Sean “Diddy” Combs won’t be forced to wear drab jail clothes at his upcoming sex-trafficking trial, a judge ruled Wednesday — allowing the fallen music mogul to don a rotation of outfits instead.
Manhattan federal Judge Arun Subramanian said that the Bad Boy Records founder can select up to five button-down shirts, five pairs of pants, five sweaters, five pairs of socks, and two pairs of laceless shoes when he appears in court throughout the trial.
The duds can be given to him before he arrives in court at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he is being housed throughout the case without bail, the judge said.
It is not uncommon for defendants to be allowed to opt out of appearing in front of a jury wearing the usual tan or orange prison scrubs — in order to limit panelists from potential biases about a defendant’s guilt simply based on what they are wearing.
Here’s what we know about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking charges
Combs, 55, is slated to go on trial starting with jury selection on May 5 in the bombshell case accusing him of being a twisted sex fiend who abused women.
Prosecutors argue the “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper forced victims to take part in drugged-up, days-long “freak off” sex sessions with male prostitutes.
Combs pleaded not guilty to racketeering, sex trafficking, transporting for prostitution and related crimes. He faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top charge.
The trial — which is sure to capture the national spotlight — is expected to last up to ten weeks and is slated to feature disturbing and graphic details about his alleged years-long criminal enterprise.
Combs and his associates are accused of beating, raping and threatening victims to get them to participate in the sex marathons and then keep them from speaking out afterward about what happened.
Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura is expected to be a key prosecution witness — along with three other alleged victims who will be allowed to testify anonymously.
Ventura will likely tell jurors about an infamous incident in which Combs was allegedly captured on video viciously kicking and dragging her down the hallway of a hotel.
Subramanian previously ruled that the footage taken from surveillance video at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, on March 5, 2016 can be shown to the jury.
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