Di trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, one of di most successful rappers and ogbonge music businessman for US, go begin for New York wit jury selection on Monday.
Di charges against am include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
If dem convict am, im fit face life in prison.
Di rapper dey also also faces dozen of civil court cases from individuals wey accuse am of using im power to drug, assault, rape, intimidate and silence pipo.
Oga Combs don first tok say im no dey guilty to di criminal charges and reject di individual court cases and attempt “for quick payday”.
Who be Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs?
Oga Combs – wey dem bin also sabi before wit di names Puffy, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Love, and Brother Love – blow into di top hip-hop scene for di 1990s.
Im early music career success include helping launch di careers of Mary J Blige and Christopher Wallace – aka Biggie Smalls, or Di Notorious B.I.G.
Im music label Bad Boy Records become one of di most important labels for rap and expandeto include Faith Evans, Ma$e, 112, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez.
Combs also get very successful business career outside of music, including one deal wit British drinks company Diageo to promote di French vodka brand Cîroc.
For 2023, im release im fifth record Di Love Album: Off Di Grid and earn im first solo nomination for di Grammy awards.
Dem also name am Global Icon for di MTV Awards.
Wetin be di charges and allegations against Diddy?
For one federal criminal case, Combs chop accuse for racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Many of di most serious allegations relate to racketeering conspiracy charge.
E include accuse of kidnapping, drugging, and coercing women into sexual activities, sometimes using firearms or threats of violence.
For one raid wey police do for in Los Angeles mansion, dem find supplies wey dem say di plan na to use dem for orgies wey dem sabi as “freak offs”, including drugs and more dan 1,000 bottles of baby oil.
Separately, Mr Combs dey face different oda court cases wia dem accuse am of rape and assault.
Tony Buzbee, one Texas lawyer wey dey handle some of di cases, say more dan 100 women and men from different parts of US don either carry case go court against di rap mogul or dem go do so.
For December 2023, one woman wey dem sabi for court papers as Jane Doe allege say Comb and odas “gang rape” her for 2003, wen she bin dey 17.
She say dem bin give her “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol” before di attack.
Combs’ legal team dismiss all di plenty court cases dem as “clear attempts to create publicity.”
Im current legal issues begin wen im his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, wey dem also sabi as Cassie, for late 2023.
She accuse am of violently abusing and raping her.
Dem bin settle dat case for one amount wey dem no reveal one day afta she carry di case go court, wit Combs maintaining say im dey innocence.
Since den, many pipo don carry case go court accusing Combs of sexual assault, some of di accusations go as far back as 1991. Im deny all claims.
Im controversial history wit Madam Ventura resurface for 2024, wen one CCTV video wey CNN bin leak show Diddy dey kick im former girlfriend as she lie down for on hotel corridor for 2016.
Im apologise for im behaviour, saying: “I take full responsibility for my actions for di video. I bin dey disgusted dat time wen I do am. I dey disgusted now.”
Wetin Diddy tok about di charges?
Oga Combs don continuously deny di allegations wey dem make against am for civil court cases, describing dem as “sickening” and suggesting say na pipo wey dey “look for quick payday”.
For one statement to BBC about di federal criminal charges, im lawyer say: “Combs and im legal team get full confidence in di facts and integrity of di judicial process.
“For court, di truth go prevail: say Combs no ever sexually assault or traffick anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”
Diddy lawyers later file one motion to dismiss one part of di federal indictment wia dem accuse am of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Im team argue he was being unfairly targeted due to his race.
For one hearing for New York one week before di trial, im lawyers tell court say di rapper dey live di “lifestyle” of a “swinger” and im no be criminal.
Dem say im bin tink say e dey “appropriate” to get more dan one sex partners, including sex workers.
For di same hearing, goemnt lawyers reveal say Oga Combs had bin reject one plea deal.
Diddy dey jail?
Combs don dey chill for di Metropolitan Detention Center for Brooklyn, New York, since dem arrest am on 16 September 2024.
Im lawyers bin argue for im release, citing di prison “horrific” conditions.
Critics say di prison dey overcrowded and understaffed, wit culture of violence.
One New York federal judge deny di bail request, describing Combs as “serious flight risk”.
Goment lawyers don allege say Comb don dey break prison rules by contacting potential witnesses.
Dem accuse am of “relentless efforts” to “corruptly influence witness testimony”.
Wen be Diddy trial and how long e go last?
Di dey scheduled to begin on Monday.
Di first days of di trial go be for jury selection, wit di trial starting proper afta dem select di panel of 12 jurors and six alternates.
Goment lawyer Emily Johnson tell di judge tsay goment go need three weeks to present dia case.
Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo say di rapper team go need one week for dia own.
Combs trial go happun in front of US District Judge Arun Subramanian for di Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouse for lower Manhattan.
Di expectation be say di trial go dey open to di public, but dem no go show am online.
Normally, dem no dey allow cameras, phones and electronic inside US federal courtrooms.
How long Diddy fit spend for jail?
Combs dey face up to life in prison if dem convict am on racketeering charge.
Im dey face anoda statutory minimum sentence of 15 years if dem find am guilty of sex trafficking.
Transportation for purposes of prostitution dey carry maximum sentence of 10 years.

Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura bin dey on-and-off relationship for more dan 10 years

Several US judges don criticise di dangerous conditions wey prisoners dey face for di Metropolitan Detention Centre.
