Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team is asking that prospective jurors in his upcoming federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial be questioned about their views on drugs, sex, violence, and people with multiple sexual partners. In a letter to U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian, Combs’ attorneys said they couldn’t agree with prosecutors on a shared juror questionnaire. Jury selection begins May 5 in Manhattan, with opening statements on May 12.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including two recent counts of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. His attorney Marc Agnifilo argued that the government’s proposed questions fail to address juror bias and don’t explore issues central to ensuring a fair trial. The defense questionnaire covers experiences with drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and willingness to view explicit or violent video evidence.

Marc Agnifilo.

Combs’ attorneys cited a precedent in the racketeering case against NXIVM cult leader Keith Raniere—also represented by Agnifilo—where similar juror questions were allowed. Prosecutors oppose the defense’s 72-question form, calling it excessive and invasive. They propose a shorter 23-question survey, saying longer ones risk being misunderstood. They referenced the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial, where a juror failed to disclose past abuse, later saying he had “skimmed” the 51-question form too quickly.

Federal prosecutors allege Combs led a violent, drug-driven sex trafficking ring from 2004 through 2023. He is being held in a Brooklyn jail following a September indictment. According to the indictment, Combs orchestrated “freak offs”—drug-fueled sexual encounters involving coercion, intimidation, and commercial sex workers, some transported across state lines. He allegedly directed and recorded these events, with help from associates who prepared the locations and cleaned up afterward.

The public first learned about the alleged “freak offs” in 2023, when Combs’ former partner, Cassie Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit accusing him of a decade of abuse and forced participation in those gatherings. They settled the suit privately, but the legal fallout intensified in March 2024 when federal agents raided his homes in Los Angeles and Miami Beach. According to the indictment, agents seized drugs and more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant. Combs’ lawyers argue all encounters were consensual.

A key piece of evidence is a video showing Combs assaulting Ventura at a Los Angeles InterContinental Hotel in 2016. CNN released the footage in 2023, showing him punching, kicking, and stomping on her. After the video went public, Combs apologized, calling his actions “inexcusable” and stating that he had since gone to therapy and rehab.