As the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicked off in New York City, observers were surprised to hear the names of numerous other celebrities mentioned during jury selection.
When potential jurors were questioned starting Monday, May 5, they were asked about their familiarity with stars like Kanye West and former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard. While some of these people have previously worked with Diddy, it was not immediately clear why other names, like actor and comedian Mike Myers, were included on the list.
As jury selection continued into Tuesday, May 6, Judge Arun Subramanian revised his line of questioning to ask whether potential jurors “personally know” any of the celebrities mentioned. (He had previously asked whether they were “familiar” with the names on the list.)
Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all of the allegations against him.
The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs began in New York City on Monday, May 5, following his September 2024 arrest on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. The process began with jury selection on Monday, with opening arguments set to start Monday, May 12. Diddy, 55, has pleaded not […]
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement at the time. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Since his arrest, Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His four requests for bail were denied by Judge Subramanian.
Keep scrolling for a list of every celebrity whose name has been mentioned during the Diddy trial:
Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan. Leon Bennett/Getty Images for MBJx DAVID YURMAN
The actor previously dated Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie. When Cassie sued Diddy in November 2023, her relationship with Jordan was referenced in the lawsuit. Diddy and Cassie settled the lawsuit out of court, and Diddy denied all her allegations.
Harve Pierre
Pierre is a record exec who has worked with Diddy’s label, Bad Boy Entertainment.
Mike Myers
Mike Myers. Steve Granitz/FilmMagic
Myers’ inclusion on the list remains a mystery, but USA Today noted that there is a reference to Diddy in one of the comedian’s Austin Powers movies.
Dallas Austin
Austin, a record producer, previously dated Diddy’s late partner Kim Porter, who died in 2018 at age 47.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images While Sean “Diddy” Combs has fervently denied ex-girlfriend Cassie’s rape and assault allegations, multiple women have come forward with similar claims of alleged misconduct by the music mogul. Us Weekly confirmed in November 2023 that Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of rape and repeated physical […]
Dawn Richard
Richard was a member of the girl group Danity Kane, which formed on Diddy’s Making the Band reality TV show in 2005. She sued Diddy for sexual assault and battery in September 2024, shortly before his arrest. Diddy denied her allegations in a statement via his lawyer Erica Wolff, who said, “Mr. Combs is shocked and disappointed by this lawsuit. In an attempt to rewrite history, Dawn Richard has now manufactured a series of false claims all in the hopes of trying to get a pay day — conveniently timed to coincide with her album release and press tour.”
Richard’s case is still ongoing.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams. Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images
Jurors were asked about the Destiny’s Child singer on the first day of jury selection.
Kanye West
The controversial rapper released a song with Diddy in March, months after his arrest.
Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi. Monica Schipper/Getty Images
The rapper, who dated Cassie during a break in her relationship with Diddy, was also mentioned in Cassie’s lawsuit. According to Cassie, Diddy became “so angry” when he found out she was dating Cudi in 2012. “Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway,” read her lawsuit. Cudi’s spokesperson told The New York Times in November 2023 that Cassie’s account of the exploding car was “all true.”
Diddy, meanwhile, denied Cassie’s accusations in a statement provided by his attorney.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” lawyer Ben Brafman said at the time. “For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
Cassie
Cassie, who dated Diddy off and on from 2007 to 2018, is expected to testify in the trial. CNN’s 2024 video that showed Diddy assaulting her in a hotel in 2016 will be shown to jurors, who were asked whether they had seen the footage during selection.
The viral hotel video of Sean “Diddy” Combs — first published by CNN in May 2024 — has already shaped public perception around his criminal sex trafficking case. Court began Monday, May 5, in Manhattan’s Southern District, months after his September 2024 arrest on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. Now, the court faces a […]
Laurieann Gibson
The choreographer worked with Diddy on Making the Band as well as his short-lived TV show P. Diddy’s Starmaker.
Lauren London
The actress has said that Diddy was a great source of support for her after the 2019 death of her longtime partner, Nipsey Hussle.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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