Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs pleads not guilty to superseding indictment

Sabrina Shulman and Dan Heching, CNN

(CNN) — A gray-haired Sean “Diddy” Combs appeared in a Manhattan courtroom on Friday for a pretrial hearing in his federal criminal case.

Combs pleaded not guilty to three charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy in a superseding indictment. The superseding indictment included additional allegations related to racketeering conspiracy but no new charges.

Two of the embattled mogul’s children, one of his sons and one of his daughters, were seated in the second row in court, along with Combs’ mother.

He is currently being held at a federal detention center in New York City as he awaits trial. Jury selection will begin on May 5, with opening statements now expected to begin May 12.

Prosecutors have accused Combs and others of coercing at least three women to engage in sex acts with him and, at times, with male prostitutes. The occasions where prosecutors say the women were often drugged and forced to engage in sex for days were known as “Freak Offs.”

Authorities allege Combs recorded some of the sex acts and controlled his victims by promising financial and career opportunities, as well as through threats of violence and other harm.

In addition, the indictment alleges when Combs’ authority was threatened by employees, witnesses or others, he reacted at times violently, including “multiple” acts of kidnapping. On one occasion, the indictment says, Combs allegedly “dangled a victim over an apartment balcony.”

Also during the hearing on Friday, attorneys for Combs argued that a 2016 surveillance video first published by CNN last May in which Combs is seen physically assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura was “deceptive” and “not in accordance with the actions that took place.”

“CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source,” a spokesperson for CNN said in a statement. “CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested.”

Attorneys for Combs – who posted an apology about the incident days after the video was released – argued it should be inadmissible.

Prosecutors argued the importance of including the video as an exhibit at trial because of the multiple witnesses expected to testify about it.

The judge suggested a possible solution is to slow down the video or provide additional context and encouraged the parties to find a compromise.

Ventura and Combs settled a civil lawsuit in which she alleged years of abuse by Combs in November 2023. He has been accused of sexual assault in more than 40 civil lawsuits since that time. Combs has denied all the allegations.

The next pretrial conference hearing will be on April 25.

CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister and Kara Scannell contributed to this report.

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