in the case.
Prosecutors opposed the delay, stating the recent charges did not introduce substantially new acts, arguing that Combs is not entitled to the victim’s private communications.
Judge Subramanian is still considering other issues ahead of the trial, including whether accusers can testify anonymously.
Combs is known for founding Bad Boy Records and launching the careers of artists like Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, the Notorious B.I.G., and Usher.
Court Denies Diddy’s Request To Delay Sex-Trafficking Trial is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
