(New York) A Manhattan federal court judge set Thursday for May 5, 2025 the start of the criminal trial of American rapper and hip-hop producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, accused of having run a violent system of sex trafficking and extortion.
Judge Arun Subramanian also ordered the continued detention of the artist, who appeared in court. Wearing a rumpled shirt and pants, he greeted his mother and children as he entered the courtroom, before listening to the judge set a procedural timetable.
“The accused will remain in detention,” the judge also ordered, noting that no request for early release had been filed by his lawyers, after two rejections since his arrest in mid-September.
In parallel with this criminal procedure, the 54-year-old rapper is also being sued in civil court by more than 120 victims, including 25 minors at the time of the events, who accuse him of sexual assault, according to their American lawyers.
In Manhattan federal court, he is accused by prosecutors of having put his musical “empire” at the service of a violent system of trafficking for sexual exploitation. The rapper has pleaded not guilty and says he is innocent.
An artist with multiple nicknames and hats in the world of music and business, P. Diddy is described by his alleged victims as a sexually violent predator, who used alcohol and drugs to obtain their submission.