New York: Sean "Diddy" Combs has been denied a mistrial in his ongoing sex trafficking trial. The hip-hop mogul, 55, faces five charges including racketeering and sex trafficking, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The mistrial bid was rejected by US District Judge Arun Subramanian following a request from Combs' defense team. The defense argued that prosecutors improperly implied that Combs was involved in the destruction of evidence related to an alleged arson incident.
During the trial, rapper Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, testified that his car was set on fire in 2012. This event reportedly occurred shortly after Combs learned of Mescudi’s romantic involvement with Combs' on-and-off girlfriend, Casandra Ventura.
Combs' lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, argued outside the presence of the jury that questioning of a Los Angeles arson investigator suggested Combs played a role in the destruction of fingerprint evidence connected to the fire.
However, Judge Subramanian dismissed these claims, stating there was no prejudicial testimony from the witness that warranted a mistrial.
The trial continues amid high public and media attention, with legal teams presenting evidence and testimony in the complex case.
