May Trial Date Set for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in Sex Trafficking Case

The Combs family departs from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York after a pre-trial hearing for Sean 'Diddy' Combs, in New York City on Oct. 10, 2024. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

A trial date has officially been set for Sean “Diddy” Combs, with the prosecution hinting at the possibility of new charges against the embattled rapper.

During Combs’s court appearance on Oct. 10, Manhattan federal Judge Arun Subramanian announced the 54-year-old will stand trial for his sex trafficking case on May 5 next year.

While the trial is expected to last about a month, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the length could change depending on additional charges from a superseding indictment.

“Our investigation is very much ongoing; the possibility of a superseding indictment could affect the length of the trial,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson.

Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, and is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

He was present in the courtroom, wearing a beige jail jumpsuit, unhandcuffed but in ankle shackles. Combs’s mother and children—twins Jessie & D’Lila, daughter Chance, and sons Christian, Justin, and Quincy—were also present.

Following his arrest on Sept. 16, authorities have seized nearly 100 electronic devices from Combs during raids of his homes and are still sifting through all of the material.

It could take up to a month for his legal team to receive the discovery material, but the prosecution noted they had begun the process of turning over evidence.

During the Oct. 10 hearing, Subramanian—who is set to preside over the case—responded to the defense’s claims that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had leaked a crucial piece of evidence.

Combs accused federal agents and prosecutors of unlawfully leaking hotel security footage from 2016 to CNN, which showed him attacking his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura. At the time, Combs broke his silence after the video was released and apologized for his actions, saying that he had hit “rock bottom.”

“Not a single one of those alleged leaks are from members of the prosecution team,” Johnson said.

As a result, Subramanian agreed to impose an order instructing both sides to comply and protect grand jury material and nonpublic evidence.

In recent days, Combs’s lawyers filed a bail appeal requesting his release from jail prior to his trial despite having been denied twice previously.

His attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, argued that his detention was “based on speculation” and violated obligations under the Bail Reform Act.

“This case does involve ‘extreme and unusual circumstances’—but none that typically foreclose bail or warrant forcing Sean Combs to defend himself from a prison cell,” reads the Oct. 8 filing.

“What is extreme and unusual about this case is that Mr. Combs was detained immediately after he was charged, even though he has been in the spotlight his entire life, with many of his purported antics and episodes being widely reported in the press and known to law enforcement authorities.”

Meanwhile, Subramanian said Combs can return to court in December unless attorneys on both sides agree that the hearing is unnecessary.

Combs faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.