Sean “Diddy” Combs made his first court appearance Thursday following his recent arrest on serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and sexual assault among other charges. Dressed in prison attire, the 54-year-old rapper entered the Manhattan federal courthouse from the side door while his family including his mom and a few kids joined him in the court. Diddy’s court trial has been scheduled for May, with prosecutors suggesting more charges could be forthcoming.

Diddy’s trial date set in trafficking and racketeering charges

Mr. Combs has been held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center since his arrest on September 16. The notorious facility, known for housing high-profile inmates, has faced a series of troubling incidents, including suicides and murders. Recently, Combs was placed on suicide watch, though his lawyer, in a TMZ documentary, insisted that the rapper remains resolute in defending himself and presenting his side of the story.

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Combs appeared calm in court, leaning on his family’s support as he faced serious sex trafficking charges. Judge Arun Subramanian, the first Indian American to serve on Manhattan’s Federal District Court, has set the trial for May 5, 2025. Beyond the trafficking allegations, Combs is also accused of using threats, violence, and secretly recorded videos of private encounters to pressure victims into more abuse.

Diddy’s kids, mom joins him in court to show support

Six of Diddy’s children, including Quincy Brown, 33, Justin Combs, 30, Christian “King” Combs, 26, Chance Combs, 18, and 17-year-old twins Jessie and D’Lila Combs, accompanied him to court, along with his 84-year-old mother, Janice Combs. The kids held hands together as they occupied the entire two front rows of the court according to The Post. Janice, speaking publicly for the first time earlier, denounced what she referred to as his “public lynching,” but faced heckling as she made her way into the Manhattan federal courthouse.

According to the Post, Diddy, dressed in prison attire and shackles on his legs, entered through a side door, smiling at his children and waving to King, who sat in the second row. He then hugged each of his attorneys.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs case update

The federal government claims to have obtained a few video tapes from Diddy’s private collection, with prosecutor Emily Johnson informing the judge that more charges may be forthcoming as the investigation is still ongoing. Both sides also discussed the potential need for a gag order. Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, requested that Homeland Security agents be prohibited from leaking case details to the media.

Also read: Justin Bieber ‘in hard place mentally’ after Diddy’s arrest: He is completely ‘disgusted’

Earlier this week, Diddy’s legal team filed a third appeal for pretrial release, arguing there is insufficient evidence for his detention and citing legal errors in the court’s prior rulings, according to PageSix. Previously, Diddy’s lawyers accused the government of leaking a video showing the alleged assault of Cassie, claiming it was done out of personal animosity without any financial motive.