Can You Watch Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial? What To Know About Live Stream
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Despite the public interest, no live stream will be available when jury selection begins Monday in the high-profile federal criminal case against Sean "Diddy" Combs in the Southern District of New York.
The music mogul, known for decades under various aliases including Puff Daddy, P. Diddy and Love, faces federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Federal court rules prohibit video recording and broadcasting of proceedings, and this trial is no exception. Those interested in real-time updates will have to rely on journalists attending in person. Reporters may be present in the gallery, but no cameras are allowed inside the courtroom.
Why It Matters
The courtroom proceedings are drawing national attention, not just because of Combs' celebrity but also due to the gravity of the alleged crimes, which span two decades and involve multiple alleged victims and co-conspirators.
Sean "Diddy" Combs at the 2010 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held on March 7, 2010 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
Sean "Diddy" Combs at the 2010 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held on March 7, 2010 in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California.
zz/Doug Peters/STAR MAX/IPx
What To Know
Combs has been charged with five federal counts. According to the U.S. government's filing, Count One alleges that from 2004 to 2024, Combs participated in a racketeering conspiracy involving kidnapping, arson, bribery, obstruction of justice, forced labor, sex trafficking, drug distribution and transportation for prostitution. Counts Two and Four accuse him of sex trafficking two adult women through "force, fraud, and coercion." The first is alleged to have occurred around 2009 and 2018, and the second around 2021 and 2024. Counts Three and Five involve allegations of transporting these women and male sex workers to engage in prostitution.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies any wrongdoing. Newsweek reached out to Combs' representatives for comment.
While the charges were outlined by federal prosecutors in the government's proposed questions for jurors filed on April 25, the defense also submitted a joint filing on April 30 detailing objections to how those charges are characterized in court. The defense requested that terms such as "acts of violence" and "sexual assault" be rephrased to "allegations of" those acts, to avoid prejudicing prospective jurors.
Jury selection began Monday under the supervision of U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. Jurors are being screened through a detailed series of questions covering everything from their views on law enforcement and sex crimes to their experiences with guns and illegal drugs. The prosecution and defense have agreed on large portions of the voir dire process, with disputes over wording mostly resolved and consented to on both sides.
What People Are Saying
Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers, in a motion filed last month: "The government should not be permitted to pollute the trial with decades of dirt and invite a conviction based on propensity evidence with no proper purpose by painting Mr. Combs as a bad guy who must have committed the charged crimes."
Prosecutors, in a memorandum filed last month: "That testimony powerfully establishes that the defendant made no mistake when he coerced other victims into unwanted sex. It proves that the defendant intended to take the sexual gratification he wanted, regardless of consent."
What Happens Next
Once a jury is selected, the trial will proceed with opening statements expected within days. Prosecutors plan to introduce evidence, including testimony from alleged victims, with some under pseudonyms, as well as digital records retrieved from phones and iCloud accounts.
As the trial unfolds, Combs' legal team will seek to dismantle the prosecution's narrative of coercion and criminal enterprise. At the same time, federal attorneys attempt to prove an extended pattern of abuse and trafficking enabled by Combs' position of power.
Proceedings are expected to span several weeks.
Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Prince Harry and Meghan's Biggest U.S. Scandals
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were frequent targets of the British press as working royals, but it was only after several years in the United States that they began to face controversy across the pond as well. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have experienced successes since moving to California, but have also faced their fair share of crises. Meghan's mock curtsy, Harry's frostbite, and allegations of staff mistreatment have been just some of the moments fans of the couple might prefer to forget. Meghan's Curtsy to Queen Elizabeth II The duchess used the couple's December 2022 Netflix show, Harry & Meghan, to describe her first-ever curtsy to Queen Elizabeth, but it provoked a backlash for allegedly disrespecting British culture. Meghan re-created the curtsy she said she performed, bowing at the waist and spreading her arms wide in either direction. "I mean, Americans would understand this," she said. "We have Medieval Times Dinner & was like that." She had previously described the meeting to Oprah Winfrey in 2021 without mentioning any issues with her curtsy, and Harry went on to say it was "flawless" in his memoir, Spare. Many came away feeling the mock curtsy had disrespected a long-standing British tradition, and the fact that the queen had died three months earlier no doubt did not help. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada, on February 9, 2025. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada, on February 9, 2025. Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Harry Mocked Over Frostbite Harry's book, Spare, was released a month later and led to ridicule after he described in detail applying his mother's favorite Elizabeth Arden lip cream to his frost-bitten private parts. "My penis was oscillating between extremely sensitive and borderline traumatized," he wrote. "The last place I wanted to be was Frostnipistan. "I'd been trying some home remedies, including one recommended by a friend. She'd urged me to apply Elizabeth Arden cream. My mum used that on her lips. 'You want me to put that on my todger?' "'It works, Harry. Trust me.' I found a tube, and the minute I opened it, the smell transported me through time. I felt as if my mother was right there in the room. "Then I took a smidge and applied there. 'Weird' doesn't really do the feeling justice." Suffice it to say, the passage attracted the attention of quite a few late-night U.S. comedy shows. 'F****** Grifters' and the Collapse of Spotify Just months later, the Sussexes' Spotify deal collapsed, and just as their team was reassuring journalists the two had parted ways by mutual consent, up popped an executive at the streaming giant to derail the PR strategy. Bill Simmons used his own podcast to fire a parting shot at the couple: "I wish I had been involved in the Meghan and Harry leave Spotify negotiation. 'The F****** Grifters,' that's the podcast we should have launched with them. "I gotta get drunk one night and tell the story of the Zoom I had with Harry, trying to help him with a podcast idea. It's one of my best stories." Meghan a 'Dictator in High Heels' Meghan had long been fending off allegations that she bullied staff at Kensington Palace as a working royal. The scandal migrated to America in September 2024 with an article from The Hollywood Reporter headlined: "Why Hollywood Keeps Quitting on Harry and Meghan." The article quoted a source who said the couple's U.S. staff were terrified of Meghan and that the royal belittled people. Another source said Meghan marched around "like a dictator in high heels," and has reduced grown men to tears. Meghan's team launched a PR counterattack in the pages of Us Weekly, where several past and present staffers praised her. She has consistently denied the allegations of bullying. Prince Harry's ESPY Award In 2024, Prince Harry was awarded the ESPY's Pat Tillman Award for Service, sparking a major backlash from sports fans. At its peak, Mary Tillman, Pat's mother, told The Mail on Sunday: "I am shocked as to why they would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award. There are recipients that are far more fitting." 'South Park' and the 'Worldwide Privacy Tour' Harry's memoir sparked a collapse in the couple's U.S. approval rating, and in the same way that a picture can tell a thousand words, an episode of South Park ridiculing the duke and duchess appeared to tell the story of a shift in American perceptions. The episode, titled "The Worldwide Privacy Tour," depicted the "Prince and Princess of Canada" campaigning for their privacy in the aftermath of the death of the "Queen of Canada." In one scene, the couple appears on a fictional Canadian morning show, holding "We Want Privacy" placards. The anchor asks the prince: "Let me start with you, sir. You lived a life with the royal family, you had everything handed to you but you say your life has been hard and now you've written all about it in your new book: Waaagh." The princess said: "I was totally like, 'You should write a book 'cause your family's, like, stupid and then so are, like, journalists." The interviewer says, "So you hate journalists? And now you wrote a book that reports on the lives of the royal family? So, you're a journalist." Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page. Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@ We'd love to hear from you.
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Signs Your Baby Is Highly Sensitive, According to a Child Psychologist
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A TikTok video of a baby crying during a song from The Little Mermaid has sparked heartwarming discussion online about highly sensitive children. In the video, Allie, the baby's aunt, filmed the moment her niece swelled with emotion in accordance with the Disney song. Many viewers in the comments speculated that the baby might be experiencing "frisson"—a French term for the physical chills some people get when emotionally moved by music. But could this be something else entirely? Newsweek spoke to Allie, 32, along with a child psychologist to better understand the adorable phenomenon. Allie said that she has seen her niece, Eleanor, have such a strong response to music has been incredible to witness—and started early. Photos from Allie's TikTok video of her baby niece. Photos from Allie's TikTok video of her baby niece. @alliemorganb/TikTok "[It] has been so precious because it's such raw emotion coming out that she obviously can't control, and shows what a tender heart she has," Allie explained. "She has been reacting this way to certain songs since she was six months old." The first time Eleanor showed this emotional response was when her dad was singing Faithfully by Journey around the house. At first, he thought she might be fussy, but after he sat down and continued singing, Eleanor continued to get emotional at certain parts of the song, Allie said. Eleanor's deep emotional sensitivity to music shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, though—her family is filled with musicians and singers. Allie went on to say that Eleanor is the first grandchild in her family. "She has such an infectious and happy personality and is so affectionate to those close to her," she said. "So, to see this happy baby get so moved by music is the most heartwarming thing, but not a big surprise considering our family is very into music." Three Signs Your Baby Might Be Sensitive While many TikTok commenters suggested that Eleanor might be experiencing "frisson," Dr. Kanchi Wijesekera, a clinical child psychologist and founder of Milika Center for Therapy & Resilience, offered Newsweek a different perspective. "The term 'frisson' isn't a clinical term," she said. "There is no evidence confirming that infants can experience frisson in the way adults do." Instead, Dr. Wijesekera believes that Eleanor's emotional response is likely tied to sensory processing and emotional recognition. "What's likely being observed is a combination of sensory processing and emotional recognition," she explained. She also pointed to Dr. Elaine Aron's research on highly sensitive children. Although Aron's studies focused on toddlers and older children, Dr. Wijesekera said that early emotional reactions to music could be an early indicator of emotional sensitivity in infants. She explained three signs that your baby might be more emotionally sensitive: Strong reactions to music or art: "If your baby calms or cries in response to music or expressive faces, it may reflect early emotional attunement. This is not the same as frisson, but it's a sign they're taking in the emotional tone of their environment." Heightened awareness of environment: "Babies who startle easily at loud sounds, track visual stimuli, or seem observant may be more sensitive to sensory and emotional cues." Emotional contagion: "If your baby mirrors your mood or becomes distressed when others are upset, it suggests early empathy, a skill for emotional intelligence." Dr. Wijesekera also suggests that parents and caregivers can support their baby's emotional sensitivity by creating gentle environments that respect the child's need for calm and soothing stimuli. While Eleanor might not be experiencing "frisson" in the scientific sense, her reaction is an adorable reminder that emotional sensitivity can emerge very early in life. Allie concluded, "It could be [frisson], or she could just be more sensitive to music than average, but we will keep an eye out for that as she grows up."
Newsweek
6 hours ago
- Newsweek
Neglected Mom Dog 'Gave Everything' So Puppies Could Live—Now It's Her Turn
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A mom dog rescued in an alarming state of neglect, having given everything to make sure her puppies survived, is seeking a forever home to call her own. An estimated 10 million animals die from abuse each year in the U.S., according to Shelter Animals Count, a nonprofit organization dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on animal sheltering. When Deb was first spotted wandering around outside the home of one of the foster carers at Shultz's Guest House (SGH), a dog rescue shelter located in Dedham, Massachusetts, it was obvious she needed help. "She was emaciated and clearly nursing. One of her puppies was seen wandering alongside her," Merrill Fortier, from SGH, told Newsweek. "We later discovered that the person responsible for her care hadn't been feeding her or her litter, who were about 7 or 8 weeks old at the time. Deb was starving, and her milk was the only thing keeping her babies alive." According to Fortier, Deb's owner was a "known drug user" who did little to care for his canine companion. "Deb had been left to survive on her own. Her owner had told our foster that the filthy mattress by the side of the road was 'her bed,'" she said. "Despite all this, she held on through the hardships. She's only 2 or 3 years old, but what she's endured is unimaginable." Aware there were likely more puppies around the property, the foster carer asked the man living with Deb and her pups to willingly surrender all of the dogs as it would "be in their best interest." He agreed and, soon enough, Deb and her puppies were taken away. It was good timing. "Just four days later, their owner's house was destroyed in a meth-related fire," Fortier said. All of the dogs have made incredible progress in the time since their rescue. Having nursed them through such a difficult period, Deb has now watched each and every one of her puppies get adopted. Fortier would like to see the same happen with Deb. "She's great with other dogs, adores people including kids, and carries herself with confidence," Fortier said. "Her strength and gentle heart shine through and there's no trace of bitterness in her." As a video posted to the shultzsguest Instagram detailing her journey account sums up best, Deb "gave everything" so that her puppies could survive and ultimately thrive despite such difficult beginnings. Now it's her turn. "Mama dogs like Deb are among the most resilient and loving we encounter," Fortier said. "As a pit bull, she also stands as a reminder of how misunderstood these dogs still are even though they make the most loyal, affectionate family pets."
