Amid Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex-crimes trial, the public’s only look into the court proceedings is courtroom sketches.
A centuries-old method of capturing key moments and figures in high-profile proceedings, sketch artists are hired by news agencies to quickly draw what they see as trials unfold.
Because Combs faces federal criminal charges (for sex trafficking and racketeering), the presence of “electronic media” like cameras is expressly banned, due to a procedural rule passed in 1946. State courts tend to be more flexible.
As a result, illustrators like Jane Rosenberg for Reuters and Elizabeth Williams for The Associated Press, as well as the reporters taking handwritten notes from inside the courtroom, provide the only accounts from the trial.
Diddy trial livestream: Why you won’t be able to watch inside the courtroom
Internet skewers courtroom sketches: ‘A different vibe’
Being the only window to the trial is apparently a thankless job, though, as many people online have ripped into the images coming out of the courtroom.
“The Diddy trial sketches are killing me,” an X user wrote with a laughing emoji, while another wrote: “Diddy court sketches really give this trial a different vibe.”
“The Diddy courtroom sketches are prime meme material,” one user added.
One X user was particularly harsh: “The Diddy sketch artist needs to be put on trial next.”
The Diddy sketch artist needs to be put on trial next pic.twitter.com/sXixouXUnG
— Jayroo (@jayroo69) May 14, 2025
Courtroom sketching is a dying art, though, that isn’t necessarily going for accuracy.
“It’s not always about drawing the most perfect, beautiful picture,” Elizabeth Williams, a sketch artist in President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, told NPR in 2024. “It’s about trying to draw the most honest and true and real moment, so people can understand what’s going on in that courtroom.”
Contributing: Anna Kaufman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy trial sketches: Internet reacts
