Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs will remain in jail as his sex trafficking trial is scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.
Less than a month after his arrest at a New York City hotel on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for prostitution, Combs appeared before a judge during an October 10 status hearing.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who recently took over the case from Andrew L. Carter Jr., set the trial date for May 5, 2025.
The hearing followed a new appeal filed by Combs’ lawyers on October 9, seeking bail for the rapper, who has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn for three weeks. The defense argued that concerns he might “intimidate” witnesses were “unfounded,” according to court documents.
The appeal claimed that Judge Carter’s previous denial of bail was based on “speculation” rather than evidence of any intent to interfere with the investigation. Combs’ attorneys, Alexandra A.E. Shapiro and Jason A. Driscoll, emphasized their client’s willingness to face the charges and proposed strict monitoring conditions—including restrictions on phone and internet access and surveillance—to ensure his compliance while out on bail. They argued that Combs, who is “presumed innocent,” took “extraordinary steps” to demonstrate he would not flee.
“He took extraordinary steps to show he intended to face and contest the charges, not flee,” the filing stated. “He presented a bail package that would clearly prevent him from posing a danger or contacting witnesses.”
Despite the appeal, Judge Subramanian ruled that Combs would remain in custody following the October 10 hearing
According to the federal indictment unsealed after his arrest on September 16, Sean “Diddy” Combs is accused of participating in extended sexual performances, referred to as “Freak Offs,” which allegedly lasted for hours or even days. Prosecutors claim the 54-year-old “arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded” these events. He is also accused of distributing various controlled substances to keep victims “obedient and compliant,” and of using “force, threats of force, and coercion” to compel victims into prolonged sexual acts with male sex workers.
Combs has pleaded not guilty and continues to assert his innocence.
He will remain in the Brooklyn jail until his trial begins on May 5.
