Listeners, tonight Sean Combs, widely known as Puffy, P. Diddy, or just Diddy, finds himself at the center of one of the most high-profile criminal trials in music industry history. As of today, jury selection has begun in a Manhattan courtroom for his federal sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial. Federal prosecutors have brought five counts against the 55-year-old hip-hop mogul, including sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Combs, who has pled not guilty, faces the possibility of a life sentence if convicted.

Authorities allege that Combs and a network of associates threatened, abused, and coerced women to participate in what prosecutors describe as drug-fueled sexual encounters known as “freak offs.” They claim victims were silenced through intimidation, blackmail, and violence. Details from the indictment describe scenes where, after these so-called parties, both Combs and victims would undergo IV treatments to recover from the physical and drug-related aftermath. During raids on his homes, investigators reportedly seized narcotics and more than a thousand bottles of lubricant and baby oil. Despite mounting civil lawsuits dating back decades, Combs and his attorneys maintain that all encounters were consensual and that he simply led a swinger’s lifestyle.

Today marks a dramatic turning point for Combs, a man who rose from a college intern at Uptown Records to become a global music sensation and entrepreneur. Through the 1990s and 2000s, he launched the careers of Mary J. Blige, Usher, and the Notorious B.I.G., and built a vast empire through fashion, liquor, television, and even recent ventures in cannabis. That same business empire is now under scrutiny, with prosecutors alleging Combs used his power to facilitate and conceal abuse. According to reporting from The Independent, Combs was arrested in September 2024 and, in the months since, new indictments have added fresh charges of forced labor and additional sex trafficking.

Combs’ defense team rejected a government plea deal offer just days ago. As the trial proceeds, the hip-hop world, business partners, and millions of listeners await the outcome, which could reshape the legacy of one of the industry’s most influential—and now most controversial—figures.