NEW YORK - Prosecutors and lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs are preparing for the final hearing before his federal sex-crimes trial.
Combs' attorneys and federal prosecutors are meeting with Judge Arun Subramanian on May 1 at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan for one last pre-trial conference, days before the hip-hop mogul's trial kicks off May 5.
Still up in the air are decisions about which expert witnesses will be allowed to testify during the trial, the jury questionnaire, as well as Combs' rejection of an apparent plea deal and other outstanding questions.
Combs was arrested in September and subsequently charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts.
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Combs' trial begins May 5 with jury selection, and opening statements are set to start May 12.
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings. USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom.
Diddy is charged with two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering.
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity. Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" - sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors claim they have video of.
Combs' charges echo some of the allegations in the more than 70 civil lawsuits filed against the Bad Boy Records founder. The claims of sexual abuse, drugging and physical assault span three decades, and include a lawsuit filed (and quickly settled) by his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, in November 2023, through to the most recent suit in April 2025.
During an April 25 pretrial conference, a prosecutor said Combs rejected a plea deal. The attorney did not share the terms of the plea offer, but indicated she wants Subramanian to confirm with Combs directly that his lawyers told him about the offer and that he made the decision to turn it down.
Subramanian indicated he will directly question Combs about the deal at the May 1 hearing.
Despite repeated attempts at bail, Combs was ordered to remain in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of trial - a ruling his legal team has challenged in the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. He has been in custody since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
Contributing: Jay Stahl, KiMi Robinson