The New York Knicks’ stunning collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals sent shockwaves to all corners of the city — including the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
When Judge Arun Subramanian sent the trial jury home on Thursday, May 22, ahead of the long Memorial Day holiday weekend, he listed some potential activities for the jurors to avoid hearing information about the case during their time away from the courthouse.
“Go on a bike ride, watch the Knicks avenge their Game 1 loss,” Subramanian suggested.
Subramanian insisted that jurors are not allowed to look up any information about the case, read any news coverage or talk to anyone involved “in any way shape or form.”
“If anyone breaks these rules, let me know. It’s not tattling,” Subramanian said, before correcting himself and saying, “It is tattling.”
The Knicks blew a 14-point lead with just over three minutes to play in a 138-135 overtime loss against the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 on Wednesday, May 21.
New York and Indiana return to Madison Square Garden for Game 2 of the best-of-seven series on Friday, May 23, before the series shifts to Indianapolis for Game 3 on Sunday, May 25. The Knicks are hoping for their first NBA Finals berth since 1999.
Diddy’s trial will resume in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday, May 27.
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 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.
