A U.S. judge denied on Friday Diddy Combs’ bid to postpone his upcoming sex trafficking trial for two months.
U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian said the hip-hop tycoon’s request was too close to his trial. Jury selection is currently scheduled to begin on May 5 and statements will be opened on May 12.
Combs, 55, pleaded not guilty to five counts of crimes including extortion and sexual trafficking. Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys in Manhattan said the comb used his business empire to sexually abuse women between 2004 and 2024.
Combs’ lawyers said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consistent.
In court filings Wednesday, COMBS attorney Marc Agnifilo asked Subramanian to postpone the trial because he needed more time to prepare his defense for the new charges brought on April 4. Agnifilo also said the defense needs more time to review the emails and hopes that the alleged victims can be handed over.
Federal prosecutors opposed any delays and wrote in an application filed by the court on Thursday that the additional charges filed earlier this month were not quite large. They say the combs are not entitled to communications from the so-called victims.
Subramanian is also weighing other issues of evidence, such as whether alleged victims are allowed to testify under false names.
During his career, Combs, also known as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, founded Bad Boy Records and helped rappers and R&B singers (such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans), the infamous Big and usher became stars in the 1990s and 2000s.
But prosecutors said his success covered the dark side. They say his so-called abuse involves having women attend recorded sex shows with male sex workers, called “freaks,” who sometimes travel across states.
