The judge presiding over Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking case remarked on the extensive list of names and places referenced in the case.
On Monday, May 5, jury selection for the musician’s long-awaited trial began, and over 600 potential jurors filled out questionnaires. Twelve jurors and six alternates are expected to be selected for the case this week.
Judge Arun Subramanian led jury selection, focusing in part on a long, unpublished list of names that may come up at trial. He noted its extreme length early in the day, then joked, “I read through the people and places list, which is several pages long. I felt I was reading an appendix from, like, The Lord of the Rings.”
The trial is expected to last eight weeks.
Related: Diddy ‘Is Very Eager’ to Testify at His Sex Abuse Trial but That Would ‘Expose Him,’ Expert Says (Exclusive)
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Sean Diddy Combs on September 20, 2017 in New York City.
During jury selection, the potential jurors were questioned about their knowledge of celebrities like Kanye West, Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers, Kid Cudi and Combs’ former girlfriend and singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Actress Lauren London, songwriter/producer Dallas Austin, producer Harve Pierre, choreographer/director Laurieann Gibson, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard and former Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams were also on the list.
The inclusion of these names does not guarantee they will be called as witnesses or named again throughout the proceedings. However, Cassie will testify using her name during the trial, PEOPLE exclusively reported in April.
On Monday, May 5, one juror told the court he was familiar with a few names from a list of hundreds of potential witnesses, singling out Jordan and Myers. Another said they recognized Jordan and Cudi. Both contended they could still impartially evaluate the evidence.
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Sean Diddy Combs on October 4, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Additionally, during Combs’ Monday, May 5, court arrival, he hugged his two defense attorneys as he entered the federal courtroom in Manhattan. Then, at one point, Combs asked Judge Subramanian if he could have a quick bathroom break, which the judge initially denied.
Combs, dressed in a blue blazer and bearing gray hair and beard, told Judge Subramanian, “I’m sorry, your honor, I’m a little nervous today.” Subramanian then granted him a two-minute break to relieve himself.
Related: Everything to Know About Diddy’s Sex Trafficking Trial — from ‘Freak Offs’ to a Key Witness
The Bad Boy Records founder is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
He was arrested in Manhattan and indicted by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York in September 2024.
The indictment alleged he participated in “freak offs,” which prosecutors claim were “elaborate and produced sex performances” involving coerced women and male sex workers that Combs allegedly orchestrated. If convicted, Combs could potentially spend the rest of his life in prison.
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Combs’ defense team has maintained that the sexual encounters were consensual. On Thursday, May 1, he appeared in court for a final pre-trial and turned down a written plea offer from the prosecution, and pleaded not guilty. The following day, he added New York City-based attorney Xavier R. Donaldson to his defense team days before his trial kicked off.
Combs is incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He was denied bail by three different federal judges, including Subramanian in November 2024.
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