Diddy Trial

The Diddy trial could begin and end with jury deliberation, because the composition of the jury could determine whether Diddy spends the rest of his life in prison or goes free.

TMZ breaks down the factors in selecting a jury of Diddy's peers in our new documentary, "The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available now on Tubi.

Dr. Phil, a former jury consultant who masterminded Oprah's big win in the Texas beef trial, says it's critical to find open-minded jurors, and it's not as simple as asking if they're open-minded. One way to root that out ... asking prospective jurors if they've ever held a strong position and then changed their minds.

Race will almost inevitably play a part in the prosecution of Diddy, and his defense team is banking on jurors focusing on why prosecutors have invested so much in, as Diddy's lawyers put it, "taking down a successful Black man."

We get into it in the new documentary, "TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense," available free on Tubi.

Criminal defense lawyers who have won some of the most high-profile celebrity criminal cases weigh in on how race will become an issue in Diddy's trial, set for May.

A mock jury of 12 people heard evidence for and against Diddy and voted his fate ... and the results may surprise you.

The jury is part of a new documentary -- "TMZ Presents The Downfall of Diddy: His Defense" -- available for free on Tubi.

Jurors heard the case the prosecution will present and the defense Diddy's lawyers will mount, and then they retreated to a conference table where they argued the facts.

6:55 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won’t change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor."

They add ... "We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court."

Diddy took a photographer into a trailer on the set of a commercial and essentially forced him to perform oral sex by putting the guy's career in the balance ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The Bad Boy Records founder is being sued by a Hollywood photog who claims Diddy sexually assaulted him while he was working on a high-profile commercial.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, the photog claims Diddy invited him to join him in a trailer and framed the meeting as an opportunity for career advancement.

Diddy won a small victory in court today when a judge tossed a majority of claims against him in a lawsuit filed by a former music producer accusing him of sexual assault.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge dismissed five of the nine claims Rodney Jones made against Diddy ... including RICO claims, infliction of emotional distress, and breach of contract claims.

The court also dismissed a Trafficking Victims Protection Act claim against Diddy's company, Combs Global.

50 Cent has set his beef with Diddy aside -- all for the greater good of Kanye West's welfare!!!

On Thursday, Ye made sure 50 heard what he said loud and clear by doubling down on his fury towards Jay-Z and Beyoncé's kids with a post to replace the one he deleted yesterday.

In the latest post, Ye screamed, "50 I SAID JAY Z AND BEYONCES KIDS ARE R******* LETS MAKE THE HOT WATER BOILING HOT OR LIKE POPLE SAY BROILING HOT." 50 had admitted he'd taken the day off from social media posting in the wake of Ye's tirade ... and now thinks Diddy's advice from their phone call earlier this week is the right way to go!!!

Cassie's weighing in on Kanye West's recent pro-Diddy posts ... signaling the rapper should just keep his mouth shut about the whole situation.

The singer-songwriter reshared an IG post featuring Playboi Carti's response to Ye ... after Ye recently said both he and Playboi "beat women" but they're not hated as much as Diddy is ... a post that pushed Carti to share "YE STFU."

Cassie doesn't add any of her own words to the post on her IG Story ... but, it looks like she's co-signing PC's message wholeheartedly.

Diddy's legal archenemy, Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, is withdrawing himself from more than a dozen sex trafficking lawsuits filed against Diddy in New York federal court.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Buzbee is moving to withdraw as a representing attorney in 15 cases filed in the Southern District of New York.

Buzbee says he's backing out of the lawsuits until he is admitted to practice law in SDNY.

Prosecutors in Diddy's case are revealing the names of the 3 alleged victims in his federal indictment, but only for Diddy's attorneys to see ... for now.

According to a motion filed by Diddy on March 6, the disgraced music mogul requested the names of the three anonymous accusers and witnesses listed in the government's letter outlining the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations case against him.

The judge reviewed Diddy's motion and ordered the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York to hand over the names to Diddy's defense by March 10.

Sean "Diddy" Combs showered Kanye West with support in a leaked call from jail after Ye released a controversial song that apparently includes vocals from Ye's 11-year-old daughter North ... and Combs.

Check out the audio obtained by The Shade Room ... Diddy is advising his longtime pal to get back onstage and "tear down the stadiums" as the disgraced music mogul sits behind bars at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center, where he's awaiting trial on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Seemingly referring to his criminal case, Diddy tells Ye "this s*** is wicked" and warns him to "be careful" ... before returning to the main topic of conversation, which is touring.

Federal prosecutors just revealed in court they have two videos of Diddy beating Cassie in a hotel hallway in L.A. ... including a recording of the original hotel surveillance footage.

Diddy was in court Friday for a pretrial hearing in his federal criminal case when his lawyers started sparring with the feds over the Cassie beating video.

The judge asked the prosecution if they had the original security video and the Assistant United States Attorneys revealed the feds have the CNN version ... and a recording of the original footage.

5:45 PM PT -- "CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source. CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested."

5:40 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "Our written and oral communications with CNN’s counsel were clear - they destroyed the original video file they received from their source."

Bombshell in the Diddy prosecution ... CNN destroyed the only known copy of the 2016 video in which Diddy is seen beating Cassie in the hallway of an L.A. hotel ... this according to new court documents.

Diddy's defense team and prosecutors filed a joint letter about evidence in the case. According to the defense ... CNN purchased the video showing Diddy attacking Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in L.A. The letter claims "CNN purchased the only known copy of the Hotel's surveillance footage, uploaded that footage into a free editing software, altered the video and then destroyed the original footage, even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation."

The defense claims CNN altered and edited the footage by "covering the time stamp and then changing the video sequence. It also includes speeding up the video to make it falsely appear that the actions in the video are taking place faster than they are. As a result, the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question."

5:40 PM PT -- Diddy's legal team tells TMZ ... "Our written and oral communications with CNN’s counsel were clear - they destroyed the original video file they received from their source."

CNN is vehemently denying claims by Diddy's legal team that the cable news network altered footage of him beating Cassie in a hotel hallway and then destroyed the only known copy of the video.

A spokesperson for CNN tells TMZ ... "CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source. CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested."

We broke the story ... Diddy's defense team claimed Thursday in new court docs that CNN purchased the video showing Diddy attacking Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in L.A.

8:36 AM PT -- Maui Police Chief John Pelletier tells TMZ ... "I have no connections whatsoever to any individuals named in the lawsuit. The allegations suggesting his involvement are entirely unfounded. I am confident that the evidence will demonstrate these claims to be false and will expose those who are deliberately trying to manipulate the legal system to spread misleading narratives."

In 2018, while serving as a Captain in Las Vegas, I was honored by the Rape Crisis Center for his exceptional leadership and commitment to community safety, specifically through [my] role as a champion of the Stay S.A.F.E. program dedicated to sexual assault prevention.

These baseless allegations not only are wrong but also show a lack of respect for victims of abuse, whose voices deserve to be heard and supported with compassion and integrity.

Diddy's alleged sexual assaults were aided by Maui's Chief of Police ... this according to an amended lawsuit that also named NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and influencer Druski as co-conspirators.

The woman who sued Jay-Z for allegedly raping her when she was just 13 years old after the MTV Video Music Awards back in 2000 has been caught on an audio recording apparently admitting the alleged incident never happened.

The audio -- obtained by ABC News -- was recorded by a couple private investigators ... and, in it, the woman who filed the suit against Jay-Z walks back the claim she made in her lawsuit, filed by attorney Tony Buzbee back in December.

Listen to it for yourself ... the woman -- identified only as a Jane Doe -- can be heard telling the investigators that Jay-Z was at the party, but he never engaged in any sexual activity with her.

Diddy's parties were legendary in Hollywood circles, and he looked like the king of the world in video from his 2010 New Year's party ... footage of which TMZ has just obtained.

The rapper hosted a soirée in Miami, Florida on December 31, 2009 to ring in the new decade ... and, video from the event serves as a reminder of just how popular all his bashes were.

Check out the clip ... the party is going down at a beautiful mansion with a massive pool in the backyard -- and tons of people gathered around Diddy, who's speaking to the assembled group through a P.A. system.