Sean “Diddy” Combs was warned by the judge in his sex trafficking and racketeering case on Thursday to stop interacting with the jury or face removal from the courtroom.
“I was very clear there should be no facial expressions to the jury, and I could not have been clearer,” Judge Arun Subramanian said in Manhattan federal court, according to NBC News.
“There was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury,” Subramanian said, per NBC. “There should be no efforts to have any interactions with this jury.”
Combs’ trial is expected to last around two months. Prosecutors in Manhattan have accused the music mogul of using his power and fame to operate a criminal empire. He was indicted on five charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs nodded as his legal team was cross-examining witness Bryana Bongolan, according to The New York Times. Bongolan alleged that Combs had dangled her over the 17th-floor balcony of her friend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s apartment building in September 2016. Bongolan said she did not know why Combs had attacked her.
Ventura, Combs’ ex, also mentioned the alleged incident in her landmark lawsuit against him in November 2023 that sparked dozens of other accusers to come forward and sue Combs.
Subramanian also called Combs’ courtroom interactions “absolutely unacceptable” and asked his attorney if they would happen again, NBC News reported.
“No, your honor, it’s not going to happen again,” Combs’ lead attorney Marc Agnifilo replied.
“This cannot happen again,” Subramanian responded, according to NBC News’ report.
Bongolan also said that Combs told her something similar to “I am the devil and I can kill you,” according to the Times.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and rejected a plea deal just before the start of the trial. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
