Diddy Adds New Lawyer to His Team Ahead of Jury Selection

Jury selection for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial is set to begin on Monday. While Diddy has been amassing a legal team to defend him since his September 2024 arrest, he made last-minute changes as of Friday. On May 2, Diddy added yet another lawyer to his team. The move comes three months after one of his lawyers withdrew from the case.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs adds another Lawyer to his team

Diddy’s legal team has grown by one in the final moments before his trial begins. According to TMZ, Diddy hired Xavier R. Donaldson on May 2. Donaldson, an attorney with decades of experience, earned his law degree from Howard University in 1994.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Donaldson’s practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense and business litigation. The addition isn’t completely out of the blue. Diddy did have one of his lawyers recuse themselves from his team in February. Anthony Ricco filed a motion in February to withdraw from Diddy’s team. In the motion, he said, “Under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel.” He has not spoken on the matter since.

How long is the trial expected to last?

Diddy’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial will begin on May 5. While many federal trials are over relatively quickly, Diddy’s case is complex, and the trial is expected to be just as complicated. According to several sources, a federal trial generally lasts under a week but can stretch out for months, depending on the nature of the crime and the complexity of the case. Diddy’s trial is expected to take between eight and 10 weeks. Jury selection is expected to take about a week.

Several victims will take the stand, with Cassie Ventura acting as one of the prosecution’s star witnesses. The charges against Diddy are serious, and he could face up to life in prison if convicted on all counts. According to Reuters, the rap mogul declined a plea deal that would have prevented the case from going to trial.