Sean "Diddy" Combs will stand trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges starting on May 5, a U.S. judge decided during a hearing on Thursday, and the jailed hip-hop mogul blew kisses to his family in the courtroom afterward.

During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court, Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo also raised concerns about what he termed improper leaks by federal agents about the case. Prosecutor Emily Johnson called the claim baseless.

Combs, 54, pleaded not guilty on Sept. 17 to a three-count indictment charging him with using his business empire - including record label Bad Boy&nbsp;Entertainment&nbsp;- to transport women and male sex workers across state lines to take part in recorded sexual performances called "Freak Offs."&nbsp;

Thursday's hearing marked a third court appearance for Combs since his September arrest.&nbsp;

Wearing tan prison garb, Combs stood and blew kisses toward his family members seated in the courtroom's audience after the hearing ended. His mother and children attended the hearing, defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said in court. Combs was then led out a side door by members of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Johnson told the court the prosecution's case at the trial will last at least three weeks. Combs' defense case will last around one week, Agnifilo said.&nbsp;

Combs has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest. The Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied his request to be immediately released while he appeals another judge's decision to deny him bail. A three-judge 2nd Circuit panel will hear that appeal at a later date.

The rapper and producer faces a sentence of up to life in prison and a minimum of 15 years if convicted of the three counts he faces: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.&nbsp;

Prosecutors said Combs enticed women by giving them drugs such as ketamine and ecstasy, financial support or promises of career support or a romantic relationship.&nbsp;Combs then used the surreptitious recordings of the sex acts as "collateral" to ensure that the women would remain silent, and sometimes displayed weapons to intimidate abuse victims and witnesses, prosecutors said.

The indictment contained no allegation that Combs himself directly engaged in unwanted sexual contact with women, though he was accused of physically assaulting them.&nbsp;Agnifilo has called the sexual activity described by prosecutors consensual.&nbsp;

In a court filing on Wednesday night, Agnifilo asked Subramanian to impose a "gag order" prohibiting prosecutors and federal agents from disclosing evidence to the media. Agnifilo cited what he called unlawful leaks that included a videotape showing Combs striking and dragging a woman in 2016.

At the hearing, Johnson called the defense request an attempt to "exclude a damning piece of evidence." She said prosecutors would have no problem affirming their obligations not to disclose confidential evidence to the press, but said the defense should be bound by that as well.&nbsp;

Johnson also raised concerns about Agnifilo's statement in a September interview with&nbsp;entertainment&nbsp;news outlet TMZ calling the case a "takedown of a successful Black man." She said the comment amounted to an accusation that the government was "engaging in a racist prosecution."&nbsp;

"Statements of this sort seriously risk a fair trial in this case," Johnson said.

Subramanian asked Agnifilo to propose an order that would govern public statements by both sides.

(This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The&nbsp;headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Sean "Diddy" Combs will stand trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges starting on May 5, a U.S. judge decided during a hearing on Thursday, and the jailed hip-hop mogul blew kisses to his family in the courtroom afterward.

Sean "Diddy" Combs will stand trial on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges starting on May 5, a U.S. judge decided during a hearing on Thursday, and the jailed hip-hop mogul blew kisses to his family in the courtroom afterward. During the hearing before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan federal court, Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo also raised concerns about what he termed improper leaks by federal agents about the case. Prosecutor Emily Johnson called the claim baseless. Combs, 54, pleaded not guilty on Sept. 17 to a three-count indictment charging him with using his business empire - including record label Bad Boy Entertainment - to transport women and male sex workers across state lines to take part in recorded sexual performances called "Freak Offs." Thursday's hearing marked a third court appearance for Combs since his September arrest. Wearing tan prison garb, Combs stood and blew kisses toward his family members seated in the courtroom's audience after the hearing ended. His mother and children attended the hearing, defense lawyer Anthony Ricco said in court. Combs was then led out a side door by members of the U.S. Marshals Service. Johnson told the court the prosecution's case at the trial will last at least three weeks. Combs' defense case will last around one week, Agnifilo said. Combs has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since his arrest. The Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday denied his request to be immediately released while he appeals another judge's decision to deny him bail. A three-judge 2nd Circuit panel will hear that appeal at a later date. The rapper and producer faces a sentence of up to life in prison and a minimum of 15 years if convicted of the three counts he faces: racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors said Combs enticed women by giving them drugs such as ketamine and ecstasy, financial support or promises of career support or a romantic relationship. Combs then used the surreptitious recordings of the sex acts as "collateral" to ensure that the women would remain silent, and sometimes displayed weapons to intimidate abuse victims and witnesses, prosecutors said. The indictment contained no allegation that Combs himself directly engaged in unwanted sexual contact with women, though he was accused of physically assaulting them. Agnifilo has called the sexual activity described by prosecutors consensual. In a court filing on Wednesday night, Agnifilo asked Subramanian to impose a "gag order" prohibiting prosecutors and federal agents from disclosing evidence to the media. Agnifilo cited what he called unlawful leaks that included a videotape showing Combs striking and dragging a woman in 2016. At the hearing, Johnson called the defense request an attempt to "exclude a damning piece of evidence." She said prosecutors would have no problem affirming their obligations not to disclose confidential evidence to the press, but said the defense should be bound by that as well. Johnson also raised concerns about Agnifilo's statement in a September interview with entertainment news outlet TMZ calling the case a "takedown of a successful Black man." She said the comment amounted to an accusation that the government was "engaging in a racist prosecution." "Statements of this sort seriously risk a fair trial in this case," Johnson said. Subramanian asked Agnifilo to propose an order that would govern public statements by both sides. (This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.)

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial set for May

Rapper Sean Diddy Combs is reportedly on a suicide watch at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC). Amid this, a shocking revelation has come forward by a former porn star, who has claimed&nbsp;that he was the&nbsp;rapper's sex slave.&nbsp;

An old video of a man named Jonathan Oddi has gone viral, in which he claims to have sex with the rapper and his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.&nbsp;

In the resurfaced 2018 clip, Oddi, who himself is in prison, can be seen telling the police officers about having sex with the controversial rapper.&nbsp;

The clip shows police investigating Oddi in Florida in an unrelated case when he reveals having physical relations with Diddy and his former partner.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/high-on-ketamine-rappers-had-sex-with-each-other-at-sean-diddy-combs-parties-report-760282">'High on ketamine' rappers had sex with each other at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' parties: Report</a>

''I had sex with Cassie and Sean,'' Oddi claims in the clip.

Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos, videos and information shared on social media.

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🔥🚨DEVELOPING: In 2018 a man named Jonathan Oddi who claimed he was Sean Diddy Combs ‘sex slave’ shot up the inside of Trump's National Doral Golf Club and was taken into custody by the police after opening fire. Johnathan also claimed that Rick Ross, Dj Khalid and Diddy were… <a href="https://t.co/cVZEiYfOh5">pic.twitter.com/cVZEiYfOh5</a>
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) <a href="https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1836237953137246285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
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He adds, "Basically, he would masturbate and tell me what to do to Cassie, I had like 15 encounters and I heard lots of business and what they would do with Sean. I was like a sex slave, okay. For them, that's what I was, that's all."

He also alleges that their sexual encounters were filmed and he was even given a copy of the video.

Oddi went on to claim&nbsp;that he took liquid cocaine with Diddy and Cassie. He also revealed that he "caught herpes" from their sexual activities. He even went on to allege&nbsp;that he was paid a huge amount of money by the rapper to keep their encounter a secret.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-placed-on-suicide-watch-as-he-awaits-trial-760276">Sean 'Diddy' Combs placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial</a>

The shocking allegations by Oddi draw attention to Ventura's accusations&nbsp;made in the November 2023 lawsuit.&nbsp;

In the suit, the former partner of Combs claimed that the rapper often forced her to have sex with other men. The&nbsp;lawsuit was settled out of court within 24 hours.

Oddie was arrested in May 2018 after he allegedly opened fire inside the Trump National Doral Miami resort.

Several people including Cassie Ventura have accused Diddy of sexual misconduct.&nbsp;

On September 16, Sean Diddy Combs was arrested in a Manhattan hotel. &nbsp;He was indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution

Rapper Sean Diddy Combs is reportedly on a suicide watch at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC). Amid this, a shocking revelation has come forward by a former porn star, who has claimed that he was the rapper's sex slave.

Rapper Sean Diddy Combs is reportedly on a suicide watch at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC). Amid this, a shocking revelation has come forward by a former porn star, who has claimed that he was the rapper's sex slave. An old video of a man named Jonathan Oddi has gone viral, in which he claims to have sex with the rapper and his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. In the resurfaced 2018 clip, Oddi, who himself is in prison, can be seen telling the police officers about having sex with the controversial rapper. The clip shows police investigating Oddi in Florida in an unrelated case when he reveals having physical relations with Diddy and his former partner. Also read: 'High on ketamine' rappers had sex with each other at Sean 'Diddy' Combs' parties: Report ''I had sex with Cassie and Sean,'' Oddi claims in the clip. Disclaimer: WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of photos, videos and information shared on social media. 🔥🚨DEVELOPING: In 2018 a man named Jonathan Oddi who claimed he was Sean Diddy Combs ‘sex slave’ shot up the inside of Trump's National Doral Golf Club and was taken into custody by the police after opening fire. Johnathan also claimed that Rick Ross, Dj Khalid and Diddy were… pic.twitter.com/cVZEiYfOh5 — Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) September 18, 2024 × He adds, "Basically, he would masturbate and tell me what to do to Cassie, I had like 15 encounters and I heard lots of business and what they would do with Sean. I was like a sex slave, okay. For them, that's what I was, that's all." He also alleges that their sexual encounters were filmed and he was even given a copy of the video. Oddi went on to claim that he took liquid cocaine with Diddy and Cassie. He also revealed that he "caught herpes" from their sexual activities. He even went on to allege that he was paid a huge amount of money by the rapper to keep their encounter a secret. Also read: Sean 'Diddy' Combs placed on suicide watch as he awaits trial The shocking allegations by Oddi draw attention to Ventura's accusations made in the November 2023 lawsuit. In the suit, the former partner of Combs claimed that the rapper often forced her to have sex with other men. The lawsuit was settled out of court within 24 hours. Oddie was arrested in May 2018 after he allegedly opened fire inside the Trump National Doral Miami resort. Several people including Cassie Ventura have accused Diddy of sexual misconduct. On September 16, Sean Diddy Combs was arrested in a Manhattan hotel. He was indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution

Shocking! A man claims he was Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex slave in resurfaced clip | Watch

Troubles continue to mount for Rapper Sean ''Diddy'' Combs. Amid several serious lawsuits, a disturbing&nbsp;video showed Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend&nbsp;Casandra Ventura. The 2016 footage showed Combs brutally hitting his ex and singer Cassie Ventura, who accused the rapper of rape and years of abuse in a lawsuit, which both of them&nbsp;resolved&nbsp;amicably in November 2023.&nbsp;

The surveillance video of March 16, obtained and released by CNN,&nbsp;shows the rap mogul at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. The disturbing video matches&nbsp;Ventura's allegations in a&nbsp;now-settled&nbsp;lawsuit.

Footage Showing Rapper Beating Girlfriend

The footage shows Ventura waiting in a hotel hallway for a lift with her bags when Combs, walks out of his&nbsp;hotel room and&nbsp;runs angrily after Ventura. A shirtless&nbsp;rapper&nbsp;holding a white towel around his waist grabs her by the back of the neck and brutally throws her to the floor. He continues to kick her as she lies on the hotel floor&nbsp;before he mercilessly&nbsp;drags her&nbsp;by holding her top. Later in the video, the rapper was seen throwing an object&nbsp;at her.&nbsp;

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Y este maldito golpeador lo negabaaaaa. 
 
Ojalá se haga justiciaaaaa.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SeanDiddy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SeanDiddy</a> <a href="https://t.co/ET5XSlZAM2">pic.twitter.com/ET5XSlZAM2</a>
— 🌏Odt 🌏 (@Odtsaga) <a href="https://twitter.com/Odtsaga/status/1791579156293304331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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While Ventura has not given any&nbsp;comment on this,&nbsp;her lawyer&nbsp;Douglas Wigdor has reacted to the video, saying that it confirmed the ''disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs.''

"The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs.&nbsp;Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light," her lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-denies-raping-minor-in-new-motion-to-dismiss-sexual-assault-case-720356">Sean 'Diddy' Combs denies raping minor in new motion to dismiss sexual assault case</a>

Combs' team&nbsp;has previously denied Ventura’s allegations, saying that ''Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.''

Ventura's lawsuit&nbsp;

In the lawsuit Cassandra Ventura aka&nbsp;Cassie levelled serious charges&nbsp;against the rapper. In the bombshell lawsuit,&nbsp;&nbsp;Cassie who had once worked with the rapper on his famous&nbsp;Bad Boy label, accused&nbsp;Combs of rape and&nbsp;physical assault&nbsp;over a decade.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/all-the-major-allegations-against-rapper-sean-diddy-combs-704273">All the major allegations against rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs</a>

In the lawsuit, the singer shared details about the horrific abuse during the years she was with the accused. In her&nbsp;complaint, Ventura detailed the toxic behaviours of the rapper, saying that&nbsp;“around March 2016,” Combs became “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye.”

The complaint also mentioned that Ventura attempted to leave the hotel room when&nbsp;Combs was&nbsp;asleep. However, he woke&nbsp;up and “followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her.”&nbsp;

“He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing the glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape,”&nbsp; Ventura said in&nbsp;the complaint.&nbsp;

Troubles continue to mount for Rapper Sean ''Diddy'' Combs. Amid several serious lawsuits, a disturbing video showed Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura.

Troubles continue to mount for Rapper Sean ''Diddy'' Combs. Amid several serious lawsuits, a disturbing video showed Combs physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura. The 2016 footage showed Combs brutally hitting his ex and singer Cassie Ventura, who accused the rapper of rape and years of abuse in a lawsuit, which both of them resolved amicably in November 2023. The surveillance video of March 16, obtained and released by CNN, shows the rap mogul at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. The disturbing video matches Ventura's allegations in a now-settled lawsuit. Footage Showing Rapper Beating Girlfriend The footage shows Ventura waiting in a hotel hallway for a lift with her bags when Combs, walks out of his hotel room and runs angrily after Ventura. A shirtless rapper holding a white towel around his waist grabs her by the back of the neck and brutally throws her to the floor. He continues to kick her as she lies on the hotel floor before he mercilessly drags her by holding her top. Later in the video, the rapper was seen throwing an object at her. Y este maldito golpeador lo negabaaaaa. Ojalá se haga justiciaaaaa.#SeanDiddy pic.twitter.com/ET5XSlZAM2 — 🌏Odt 🌏 (@Odtsaga) May 17, 2024 × While Ventura has not given any comment on this, her lawyer Douglas Wigdor has reacted to the video, saying that it confirmed the ''disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs.'' "The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light," her lawyer Douglas Wigdor said in a statement. Sean 'Diddy' Combs denies raping minor in new motion to dismiss sexual assault case Combs' team has previously denied Ventura’s allegations, saying that ''Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.'' Ventura's lawsuit In the lawsuit Cassandra Ventura aka Cassie levelled serious charges against the rapper. In the bombshell lawsuit, Cassie who had once worked with the rapper on his famous Bad Boy label, accused Combs of rape and physical assault over a decade. All the major allegations against rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs In the lawsuit, the singer shared details about the horrific abuse during the years she was with the accused. In her complaint, Ventura detailed the toxic behaviours of the rapper, saying that “around March 2016,” Combs became “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye.” The complaint also mentioned that Ventura attempted to leave the hotel room when Combs was asleep. However, he woke up and “followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her.” “He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing the glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape,” Ventura said in the complaint.

Shocking! Video shows Sean 'Diddy' Combs brutally assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway