Date Revealed for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Trial on Sex Crimes Charges

Combs faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution

Honoree Sean "Diddy" Combs attends the Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Sean "Diddy" Combs
Sean "Diddy" Combs. Photo:

Steve Granitz/WireImage

Sean "Diddy" Combs appeared in federal court in Manhattan on Thursday, Oct. 10, where a judge set his trial date for May 5, 2025.

It was the music mogul's first appearance since he was arraigned on federal sex crime charges.

In court, Combs, wearing tan prison clothing, was motionless and looked straight ahead. When he walked out of the holding cells, he waved to his relatives in the gallery and hugged his lawyers.

Prosecutors said they expect it will take about a month to extract data from his seized devices. Describing the quantity of data as "extraordinary," they said they might bring a superseding indictment once the data is all extracted. 

Combs' court appearance was highly anticipated after he was indicted on Sept. 17 on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The indictment centers around alleged "freak offs," which prosecutors alleged were orchestrated, elaborate sex performances between women who were forced or coerced to participate and male sex workers.

The Oct. 10 hearing came after Combs' attorneys filed an appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for him to be released on bail before his trial. Previously, two different judges had denied the mogul bail, citing concerns of potential witness tampering.

Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, is currently in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he would remain until his pending trial, unless his appeal is successful.

The indictment against the Bad Boy Records founder also references surveillance video in which Combs appears to assault a woman in a Los Angeles hotel, appearing to throw an object at her and kick her.

The woman in the video, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, was the first to file a civil lawsuit against Combs accusing him of sexual misconduct last November.

Video of the hotel incident surfaced in May, originally reported by CNN, and in a Wednesday, Oct. 9 court filing obtained by PEOPLE, Combs' lawyers accused the federal government of leaking the video and are seeking to have it concealed.

"The leaks have resulted in damaging and highly prejudicial media coverage, particularly sensationalizing the investigation and the involvement of Mr. Combs’ family," attorneys wrote in the filing.

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In a letter to the judge obtained by ABC News, prosecutors denied the claim.

"The Government was not in possession of the video before its publication by CNN," prosecutors wrote. "Indeed, at the time of CNN's publication, the Government did not possess any video of the March 2016 incident."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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