Diddy aims to top Donald Trump’s jury pool numbers as he prepares to call a whopping 600 potential jurors to court in his upcoming criminal trial, setting the stage for another high-profile courtroom spectacle.
The Hip-Hop mogul, whose real name is Sean Combs, is facing serious federal allegations ranging from sexual misconduct and forced labor to drugging victims and making threats against careers and livelihoods.
Authorities even seized firearms with defaced serial numbers during raids on properties linked to Diddy.
In a strategic move reminiscent of Trump’s recent criminal trial jury selection, Diddy’s legal team has requested 300 potential jurors appear on May 5, 2025, followed by another 300 on May 6, to fill out detailed written questionnaires at the courthouse.
This massive pool of 600 jurors dwarfs the 500 summoned during Trump’s Manhattan trial, where the former president faced 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records to conceal hush money payments to Stormy Daniels.
Despite Trump’s large jury pool, the extensive selection process didn’t pan out well for the former president.
After weeks of intense questioning that saw more than half of the jurors dismissed for bias, Trump ultimately faced conviction on all counts in May 2024, becoming the first former U.S. president convicted of felony crimes.
Diddy’s attorneys hope a similarly expansive pool will grant them greater flexibility in selecting impartial jurors. They’ve also requested individual, sequestered questioning of jurors to avoid any undue influence, a practice standard in high-profile trials.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, are eager to start jury selection earlier—on April 21, 2025—to prevent trial delays. They claim their case alone will take approximately six weeks, with another two weeks set aside for the defense.
Diddy’s legal team counters that a May selection start is essential, arguing they still have “a tremendous amount of discovery to review and prepare in advance of trial.”
The federal charges against Diddy arose from a civil lawsuit brought by his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, unleashing similar accusations against the Bad Boy founder.
He has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty while proclaiming his innocence.
Diddy’s criminal trial is tentatively set to start on May 5 with jury selection, while opening statements will occur on May 13, 2025.