Diddy remains in prison as his sex trafficking trial begins in May 2025

The federal sex trafficking trial of US rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025, a judge in New York said on Thursday.

According to Federal Judge Arun Subramanian, Diddy will remain in custody until then.

Diddy was arrested Sept. 16 on three felony charges alleging he sexually abused women and forced them to attend drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence.

Subramanian was assigned to the case after another judge recused himself in the case due to his previous contacts with lawyers.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Robyn Tarnofsky ordered Diddy jailed while he awaits trial after pleading not guilty to the 14-page federal indictment against him.

Combs’ lawyers have tried unsuccessfully to get him released on bail, but two judges twice denied him bail. One of them argued that Combs was a “serious risk of flight.”

At the recent hearing, Marc Agnifilo, Combs’ attorney, raised concerns about what he said were improper disclosures of information about the case by federal agents.

He also asked the judge to exclude a video of the 54-year-old rap star attacking his former girlfriend Cassie in 2016 from being used in the trial.

However, prosecutor Emily Johnson called the claim baseless. The assistant U.S. attorney said the lawsuit was “simply a means of attempting to exclude a damning piece of evidence.”

“None of these alleged leaks came from members of the law enforcement team,” Johnson said.