P Diddy will stand trial next May, it has been revealed.
The rapper, whose real name is Sean Combs, was arrested last month on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The trial was scheduled by Judge Subramanian to take place on May 5. However, according to TMZ, after the judge told Diddy’s lawyers the trial could begin in May, federal prosecutors then revealed their investigation is ongoing and it may result in additional charges against Diddy.
Diddy continues to deny all allegations made against him and had asked to be granted bail for a third time since his arrest. Diddy is currently imprisoned in Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York. He currently faces 100 allegations of sexual abuse (a combination of criminal and civil suits).
Diddy will appear in court in May (
AFP via Getty Images)
As he appeared in court on Thursday, members of his family arrived, including his mum, Janice Combs, and his twin daughters. Janice had previously offered a statement of support to her son, insisting he was “not a monster.
Their appearance comes following reports they had visited the rapper in jail in what TMZ reported as an “emotional” reunion. Justin and King Combs, who were present during the raids on Diddy’s home, also showed up to the New York court in support of their father.
Since the Bad Boy Record founder’s initial arrest, it’s said upwards of 120 victims have come forward, but Diddy maintains his innocence. In a statement by his legal team, they said he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus.
His team said: “Mr Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors. He looks forward to proving his innocence and vindicating himself in court, where the truth will be established based on evidence, not speculation.”
Janice Combs, right, mother of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, arrives at Manhattan federal court (
AP)
Diddy was demanding a trial as early as spring. In a filing to the US Department of Justice, Diddy’s legal team requested investigators turn over evidence they have against him so they are able to ‘review the material in advance of a spring trial date’. The document, which was seen by The Mirror, also stated that Diddy ‘continues to assert his right to a speedy trial’ and said he had requested an April or May 2025 trial date.
The filing requested access to the materials that had been seized from Diddy following the raids on his Miami and Los Angeles homes in March. The government stated in the document that they have several terabytes of electronic material, including phones, laptops, tablets, hard drives, and cloud accounts from Diddy and third parties. They’re also looking at ‘physical evidence seized in searches of the defendant’s residence’.