Sean 'Diddy' Combs jurors say they have seen video of alleged beating, heard baby oil jokes

By Luc Cohen and Jack Queen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As jury selection got underway on Monday for Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial, prospective jurors said they had heard news about allegations against the hip-hop mogul, seen a video of him allegedly assaulting a woman, and even heard a comedian joke about the baby oil authorities say they found in his residences.  

But simply having followed prior media coverage about the case was not enough for them to be excused from potentially serving on the jury for the two-month trial of Combs, 55, on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.

 This week, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in Manhattan is questioning prospective jurors one-by-one, a process known as voir dire, in a bid to seat a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates who can be fair and impartial to both sides despite heavy media coverage of the case so far.

With Combs looking on wearing dark glasses and sporting a salt-and-pepper goatee, one juror said they had seen a video on the news that showed Combs allegedly assaulting someone in a hotel. Subramanian decided that juror, referred to as Juror No. 5, was qualified for the panel after they assured the judge they would be a "blank slate entering this courtroom." 

A prospective juror was dismissed after writing in a screening questionnaire last week that a still image they had seen below a news headline of a woman on the floor in a hotel hallway and Combs standing near her "could be damning evidence." 

Last year, CNN broadcast surveillance footage of what it said was a 2016 incident in which Combs attacked his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Casandra Ventura, in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel. Combs apologized after the footage aired.

The jury will be anonymous, which is frequently the case in high-profile trials in which jurors could face threats or harassment if their identities are known. Subramanian's goal in voir dire is to choose 45 potential jurors who are qualified to serve, and lawyers for both sides will then have the opportunity to dismiss jurors without stating a reason.

Prosecutors have said the incident depicted in the hotel surveillance video was evidence of how Combs used force and threats over a two-decade period to coerce women to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers, which the mogul called "Freak Offs."

Prosecutors say employees of Combs' business empire helped the "Freak Offs," including by booking hotel rooms, buying controlled substances and other items used during sex, and helping him cover up the activity. During raids of Combs' homes, authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant, prosecutors said.

One prospective juror said they had "liked" a video on social media in which a comedian joked about Combs and baby oil. 

"I remember liking it because I thought it was funny," said the juror, who Subramanian decided was qualified after they said they would be able to put the video aside and be impartial. 

Combs' lawyers say the hotel surveillance video depicted a domestic dispute over infidelity and was not evidence of sex trafficking. They are expected to argue that the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual.

COMBS COULD FACE LIFE IN PRISON 

Opening statements in Combs trial are scheduled for May 12. 

Once known for elevating hip-hop in American culture and hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, Combs is the latest powerful man in the entertainment industry to be accused of sexual misconduct since the #MeToo movement encouraged women to speak up about abuse.

His rags-to-riches life story saw the New York City native move from an upbringing by a single mother to living in mansions in Los Angeles and Miami. Since September he has been held at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, about an hour by subway from the Harlem neighborhood where he was born. 

If convicted on all counts, Combs faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and could face life in prison.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Jack Queen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Alistair Bell)