In his ongoing sex trafficking trial, music mogul Sean Combs famously known as P Diddy recently faced warning from presiding judge Arun Subramanian over his behaviour towards the jury.Diddy had reportedly made various facial gestures and attempted to make eye contact with the jurors while a witness was testifying. Judge Subramanian regarded these actions as “absolutely unacceptable,” warning Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo, “If this happens again, I will give an instruction to the jury or it could result in the exclusion of your client from the courtroom.” The judge scolded, “I was very clear there should be no facial expressions to the jury, and I could not have been clearer. There was a line of questioning where your client was nodding vigorously and looking at the jury,” The incident prompted an apology from Diddy’s legal team along with an assurance that such behavior shall not be repeated.Diddy is currently facing serious legal charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, prostitution and assault, all to which he has pleaded as not guilty. The trial has been tense so far with a woman being removed from the courtroom for yelling obscenities at the jury and accusing them of targeting Black legacy just a day before the warning against Diddy was issued. Testimony from fashion designer Bryana ‘Bana’ Bongolan, a longtime friend of Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura added to the tension. Bana alleged that Diddy had dangled her from a 17th floor balcony. However, her testimony is being cross examined due to inconsistencies.Another testimony came from an alleged ex-girlfriend maintaining anonymity as “Jane Doe” who described being pressured by Diddy into participating in “hotel nights” where she was asked to engage in sexual acts with an escort. Diddy has reportedly maintained a calm demeanor throughout the trial, even during ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura’s testimony. He has however been observed making gestures towards his family and towards the public, shaking his head, passing notes to his lawyer, and blowing a kiss to his mother. The trial is currently entering its third week. Diddy will face the possibility of life in prison if convicted.The article is authored by Rishima Mosali, Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune.
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