As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ high-profile sex trafficking trial approaches, his legal team is pushing to question potential jurors about their attitudes toward sex, drug use, and physical violence.
Attorneys for the incarcerated Bad Boy founder submitted a proposed juror questionnaire on April 11 ahead of his May 5 trial in Manhattan federal court, AP reports. The form includes inquiries about prospective jurors’ comfort with viewing sexually explicit or violent footage, as well as their personal beliefs about sex, drugs, and physical assault.
Combs’ legal team also seeks to gauge jurors’ opinions on individuals with multiple sexual partners. They’re also requesting that jurors disclose whether they’ve watched documentaries on the allegations titled “The Fall of Diddy,” “Diddy Do It?” “The Downfall of Diddy,” or “Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.”
Prosecutors pushed back in a follow-up letter, criticizing Combs’ legal team for submitting a questionnaire they say is too long and includes topics better addressed directly by the judge—if at all. They argued that several of the 72 proposed questions, some with multiple subparts, are “completely irrelevant to a juror’s ability to serve.”
Prosecutors cited the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial as a cautionary example, noting how a lengthy questionnaire backfired on the British former socialite and convicted sex offender. After Maxwell’s December 2021 conviction, a juror admitted he failed to disclose being a sex abuse survivor, later saying he was “distracted” and had “skimmed way too fast” through the lengthy questionnaire.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he sexually abused multiple individuals over two decades. The Bad Boy Records founder has been held without bail since his arrest in September. Prosecutors say a key piece of evidence in the upcoming trial will be video footage showing his violent assault on ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
The questionnaires will be distributed to hundreds of potential jurors by the end of April. In-person jury selection will begin on May 5, and opening statements are expected to start on May 12.
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