Sean 'Diddy' Combs pleads not guilty to allegations in superseding indictment

Marc Agnifilo, one of Combs' lawyers, told the judge that the defense team "recently came into possession of a great deal of medical records." He said the defense team needed "an expert to explain what they mean."

Subramanian told Agnifilo to put that request in a letter so the court has it on the docket.

Subramanian set the next pretrial conference for April 25, ahead of jury questionnaires.

He told the lawyers that, if needed, they can schedule another pretrial conference before the trial's opening statements.

Subramanian told the lawyers they need to discuss whether the CNN hotel video can be used during the trial. If they can't reach a compromise, he said, both sides will need to file motions.

Subramanian and the lawyers on both sides of the case are now discussing hotel security camera footage showing Combs beating an ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in 2016. The video was obtained and aired by CNN.

Combs' lawyers have alleged that the video aired by CNN was "substantially altered." CNN has forcefully denied that claim, with a spokesperson saying in a statement: "CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source."

Judge Arun Subramanian said jury selection will begin May 5, with the trial tentatively slated to start May 12.

Combs just pleaded not guilty to the allegations described in the superseding indictment at the center of today's hearing.

The superseding indictment accuses the embattled hip-hop mogul of forcing employees to work long hours with little sleep and using threats to get them to comply with his demands.

Several members of Combs' family, including at least one of his sons and one of his daughters, have arrived outside court in a black SUV.

Prosecutors have arrived, too, and they are chatting with the defense team near the jury box.

Alexandra Shapiro, the defense appellate attorney, has joined in the conversation with prosecutors.

Combs' attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, have arrived in the courtroom. They're setting up their documents on the defense table.

There's no sign yet of Combs’ mother and children, who usually arrive by now. We are minutes from the start of the hearing.

In a legal filing submitted last night, Combs' lawyers proposed that jury selection start on May 5 and May 6 with two written questionnaire days.

"We propose that the Jury Clerk summon 300 jurors on May 5, 2025 to complete written questionnaires administered and supervised by the Jury Clerk on site at the courthouse," the lawyers wrote in the filing. "We propose that the Jury Clerk summon an additional 300 jurors on May 6th, 2025, to similarly complete the written questionnaires."

"The parties would then collect and review the completed questionnaires, and lodge for-cause challenges between May 6 and May 8, 2025, with agreed-on challenges reported to the Court on May 9, 2025," the lawyers added.

In May, CNN aired hotel security camera footage showing Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. Combs subsequently issued an apology, writing in an Instagram post: "My behavior on that video is inexcusable."

Combs' lawyers, in a legal filing submitted last night, alleged the footage aired by the news network had been "substantially altered in significant respects," and therefore does not "fairly and accurately depict the events in question."

CNN pushed back on that claim today.

"CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source," a spokesperson for the news organization said in a statement. "CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested."

An attorney representing Combs in his sex trafficking case announced in February that he is stepping down as counsel.

Anthony Ricco filed a motion in a New York City court, saying “under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs.”

Ricco, who had been retained by Combs in September, did not give an explanation but said it would not affect Combs’ May 5 federal trial date.

Read the full story here.

In a statement after the superseding indictment was filed, Combs’ lawyer said his client “vehemently denies the accusations” made by federal prosecutors.

“He looks forward to his day in court when it will become clear that he has never forced anyone to engage in sexual acts against their will,” Marc Agnifilo said.

Agnifilo went on to say that many of Combs’ former employees “stand by his side, prepared to attest to the dedication, hard work and inspiration they experienced while helping build groundbreaking, award-winning businesses.”

The superseding indictment, filed March 6 in federal court in New York, contains no new charges. But it describes Combs’ attempts to keep an extreme level of control over his employees, “whom he forced to work long hours with little sleep,” prosecutors say.

Combs made these demands “through the use of, among other things, physical force, psychological harm, financial harm, and reputational harm, and/or threats of the same,” according to the indictment. 

In one case, Combs forced an employee to “engage in sex acts” with him, the indictment states.

The indictment accuses Combs of engaging in “acts of violence” when employees or witnesses threatened his “authority or reputation,” including arson, kidnapping, throwing objects at people and — on one occasion — dangling someone over an apartment balcony.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is being detained at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Correctional Center.

He is being housed in the same unit as FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding users of his cryptocurrency exchange. 

The facility also houses Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.