NEW YORK - Jury selection begins in New York in the blockbuster federal sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who stands accused of years of harrowing abuse.
Combs has pleaded not guilty on all counts, insisting that any sex acts were consensual -- but prosecutors say for years he coerced victims into drug-fueled sex parties using threats and violence.
At a recent hearing, his attorney Marc Agnifilo offered a preview of his team's defence by describing the artist's free-wheeling "swinger" lifestyle.
The prosecution said it had offered Combs a plea deal -- the specifics were not disclosed -- but that he had rejected it.
Combs faces one 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.
Over the decades, Combs -- who has gone by various stage names including Puff Daddy and P. Diddy -- amassed enormous wealth for his work in music but also his ventures in the liquor industry.
He was arrested by federal agents in New York in September 2024 and denied bail multiple times.
Combs is being held at Brooklyn's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility plagued by complaints of vermin and decay as well as violence.
High-profile inmates there have included Kelly, Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur convicted of fraud.
The jury selection start date is notably the first Monday in May -- which annually marks New York's Met Gala, a glittering celebrity charity bash where Combs was once a red carpet mainstay.
Jury selection is expected to wrap up in about a week, with opening statements tentatively scheduled for 12 May.
The proceedings are estimated to last eight to 10 weeks.