On Friday, an American judge denied Sean’s attempt (Diddy) Combs to delay his next trial on two months’s sexual traffic.
The American district judge Arun Subramanian said that the hip-hop magnate had made his request too close to his trial. The selection of the jury is expected to start on May 5, with opening declarations on May 12.
Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking. Prosecutors of the American Manhattan lawyer’s office said that Combs used his commercial empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024.
Combs lawyers say that sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. He has been imprisoned in Brooklyn since September.
On Wednesday, in a legal file, the lawyer for Combs, Marc Agnifilo, asked Subramanian to delay the trial because he needed more time to prepare his defense for new accusations brought on April 4. Agnifilo also said that the defense needed more time to examine the emails that she wanted an alleged victim to turn around.
Federal prosecutors were opposed to any delay, writing to a table on Thursday that the additional accusations brought earlier this month did not constitute a significantly new conduct. They said that Combs was not entitled to the Communications of the alleged victim.
At the hearing on Thursday, Subramanian also granted the request of prosecutors to allow certain alleged victims to testify during the trial under the pseudonyms to protect their privacy.
Also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, Combs founded Bad Boy Records and is recognized for having helped to transform Rarefiers and Singers of R&B such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Notorious Big and inaugurate stars in the 1990s and 2000.
But the prosecutors said that his success had hidden a dark side. They say that her alleged abuses understood that women participate in recorded sexual performance called “freak-offs” with male workers, who were sometimes transported through the state.
After the end of Friday’s hearing, Combs turned briefly to the audience audience public to speak with his mother and other supporters, one of whom wore a black sweatshirt reading “Free Puff”.
“I love you all,” said Combs, kissing, before being led by American marshals.
