Sean 'Diddy' Combs has rejected a last minute plea deal.
The 'I'll Be Missing You' hitmaker is preparing to stand trial for sex crimes and during a pre-trial hearing in New York on Thursday (01.05.25), it was confirmed that jury selection will begin as scheduled on 5 May after the Bad Boy Records founder confirmed he wouldn't sign an agreement offered by prosecutors.
According to MailOnline, the specific terms of the deal were not read out but prosecutors said Combs would have spent less time in jail if he accepted it than if he is found guilty at trial.
The 55-year-old rapper'lawyer Marc Agnifilo told the court that he and Diddy had discussed the agreement with him and had "came to a decision" together.
Judge Arun Subramanian then asked Combs to stand and confirm if he had read the offer.
He replied: "I have, your honour."
The judge then asked if he had "rejected the plea offer" and he confirmed: "Yes I did, your honour."
The court heard prospective jurors will be separated into groups of 50, with the first being held in a courtroom in New York's federal court. They will answer detailed questions from lawyers from both sides and Combs will be present, though if any would-be juror needs to discuss a sensitive matter, it will be dealt with in private conference at the judge's bench.
The judge also warned lawyer Lisa Bloom, who is representing accuser Dawn Richard, over her recent comments to the media, with Combs' lawyer having objected to her "very disturbing" remarks.
Judge Subramanian said all lawyers in the case must "adhere to their obligations under the rules of professional conduct" and vowed to "take appropriate action" if anyone breached the rules this close to trial because he would "not tolerate anything that would impair the defendant's right to a jury trial."
Earlier this week, the judge agreed Diddy can ditch prison-issue clothes for when the jury selection begins and for the remainder of the case, but set certain conditions.
He ruled: "The defendant Sean Combs, Inmate # 37452-054, will be permitted to receive non-prison clothing at the MDC to wear for his trial scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.
"He is permitted to have up to five button down shirts, up to five pairs of pants, up to five sweaters, up to five pairs of socks, and up to two pairs of shoes without laces to wear to court."
Diddy has denied the allegations against him but has been held without bail since his arrest in September 2024.
