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Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in a New York City courtroom this afternoon to plead not guilty to new allegations of forced labor, reports NBC News. Today’s appearance also pushed Combs’ trial date back slightly, from May 5 to May 12, per Deadline. Jury selection will now begin on May 5.
The allegations were revealed in a superseding indictment that was unsealed last Thursday, per ABC News. The documents alleged that Combs forced employees to work long hours without sleep under threat of physical harm or reputational damage. The unsealed document also alleges that Combs forced at least one employee into sex acts. The forced labor allegations ultimately didn’t produce any new charges, as the allegations fall under the existing racketeering conspiracy count.
Also discussed in court today were allegations from Combs’ team that CNN “substantially altered” the footage it aired, which apparently shows Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016. CNN offered a statement rejecting the allegations, writing, “CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source,” per NBC. Today’s discussion surrounded whether the footage could be admissible as evidence in the trial, with Judge Arun Subramanian instructing lawyers for both sides to discuss the issue. If they cannot come to an agreement, Subramanian said they will both have to file motions.
The next pre-trial conference has been set for April 25.
