Last Thursday, the hip-hop mogul confirmed that he had rejected a prior agreement with the prosecutors, which could have given him a shorter sentence. According to BBC, Combs was dressed in beige prison clothes, but seemed to be in good spirits and waved to the courtroom audience in Los Angeles.
The indictment against him is long, with 78 lawsuits filed so far, according to Washington Post. Diddy is accused of, among other things, rape, sexual assault, extortion, and sex trafficking. In connection with so-called freak-offs – parties with sexual content – he is said to have assaulted both women and a couple of boys over a period of two decades.
Denies allegations
The 55-year-old denies all allegations. Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo has previously said that Diddy has lived as a swinger – a lifestyle that may be seen as inappropriate by the outside world, but not criminal.
Today, the procedure for selecting jurors begins. 150 people will be scrutinized before the prosecutor and defense attorneys can hold their opening statements on May 12. The trial is expected to last for eight weeks, with Sean "Diddy" Combs' former girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura as one of the key witnesses.
Allowed to wear other clothes
During the trial, the fashion-conscious Diddy has been permitted to wear other clothes than the prison uniform, writes BBC: "up to five button-down shirts, up to five pairs of pants, up to five sweaters, up to five pairs of socks and up to two pairs of shoes without laces".
The first day of the trial, coincidentally, takes place on the same day as the Met Gala – the fashion festival where Sean "Diddy" Combs was a regular guest.
