Sean “Diddy” Combs had support from his family as his federal trial began in New York City on Monday, May 12.
The rapper’s mom, Janice Combs, was in attendance along with six of his kids. His eldest daughters, Chance and twins D’Lila and Jessie, all 18, entered the courthouse on Monday morning holding hands with their brother Christian, 27. They were also accompanied by their brothers Justin, 31, and Quincy Brown, 33.
Chance dressed in an all-white outfit that included a buttoned-up cardigan and slacks, while her sisters wore matching black suits. Their brothers also appeared in dark colors, with Quincy choosing a gray suit and Justin and Christian wearing black separates.
Janice, meanwhile, wore a black suit and leopard-print top as she walked into court. The morning’s proceedings are expected to begin with jury selection before both sides present their opening statements.
Diddy, 55, is the father of seven children. He shares eldest son Justin with ex Misa Hylton. The rapper and the late Kim Porter shared son Christian, and he also adopted Porter’s son Quincy, whom she shared with Al B. Sure. They also welcomed twins D’Lila and Jessie. (Porter died at age 47 in 2018.) Diddy and Sarah Chapman share daughter Chance. His youngest child is daughter Love, 2, whom he shares with Dana Tran.
Following their father’s arrest, Diddy’s older children shared a joint statement of support for their dad.
“The past month has devastated our family,” they wrote. “Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media. We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family. WE MISS YOU & LOVE YOU DAD.”
Diddy’s mom, Janice Combs, has also been supportive of her son throughout his legal ordeal.
“I come to you today as a mother that is devastated and profoundly saddened by the allegations made against my son, Sean Combs. It is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth, but for a narrative created out of lies,” she said in a statement to Us Weekly in October 2024. “To bear witness [to] what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Like every human being, my son deserves to have this day in court, to finally share his side, and to prove his innocence.”
Janice, 84, and Diddy have maintained a close relationship since he rose to fame in the early 1990s.
“My mother was always working for a job, so I guess I was always trained that I should have multiple jobs, multiple aspirations,” Diddy said in a 2010 interview with Nightline. “And I remember she had multiple aspirations, always hearing about her dreams and things she did in the past and things she wanted to do.”
Over the years, Janice accompanied her son to some of the biggest events in the music industry, including the MTV Video Music Awards and BET Awards.
Diddy was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied all of the allegations against him.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said in a statement at the time. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Since his arrest, Diddy has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His four requests for bail were denied by Judge Arun Subramanian.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
