Sean “Diddy” Combs put himself on almost as much thin ice with the judge as he has been with the public ever since his arrest on sex trafficking and sexual assault charges. It was in the music mogul’s best interest to be on his best behavior while on trial, since he could potentially face life in prison if convicted of his alleged crimes. However, Diddy once again proved that he can’t read the room when he acknowledged his jury in a way that went against courtroom etiquette.
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Diddy was reportedly nodding his head at the group of citizens who will ultimately decide his fate at the end of the trial. But on June 5, Judge Arun Subramanian made it clear to Diddy and his team that eyeing the jury was a big no-no, threatening to take action against the Bad Boy Records founder if he did so again.
Although Diddy’s courtroom punishments wouldn’t be nearly as severe as spending decades behind bars, they could conceivably make the trial more difficult than it probably already is for the controversial producer. The judge will consider forbidding Diddy from being in court during his trial, for instance. And despite the courtroom most likely being a nerve-racking environment for Diddy to be in, we imagine it’s still better than Diddy waiting for a verdict while caged in a jail cell.
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Diddy’s attempts to court the jury’s favor have always landed him in hot water
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ behavior towards courtroom jurors might have already proved that he can’t give up the mindset of a celebrity, despite the conditions he’s been in since his arrest. Although the only surprising perks Diddy’s gotten in prison have been during the holidays, he’s been treated like any other regular citizen in jail. However, there was still concern that Diddy was trying to use the familiarity of his famous face to affect jurors. Even before the jury pool had fully formed, Diddy was behaving in the exact manner that would later land him in hot water with Judge Arun Subramanian. The “Last Night” singer was present during the jury selection process. During that time, reports asserted that he kept nodding at potential jurors while they were being interviewed for the trial, even smiling at one of them.
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His actions created the impression that he was favoring certain interviewees, which some believed was his attempt to influence the outcome of his trial. Additionally, Diddy was once accused of trying to gain sympathy from potential jurors through social media. After he turned 55 on November 4, 2024, Diddy reportedly had his children post an online video of themselves wishing him a happy birthday over the phone. But many critics — including prosecutors in his case — felt this was another show Diddy intentionally put on to further humanize himself and manipulate both the jury and the court of public opinion.
