Countdown begins: Sean 'Diddy' Combs to face trial in May 2025 on human trafficking charges

The trial of rapper and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, accused of running a violent sex trafficking and racketeering ring for years, has been set to begin May 5, 2025, the case's investigating judge announced Thursday.

Judge Arun Subramanian also ordered that the artist, who appeared at the hearing, remain in jail pending trial.

After denying him bail twice since his arrest in mid-September, the judge noted that Combs' lawyers had not filed any new application for his release.

Dressed in a wrinkled shirt and light pants, Combs greeted his mother and children as he entered the courtroom, before listening as the judge set a procedural calendar.

In parallel to the criminal proceedings, the 54-year-old rapper is also facing a civil suit brought by more than 120 victims, including 25 who were minors at the time, who accuse him of sexual assault, according to his U.S. lawyers.

In Manhattan federal court, prosecutors accuse him of using his music "empire" to support a violent system of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The rapper has pleaded not guilty. An artist with many nicknames and roles in the music and business world, P.Diddy is described by his alleged victims as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to obtain their submission.