Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to a revised indictment that includes new accusations of forced labor and sex trafficking. The updated charges claim that the hip-hop mogul pressured his staff to work long hours under threats of physical harm and damage to their reputations.
Additionally, it is alleged that he coerced at least one employee into engaging in sexual activities with him. Combs’s legal team has denied the allegations of coercion, asserting that any encounters were consensual with his partners.
Known as one of the biggest rappers in the U.S., Combs is expected to face a federal trial regarding sex trafficking and racketeering. The new allegations in the revised indictment are tied to the racketeering charge. Furthermore, Combs is dealing with several lawsuits claiming rape and assault, which his attorneys have dismissed as “blatant attempts to attract media attention.”
On Friday, Combs appeared in a courtroom in New York’s southern district federal court, wearing greenish prison clothing and looking disheveled with gray hair and a beard. He chose to stand while entering his plea. When a judge asked if he had gone over the indictment, he responded, “Yes, I have, sir.”
DIDDY TRIAL—Sean ‘DIDDY’ Combs kids Christian, and Chance, leaving court with Diddy’s mother Janice Combs. The judge says opening statements are moved to May 12th. #nyc #diddy #seandiddycombs @1010WINS pic.twitter.com/unDMvbHAqS
— Mary-Lyn Buckley (@ml_buckley) March 14, 2025
Judge Arun Subramanian informed the legal teams that questionnaires would be distributed to hundreds of potential jurors by the end of April, with jury selection scheduled for May 5, and opening statements expected on May 12. The indictment claims that Combs used his “influence and status” in the music industry to intimidate and attract women into his orbit, often under the pretense of romantic relationships.
Since his arrest in September, Combs has been held without bail and is facing trial on charges of offering, promoting, and transporting individuals for prostitution, as part of an alleged sex trafficking operation that prosecutors claim has been running for decades.
