TMZ.com

On the first day of the Diddy trial, the judge is asking prospective jurors about their celebrity knowledge and their own personal backgrounds, based on answers to a lengthy questionnaire each has already filled out ... and one candidate has an occupation and a family relation that could affect both sides of the case.

In a packed NYC courthouse Monday morning, federal judge Arun Subramanian began questioning possible jurors -- and Juror No. 2's job is particularly interesting in the context of Diddy's alleged crimes ... as is his sister's relationship past.

Juror 2 happens to be a massage therapist -- who probably knows a thing or two about baby oil, which will play a HUGE role in the Diddy case. As you know, Diddy bought baby oil in bulk to use during his "Freak Offs," which are marathon sexual encounters between Diddy, his girlfriends and a male escort, according to a federal indictment.

Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page isn't showing a songwriter a whole lotta love over one of the band's classic hits, and now he's dragging the guitarist into federal court.

A guy named Jake Holmes filed the suit against James Patrick Page -- yeah, that's his full name -- over "Dazed and Confused" ... the song Zeppelin dropped back in '69. In the docs, Holmes says it's already been legally established that he is the copyright holder on the track -- he and Page reached a settlement in 2011.

Holmes says he noticed something awry with the new IMAX documentary, "Becoming Led Zeppelin," which was released earlier this year -- the film credits say Page wrote 'Dazed' and Holmes only "inspired" it, but Holmes says that's patently false.

The first day of the federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs began this morning with some lighthearted comments by the judge ... who mentions Diddy's various nicknames over the years, and nods to the size of the potential jury pool and the length of the questionnaire each individual filled out.

As proceedings got formally underway, Judge Arun Subramanian made a remark comparing the size of the list of prospective jurors that both sides will question on the stand -- and the questionnaire of people and places in the case -- to the famously vast "Lord of the Rings" trilogy of novels.

As you know, there are many challenges on both sides for jury selection, which is expected to take several days.

Jury selection just kicked off in Diddy's federal trial, and it’s a total madhouse -- with some people getting paid just to stand in line for others to snag spots inside the courthouse.

We caught the chaos at the federal courthouse in Manhattan on Monday -- some folks told us they had been in line since the night before, saving spots for people who paid them to do the heavy lifting.

One line-holder told us he was getting $32 per hour to hold a place in line, though he admitted the going rate is more like $25 per hour. Any bit of extra income helps with inflation, particularly in Manhattan! Another clip on X showed just how absurd the line was to get into the courthouse for the jury selection ... so paying someone to save a spot makes sense.

Karen Read looks to be taking her retrial for murder in stride ... appearing relaxed after a recent court appearance -- having a drink and chatting with strangers.

TMZ has obtained photos of Read at SAVR, a bistro in Boston's Seaport District -- not long after she finished up another week of her retrial on Friday.

Eyewitnesses tell us Read was with her legal team -- including powerhouse defense attorney Alan Jackson ... who we're told flattered everyone in the bar, working the room and schmoozing like a pro.

Elizabeth Smart’s kidnapper Wanda Barzee may or may not be smiling after her arrest on Thursday ... but there’s no doubt she was one happy camper posing for her mugshot for Utah’s Sex Offender Registry.

TMZ has obtained the photo of Barzee from the registry -- and the convicted criminal could not have looked more jovial. Check out her big fat grin, showing off her yellow-stained teeth.

She also flashes her wild eyes and messy white hair with moles on her face and neck. The registry lists, among other things, her height, weight and 11 aliases along with details about her federal conviction for abducting Smart.

Diddy's defense team is starting to take shape on the eve of his federal criminal trial ... and he's got some accomplished legal minds on his side.

The Bad Boy Records founder is rocking with Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos as his lead attorneys ... and Marc's been at the center of some high-profile cases.

Agnifilo previously defended NXIVM sex cult leader Keith Raniere, "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Khan and Goldman Sachs banker Roger Ng.

Geragos is a partner at Marc's firm ... and she worked with him on the Raniere case.

Elizabeth Smart's kidnapper, Wanda Barzee, was back behind bars for a brief moment ... because she was arrested in Utah for allegedly violating the conditions of her supervised release.

Police in Salt Lake City tell TMZ ... Wanda was arrested Thursday after detectives discovered she allegedly visited at least two public parks in town.

The issue ... Barzee is a registered sex offender in Utah and going to a public park is a big no-no for her.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman says he will NOT recuse himself from the Erik and Lyle Menendez case ... despite their attorney calling for Hochman to step aside.

In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Hochman says there's no legal reason for him to recuse himself ... and he blasts the defense for what he sees as a "drastic and desperate step" ... claiming they are trying to sidestep the central issue here ... resentencing, which Hochman opposes.

Erik and Lyle's attorney, Mark Geragos, previously called for Hochman to recuse himself.

Diddy's defense may be aided by the fact there's a lot of noise about celebrity sex tapes and minors being involved in the Diddy criminal case ... those two things are NOT part of the case, and it could have a profound effect on jurors.

On the "2 Angry Men" podcast, Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos explored one of the perceptions out there about the Diddy criminal case ... and how it may swing the jury.

There's a false narrative that celebrity sex tapes and minors are part of the prosecution's evidence against Diddy ... with some folks out there, including potential jurors, under the false impression this case is the hip hop version of Jeffrey Epstein.

Sean "Diddy" Combs is just a few days away from standing trial in federal court, and we've got the answers to all the basic questions you may have. Read below to catch up on everything you need to know.

Diddy was arrested on September 16, 2024, in the lobby of the Park Hyatt New York hotel in Manhattan. The shocking arrest was caught on surveillance footage, obtained by TMZ.

Diddy was initially charged with three federal counts -- one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; one count of transportation to engage in prostitution; and one count of racketeering conspiracy. In April 2025, he was hit with two more charges -- another sex trafficking count, and another transportation to engage in prostitution charge, bringing the total number to five. He's pled not guilty to all charges.

5/3 5:23 PM PT -- A spokesperson for Chumba Casino tells TMZ it "operates its social casino in strict compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.  This lawsuit has no merit and Chumba will vigorously defend its legal right to operate its business."

The rep adds, "Our brand ambassador Ryan Seacrest is not involved in the operation of Chumba’s business, and it is unfortunate that he has been unfairly targeted as part of this suit."

2:25 PM PT -- A source close to the situation tells TMZ this is just a nuisance lawsuit.

Ryan Seacrest is breaking California law by promoting an illegal online casino ... at least according to a new lawsuit.

The "American Idol" and "Wheel of Fortune" host is being sued by a California resident named Aubrey Carillo, who allegedly lost money on an online casino Ryan often promotes on social media.

In the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Carillo claims ChumbaCasino.com is operating illegally in California and Ryan is serving as the operation's official celebrity endorser.

The federal prosecutors who will be trying to secure a conviction against Diddy in his upcoming trial are all white women ... led by the daughter of former FBI director James Comey.

Maurene Ryan Comey is set to lead the team of U.S. Attorneys from the vaunted Southern District of New York next week in court, when jury selection begins in Diddy's sex trafficking trial.

Maurene's father is the former FBI director who had a controversial role in the 2016 presidential election. James was ultimately fired from his post by President Trump a few months into Trump's first term.

12:48 PM PT -- The creative team behind "Luigi: The Musical" released a statement assuring the public the musical is, "not a celebration of violence of any kind" and they "do not condone violence, sexual assault, or pedophilia in any form."

The legend of Luigi Mangione is growing ... because he's the subject of an upcoming musical, and it's the hottest ticket in San Francisco.

Luigi is the inspiration behind a musical comedy coming to the Taylor Street Theatre in San Francisco, and the play's entire run is already sold out.

"Luigi: The Musical" will also feature Diddy and Sam Bankman-Fried as characters ... with scenes and musical numbers centered around Luigi's time at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where all 3 men are in custody.

Prince Harry won't receive automatic security every time he goes to the UK ... 'cause a court in England just upheld the ruling against the Duke of Sussex and his immediate family receiving publicly funded security in the country.

The Court of Appeal ruled unanimously against Harry ... claiming a committee had not treated him unfairly when it decided to rule on his security on a visit-by-visit basis, rather than providing blanket security.

Prince Harry made a two-day appearance in his home country last month to support his appeal, where his team argued his life may be in danger when he visits the UK ... with security arrangements that were "manifestly inferior."

Blake Lively opened up about her difficult year on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" ... admitting this year's been very difficult for her, but she's doing what she can to make the world safer for women and girls.

The actress sat down with the 'SNL' alum Thursday night ... and, Seth brought up her legal drama with Justin Baldoni -- acknowledging that she probably can't say much while the legal battle drags on in court.

BL agrees with Seth before adding that the year has been "full of the highest highs and the lowest lows" of her life.