Juror Dismissed In ‘Diddy’ Trial For ‘Lack Of Candor’

A black juror in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial in Manhattan was dismissed on Monday due to “lack of candor.”

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian questioned the 41-year-old man’s ability to follow instructions, especially considering how he had given different answers about where he lived. The man had indicated that he lived in both the Bronx and New Jersey, according to The New York Times. 

Prosecutors called out the fact that Juror #6 said in conversation that he was cohabiting with his girlfriend in New Jersey. This didn’t match up with what the man said during jury selection, which was that he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée.

Judge Subramanian said he had “concerns about his candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the panel,” per The Hollywood Reporter.  

“There’s nothing that the juror could say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle,” the judge said on Monday.

Subramanian decided that the juror would be dismissed and replaced with an alternate, who is a 57-year-old white male accountant from Westchester County, New York, the outlet noted.

Combs’s defense team argued that the dismissal is unfair because the juror being dismissed is black, calling it a “thinly veiled effort to dismiss a black juror.” The judge rejected that claim.

“To be perfectly clear, from the outset of this proceeding to the current date, there has been no evidence and no showing of any kind of any biased conduct or biased manner of proceeding from the government,” he said.

Combs, 55, is on trial on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force and coercion, and transportation for prostitution. The trial began on May 12 and is expected to last eight weeks.

Over the past six weeks, prosecutors have presented more than 18 witnesses, including the rapper’s ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and former assistant Jonathan Perez. They have all described violent, drug-fueled group sex events called “freak‑offs” and coerced participation during these parties.

Comb’s defense team is focused on proving that all sexual encounters were consensual. If convicted, the Bad Boy Records founder could spend the rest of his life in prison.