Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs says he is ‘a little nervous’ as his trial gets underway

Jury selection at the start of the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs was briefly paused when the hip-hop entrepreneur said he was “a little nervous” and needed a bathroom break.

The trial of Combs, whose successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence, began on Monday in New York City.

Three dozen potential jurors were questioned by Judge Arun Subramanian about their answers on a questionnaire meant to help determine if they could be fair and impartial at a trial that will feature violent and sexually explicit videos.

Opening statements and the start of testimony are scheduled for next week.

The judge gave the would-be jurors a brief description of the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges against Combs, telling them he had pleaded not guilty and was presumed innocent.

A similar number of jurors was expected to be questioned on Tuesday. A jury was not expected to be chosen before Wednesday.

Throughout Monday, Combs, 55, sat with his lawyers in a sweater over a white collared shirt and grey slacks, which the judge had allowed rather than jail clothing. He has been held in a federal lockup in Brooklyn since his arrest last September.

His hair and goatee were almost fully grey because dye is not allowed in jail.

Unlike other recent high-profile celebrity trials, Combs’ court case will not be broadcast live because federal courtrooms do not allow electronic recordings inside.

If convicted of all charges, he could face up to life in prison.

Several prospective jurors indicated they had seen news reports featuring a key piece of evidence in the case, a video of the hip-hop mogul hitting and kicking one of his accusers in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.

One prospective juror was rejected after she described a still image she saw from the video as “damning evidence”.

After another juror was dismissed, Combs asked for a bathroom break, telling the judge: “I’m sorry, your honour. I’m a little nervous today.”

The 17-page indictment against Combs alleges that Combs engaged in a two-decade racketeering pattern of abusive behaviour against women and others, with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses.

Combs and his lawyers say he is innocent and that  any group sex was consensual. They say there was no effort to coerce people into things they did not want to do and nothing that happened amounted to a criminal racket.

Prosecutors say women were manipulated into drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers that Combs called “Freak Offs”.

To keep women in line, prosecutors say Combs used a mix of influence and violence: He offered to boost their entertainment careers if they did what he asked or cut them off.

The indictment says Combs and his associates resorted to violent acts, including beatings, kidnapping and arson. Once, the indictment alleges, he even dangled someone from a balcony.

Combs has acknowledged one episode of violence that is considered a key piece of the prosecution’s case.

In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. She filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape.

His lawyer Marc Agnifilo has said Combs was “not a perfect person” and that there had been drug use and toxic relationships, but said all sexual activity between Combs, Cassie and other people was consensual.