Diddy trial live updates: Mike Myers and Michael B Jordan are named as jury selection begins in disgraced rapper's case

The first two celebrities to be named at Diddy's trial were Mike Myers and Michael B. Jordan. Their names were read out to a potential juror from a list of people and places that may come up throughout the trial.

The juror, a man who works as a licensed massage therapist, said he only knew the two through their acting.

Judge Subramanian said that the list of people and places runs 'several pages' and felt like an 'appendix from Lord of the Rings'. To speed up the process, he ruled that jurors would be given the list to review before they are brought into court and questioned one by one before they seat a final panel of 12 jurors and six alternates.

The comments allude to the scale of the case, which dates back to 2004 and covers multiple states.

A fashion designer claims Sean 'Diddy' Combs dangled her over a 17th floor balcony and she was only saved when Cassie Ventura intervened.

Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan sued the disgraced music mogul for $10 million, claiming her also molested her and detailed his frequent alleged abuse of his then-girlfriend Ventura.

The artist's lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, claimed the near-death experience was on September 26, 2016, after one of Diddy's notorious 'freak offs'.

Other names mentioned on the list by a female juror who said she recognized them were Michelle Williams from Destiny's child, actress Lauren London – who was the girlfriend of Nipsey Hussle who was fatally shot in 2019 – and rapper Kid Cudi.

Judge Subramanian said that the list of people and places runs 'several pages' and felt like an 'appendix from Lord of the Rings'. To speed up the process, he ruled that jurors would be given the list to review before they are brought into court and questioned one by one before they seat a final panel of 12 jurors and six alternates.

News of the allegations brought conditions at the jail into the limelight, as it remains the only federal prison in the five boroughs.

Reports of horrific conditions, rampant violence, and several deaths have since made themselves known, including those surrounding two inmates stabbed to death and another speared in the spine with a makeshift icepick.

As such incidents occur, prison expert Larry Levine last week told DailyMail.com Diddy is getting daily visits from a psych team for his mental health, as he is stuck there for at least another seven months - mostly in solitude.

Less than 10 jurors have made it onto the next round of questioning as most of them have replied that they are aware of the claimsd against Diddy.

Four prospective jurors have been dismissed.

All of the jurors interviewed today by Judge Subramanian were anonymous and only referred to by their juror number.

Although dozens of men and women have alleged in lawsuits that Combs abused them, this trial will highlight the claims of four women.

One of them is Cassie, who filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape after they met in 2005.

Her lawsuit, which offered the first public account of the Freak Offs described in the indictment, was settled in a day. Four months later, though, federal investigators raided Combs homes in Los Angeles and Miami and confronted him at a private airport in Florida, seizing 96 electronic devices. They also found three AR-15-style rifles with defaced serial numbers.

The three-time Grammy winner was indicted last September. He has since been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn after judges ruled that he would be a threat to intimidate witnesses and victims if released.

Potential jurors in the trial of fallen hip hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs face a grilling by his legal team and government prosecutors over their suitability to judge his guilt or innocence.

And in revealing clues over upcoming testimony, DailyMail.com can disclose some of those bombshell questions that they will be asked to determine if they make it to the 12-person panel.

Many revolve around attitudes to the sensational sex trafficking and racketeering crimes 55-year-old Combs is accused of – and their views on the hip hop industry in general.

A video resurfaced of Diddy, 54, and Justin, now 30, an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! together when the singer was only 16-years-old.

During the interview, the pair reflect on the friendship that they had at the time, but one comment stood out to fans.

When Jimmy asked how they became friends, Diddy replied: 'I think that we have become friends in a strange way. It's like Rob & Big,' a reference to skateboarder Rob Dyrdek and his bodyguard Christopher 'Big Black' Boykin.

He added: 'He's, to a lot of us, he's like a little brother. He's not afraid to call and ask for advice. He's somebody that industry wise, the record industry is a strong family.

'He's somebody that we definitely have our arms around and we wanna protect him because he's genuinely such a nice person besides his talents.

'He's one of the greatest kids you could ever know.'

Jimmy then asked Justin: 'You know, Diddy bought his son a Bentley, maybe he could buy you one also while you're at it.'

Justin responded: 'He got me a Lamborghini. I haven't gotten it yet, though,'

Jimmy said: 'When is that coming? That Lamborghini. We talked about this last time.'

In remarks which have not aged well, Diddy explained: 'The Lamborghini for a day or two and he had access to the house.

'And he knows better than to be talking about the things that he does with big brother Puff on national television. Everything ain't for everybody.'

Combs has been accused of arranging 'Freak Offs,' described as 'elaborate and produced sex performances' arranged and directed by Combs while he masturbated and often recorded them.

His indictment stated that some 'Freak Offs' would last for days, requiring Combs and victims to receive IV fluids to recover from the exertion and drug use.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of  sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs' lawyer claims the rapper was found with so many bottles of baby oil in his home because the star likes to buy in bulk like any other American.

Heralded for decades as rap royalty, Sean 'Diddy' Combs now lives alone in an isolation cell in a notorious New York City jail - deemed too much of a 'threat to the community' by authorities to be let out even after offering a $50 million bond.

It's a stunning fall for the 'It's All About the Benjamins' rapper, who was once hip-hop's wealthiest and most influential mogul.

But if the feds' allegations are true it may be just be all the unlimited cash, unchecked power and the Hollywood privilege that goes along with it that landed Diddy where he now sits: facing a slew of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges that accuse him of presiding over a sordid empire of sexual crimes and physical abuse.

In footage obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, Diddy, 54, stands, champagne glass in hand, like a dictator on his balcony as he calls in the quid pro quo for the hospitality so far extended.

'We fed you all, we gave you drinks, now it's time to enjoy life,' he says. 'This is a celebration of life. This is the real White Party.

Combs allegedly blew up the car of fellow rapper Kid Cudi after he found out he was in a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Cassie.

R&B singer Cassie filed a lawsuit in Manhattan's Federal District Court in 2023 in which she accused the rapper, who goes by P Diddy, of rape and repeated physical abuse.

She claimed Diddy, 54, controlled and abused her for over a decade, as well as plying her with drugs, beating her, and forcing her to have sex with multiple male prostitutes while he watched, masturbated and recorded.

The lawsuit was the beginning of Combs' legal demise.

A potential juror was dismissed on Monday because they work as a marketing officer with a major publishing company.

They said they are working with another hip-hop figure, Al B sure, who was close friends with Diddy's ex and mother of his children KimPorter.

Nestled in the sprawling suburbia of New York, a home with well-kept hedgerows and blooming spring flowers is the quintessential model of an American residence.

But this mid-century split-level home in Mount Vernon holds dark secrets that could explain the lead-up to the gut-churning accusations that disgraced rap mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces as he waits behind bars for his sex trafficking trial to kick off on Monday.

This is Diddy's childhood home, where neighbors told DailyMail.com that they witnessed 'wild' parties there thrown by his mother, Janice Combs, that could have been the inspiration for his later life of debauchery.

Sean Combs made a $1billion fortune by the time he turned 50 - but the rap mogul was already making $1,000-a-week from his paper round aged 12.

The former altar boy - aka P. Diddy, Puff Daddy, Diddy or just Sean - had a tough start in life where his drug dealer father was shot dead when he was a toddler.

Rap impresario, singer, songwriter and seller of vodka and clothing, Sean Combs is also a noted ladies man, never marrying but dating famous faces including Cameron Diaz and Naomi Campbell.

Several prospective jurors questioned in court indicated that they had seen news reports featuring a key piece of evidence in the case: a video of the hip-hop mogul hitting and kicking one of his accusers, Cassie, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.

One prospective juror described a still image she saw from the video as 'damning evidence.' That woman was rejected from consideration.

Midway through the process Monday, Diddy’s legal team requested a bathroom break.

When the judge asked if they could carry on, Diddy put up his hand and said: ‘I’m sorry your honor, I’m a little nervous today.'

Hundreds of prospective jurors have reportedly already filled out questionnaires designed to elicit any bias they may have about the case.

None of the first group, consisting of more than 50 jurors, reacted when told that Diddy would be the defendant.

They were led into court and as they did so, Diddy turned to face them and eyeballed them slowly.

None of them appeared to recognize him and they didn’t react when the judge explained the charges and read out a number of Diddy’s names.

There was no reaction when the judge said that among the questions the jury would have to answer was whether hearing evidence about sexual assault including rape, hiring sex workers and having multiple sexual partners would make them unable to serve.

Diddy stands with his attorneys before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to observe the pool of potential jurors entering for his sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., May 5.

Diddy faces five serious federal charges: racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution.

If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in ushering hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Judge Subramanian said at the start of the jury selection process that the a binder containing names and places related to the case was akin to an appendix to The Lord of the Rings.

'I have composed a list of prospective jurors who, based in their questionnaire answers, I don't proposed to do individual Q&A with,' he said on Monday.

'The list of people and place is so long, I though it was an appendix to Lord of the Rings.'

• Have you read about the case?
• Have you ever been involved in a lawsuit?
• Have you worked in law enforcement?
• Have you ever been accused of a crime?
• Have you ever been a victim of a crime?
• Do you have views of artists in the hip-hop community?
• Have you been impacted by allegations of rape or intimate partner violence?

The rapper's children and mother do not appear to have shown up for the beginning of Diddy's trial.

Several of Diddy's children, as well as his mother, have attended pre-trial hearings but were not seen entering court Monday. His sons Christian Combs and Justin Combs have spoken out in support of their father.

Combs's children Chance Combs (L) and Christian (R) and his mother Janice Combs depart a pre-trial hearing for at the Southern District of New York Federal Court in New York on March 14, 2025.

Janice Combs, right, mother of Sean 'Diddy Combs, arrives at Manhattan federal court to the jeers of the crowd last October.

Janice Combs, right, mother of Sean 'Diddy Combs, arrives at Manhattan federal court to the jeers of the crowd last October.

Jessie James and D'Lila Star kept silent last October as they were asked if they had 'any comment' over their father's trial.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs has hired a secret weapon for his sex trafficking trial.

Judge Arun Subramanian, the prosecution and defense have been conferring on the best way to question the jurors to mantain their anonimity, as reported by Inner City Press.

Potential jurors will be allowed to answer certain questions privately if they ask to do so.

They are expected to be questioned on how much they know about the case, as well as any experiences with sexual abuse.

As many as 150 people will be brought to Manhattan federal court to be questioned as a potential juror in Diddy's criminal trial.

The potential jurors will be querstioned by Judge Arun Subramanian as well as by the prosecution and defense.

The jury selection process is expected to only last three days, with 12 jurors and six alternates chosen.

Opening statements by the lawyers and the start of testimony are expected next week.

Diddy stands as he is arraigned on superseding charges in front of Judge Arun Subramanian.

The the lead prosecutors in the Sean Diddy Combs case are Emily Anne Johnson, Madison Reddick Smyser, Mary Christine Slavik, Meredith Foster, and Mitzi Steiner.

In a letter filed Tuesday, Combs' attorneys said despite their prior request for a gag order, several attorneys who represent alleged victims and witnesses continue to muddy the jury pool with 'negative publicity' towards their client.

Combs' team specifically named Douglas Wigdor, who represents Comb's ex Cassie Ventura, for speaking to the media.

'Absent a Court order, we expect the publicity to not only continue, but escalate as trial commences,' they wrote in the letter to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.

'Indeed in recent weeks, lawyers for government witnesses have commented on pretrial litigation and continued to broadcast prejudicial statements.'

They pointed to Wigdor's comments concerning Combs' request to keep the surveillance video of the rapper pulling and dragging Ventura by the hair inside a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016 as she tried to escape.

A Sean 'Diddy' Combs's supporter wears a 'Free Puff' sweatshirt as he arrives at the Southern District of New York Federal Court on Monday.

The disgraced rapper has arrived in Manhattan court for the beginning of jury selection on Monday.

He is wearing a sweater and a dress shirt with no tie, and wearing reading glasses.

Despite the levity of the crimes against him, Diddy remained composed and calm, hugging his lawyers as he came in and nodding his head slightly when he faced the jurors with his hands in his pockets.

For over two decades, prosecutors allege, the Bad Boy Records founder used the power and prestige he’d gained in building a hip-hop empire to destroy young lives.

He faces an indictment that includes descriptions of 'Freak Offs,' drugged-up orgies in which women were forced to have sex with male sex workers while Combs filmed them.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs sits at the defense table before the start of jury selection at Manhattan federal court, Monday, May 5.

Unlike other high-profile cases, the rapper's trial will not be televised as it is in federal court.

Electronic media, including cameras, are banned in the Manhattan court room.

The 55-year-old disgraced rap mogul will have a defense built around his mental capacity to commit the crimes as his representatives are arguing that he was not of clear mind during the alleged crimes according to court documents.

According to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Diddy wants to have a doctor and Columbia professor Dr. Elie Aoun testify on his behalf that he had a 'mental condition bearing on the issue of guilt.'

The details of his alleged condition had been redacted in the documents but there are a few clues of what it could be but federal prosecutors do not believe in its relevance.

According to the docs, prosecutors have stated that legal precedent requires the defense to give proper notice before offering any 'evidence of the effects of drugs and alcohol on a defendant's memory or cognitive function.'

Another clue would be that prosecutors are describing the doctor's potential testimony as evidence of the 'defendant's inability to control behavior.'

Judge Arun Subramanian ruled last month that Diddy's trial would proceed as planned despite his lawyer’s claims that they needed an extra two months to prepare.

Lawyers for the entertainer had requested a two-month delay, citing a need for more time to gather information about trial witnesses and to cope with late additions to the indictment against their client.

But the judge, noting that Combs has at least four attorneys, said the defense has sufficient time to be ready for trial next month. He said he would not grant a delay and allow a 'fishing expedition' to seek more evidence.

Judge Arun Subramanian presides during a conference for Diddyahead of his trial next month on sex trafficking charges, in New York, U.S., April 18.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs's attorney Brian Steel has arrived at the Southern District of New York Federal Court.

Jury selection begins Monday in New York in the blockbuster federal sex trafficking trial of the music mogul, who stands accused of years of harrowing abuse.

Diddy's defense team is led by powerhouse lawyer Marc Agnifilo.

The defense also includes Teny Geragos, a partner in Agnifilo's law firm, as well as Alexandra Shapiro, Jason Driscoll and Brian Steel.

Attorney Anthony Ricco was on the defense team initially but has since withdrawn from the case.

Ricco, one of six attorneys representing Combs, did not offer any details about the decision.

Diddy sits with members of his defense team Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos, Alexandra Shapiro and Jason Driscoll for a conference ahead of his trial next month on sex trafficking charges on April 18.

Dozens of people lined up outside the Southern District of New York Federal Court in Manhattan as jury selection begins on Monday.

The hip-hop entrepreneur whose wildly successful career has been dotted by allegations of violence will be brought to a New York courthouse Monday to be tried on charges that he used the influence and resources of his business empire to sexually abuse women.

The rapper is roughing it inside prison as an insider revealed he's been forced to use packets of mackerel, or 'macks,' instead of money.

The disgraced 55-year-old mogul was well-known for bragging about his cash and jewels...but is now forced to trade packets of the oily fish inside Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial for sex trafficking charges.

Diddy had an extraordinary fall from grace since calling prison his new home, as the embattled music mogul has traded in his lavish lifestyle for lasagna, snickers, Cheez-Its, bunk beds and monitored computer time without WIFI.

At least four alleged victims are expected to take the stand during Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial this month.

The central witness in the trial is his ex-girlfriend Cassie, whose lawsuit against the rapper began his downfall.

Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said at a bail hearing that Combs wrote 'a very large check' to Cassie after she filed her lawsuit. The lawyer said the payout motivated others to come forward with false claims.

Several of Diddy's former sexual partners, a business associate and a male sex worker are also among those who will testify at the rapper's sex trafficking trial in New York City.

Sean 'Diddy'Comb's lawyers claimed federal prosecutors were 'polluting' the Bad Boy mogul's trial even before it begins and asked the court to block other witnesses from testifying earlier this month.

The rapper's attorney asked the judge to exclude 'prior bad act' witnesses from taking the stand in court, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.

Combs' attorney argued allowing potentially dozens of witnesses outside of the four victims tied to the rapper's criminal indictment would be the 'worst abuses of the character evidence rule in the history of American law.'

They also claimed prosecutors did not plan to divulge the growing witness list until April 18 — just two weeks before jury selection for the high-profile case.

'The allegations implicate dozens of unidentified witnesses and alleged co-conspirators around the world — and some of the key witnesses to the supposed incidents are dead,' the defense attorneys wrote.

'Collectively, these new allegations require many months if not years to investigate, and if admitted, would require a series of mini-trials certain to double the length of a trial the government originally said would last 'three weeks'.

In 1999 he was charged with bursting into the offices of an Interscope Records executive with his bodyguards and beating him with a champagne bottle and a chair. The executive, Steve Stoute, later asked prosecutors to go easy on Combs, who pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and took an anger management class.

Later that same year, Combs was stopped by police after he and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, fled a nightclub where three people were wounded by gunfire.

Combs was acquitted of all charges related to the incident at a 2001 trial, but a rapper in his entourage, Jamal 'Shyne' Barrow, was convicted in the shooting and served nearly nine years in prison.

Then in 2015, Combs was charged with assaulting someone with a weight-room kettlebell at the University of California, Los Angeles, where one of his sons played football. Combs said he was defending himself and prosecutors dropped the case.

Rap artist Sean Combs and Jennifer Lopez arrive for the MTV Video Music Awards at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York on 09 September, 1999.

Combs, 55, has acknoledged one episode of violence that is likely to be featured in the trial.

In 2016, a security camera recorded him beating up his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel.

Cassie, real name Cassandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit in late 2023 saying Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including beatings and rape.

Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo has said Combs was 'not a perfect person' and that there had been drug use and toxic relationships, but said that all sexual activity between Combs, Cassie and other people was consensual.

The rapper's appearance has changed now that he has no access to the luxurious of the outside like hair dye.

Since being locked up at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center following his arrest in September, Combs has grown noticeably grayer and scruffier, and on Thursday appeared in court wearing eyeglasses.

He was holding a black folder filled with documents and hugged his lawyers, fist bumping with one female attorney, Teny Geragos, and exchanging smiles with her.

He waved to a man in the public gallery but nobody from his family was present, unlike previous hearings.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the morning and potentially take several days. Opening statements by the lawyers and the start of testimony is expected next week.

The 17-page indictment against Combs reads like a charging document filed against a Mafia leader or the head of a drug gang, accusing him of en engaging in sex trafficking and presising over a racketeering conspiracy.

The indictment says that with the help of people in his entourage and employees from his network of businesses, Combs engaged in a two-decade pattern of abusive behavior against women and others.

The disgraced hip hop mogul confirmed that he did not accept the offer during his pretrial hearing in New York on Thursday.

The specific terms of the deal were not disclosed, but prosecutors said the Bad Boy founder would have faced less prison time if he had accepted it and been found guilty.

His lawyer Marc Agnifilo told the court that the two had discussed the agreement last week and 'came to a decision' together.

Bespectacled Diddy was asked to stand by Judge Arun Subramanian who asked him if he had read the plea deal offer.

'I have, your honor', he said.

When the judge asked if he had 'rejected the plea offer'. Diddy replied: 'Yes I did, your honor'.

Read the full story here.

Diddy has been granted permission to wear his own clothes at his upcoming sex trafficking trial following a judge's ruling.

The disgraced hip hop mogul can ditch the prison issue, tan colored top and pants when jury selection begins and for the remainder of the case.

But certain conditions on Diddy, who has designed his own clothing range and once won a prestigious fashion industry award.

Diddy's lawyers made the application for him to wear clothes other than those from the grim Metropolitan Detention Center, where he is being held, to Judge Arun Subramanian.

In his ruling, the judge said:

The defendant Sean Combs, Inmate # 37452-054, will be permitted to receive non-prison clothing at the MDC to wear for his trial scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.

He is permitted to have up to five button down shirts, up to five pairs of pants, up to five sweaters, up to five pairs of socks, and up to two pairs of shoes without laces to wear to court.

Before his fall from grace Diddy was considered one of the most fashionable men on the planet with his own fashion line winning the Council of Fashion Designers of America award in 2004.

Read the full story here

The jurors selected to decide Diddy's fate in his high-profile sex trafficking trial will be asked a series of unusual questions - including about their views on sex with multiple partners, drugs and hip-hop.

Rapper Sean Combs, 55, is facing myriad civil lawsuits alleging he sexually abused several anonymous complainants between 1990 and 2023 at star-studded events including VMA's afterparties and his notorious 'White Party' functions in New York.

The sordid accusations range from gang-raping minors as young as 13 alongside celebrities including Jay-Z, to drugging women in order to sexually assault them.

Read the full story by Laura Parnaby here:

Diddy will be driven across the East River by U.S. Marshals to the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, where he is due to arrive at 8:30am EST.

Once there, District Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to begin questioning prospective jurors one-by-one in a bid to seat a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates.

Hundreds of prospective jurors have already filled out questionnaires designed to elicit any bias they may have about the case.

Combs' defense lawyers and prosecutors with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office agreed on about 150 who could proceed to in-person questioning by the judge, known as voir dire.

Subramanian said in a May 1 hearing that the goal will be to choose 45 potential jurors who are qualified to serve, and lawyers for both sides will then have the opportunity to dismiss jurors without stating a reason, known as peremptory strikes.

The jury will be anonymous, which is frequently the case in high-profile trials in which jurors could face threats or harassment if their identities are known

Sean 'Diddy' Combs attends The 2023 Met Gala

Two years ago, Diddy was one of the stars of New York's Met Gala, one of the world's most glamorous fashion events.

Speaking to reporters outside the Gala, which traditionally takes place on the first Monday in May, two years ago wearing his own Sean John fashion label, he told reporters:

This is Sean John's [Met Gala] debut, as you can see. First time I designed in 10 years, and we're feeling good.

But since then he's swapped The Metropolitan Museum of Art for Brooklyn's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center.

Once a mainstay at the Met Gala, the 55-year-old's downfall is particularly apparent today as jurors are selected for his sex trafficking trial.

Diddy and Cassie pictured together in Los Angeles in 2017

Core to the case against Diddy is his relationship with his former girlfriend, the singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, who is expected to be a key trial witness.

A disturbing surveillance video from 2016, which was aired by CNN last year, shows Combs physically assaulting Ventura at a hotel.

Prosecutors say the encounter occurred following one of the 'freak-offs' they argue were a feature of his pattern of abuse.

The so-called 'freak-offs' were coercive, drug-fueled sexual marathons including sex workers that were sometimes filmed, according to the indictment.

The floodgates opened after Ventura filed a civil suit alleging Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs as well as a 2018 rape.

That 2023 suit was quickly settled out of court, but a string of similarly lurid sexual assault claims against the Grammy winner from both women and men followed.

Diddy is facing five felony charges, namely:

• Racketeering conspiracy
• Two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion
• Two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution

The charge of racketeering conspiracy, the federal statute known by its acronym RICO that was once primarily used to target the mafia but in recent years has been wielded in cases of sexual abuse, including against the fallen R&B star R. Kelly.

It allows government attorneys to project a long view of criminal activity rather than prosecuting isolated sex crimes.

If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in ushering hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Hello and welcome to Dailymail.com's live coverage as jury selection gets under way in the blockbuster federal sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who stands accused of years of harrowing abuse.

Combs, 55, has been held in detention in New York since September last year and is facing five felony charges

Prosecutors allege the influential hip-hop producer drugged and coerced women into sexual activities with male prostitutes.

Investigators said they found drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil that were intended to be used for orgies known as 'freak offs'.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty on all counts, insisting that any sex acts were consensual.

Jury selection is expected to wrap up in about a week, with the trial's opening statements scheduled for May 12. The proceedings are estimated to last eight to 10 weeks.

Stick with us for the latest updates throughout the day and to listen to our The Trial of Diddy podcast click here.