In the aftermath of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial, the situation continues to be a major topic of discussion. Legal experts are still weighing in on the mixed verdict as well as what may lie ahead for the embattled music mogul. Some individuals who were actually present within the courtroom have also spoken out about their experiences since the proceedings ended, too. In addition to limited comments from Combs’ legal team and a few jurors, a journalist is now opening up about what it was like to be around the courtroom.
Diddy’s court case has been heavily covered by the press, of which many members were on the ground in New York during the trial. One such journalist who was present was Wesley Morris of The New York Times. Morris spoke with his colleague, John White, as part of their podcast, Cannonball, during which the former explained that he decided to sit in on the trial after a month of reading the reports. While discussing his experiences, Morris recalled having to get in line at the courthouse every morning and discussed the people he’d see:
You’re just always aware that there are people coming to just see what I was seeing with their own two eyes. Some of those people were real big Puffy people. They were there to support him. They think that this case is some BS and the government is out to get him. And they were, in a lot of cases, they didn’t have press badges, but they were TikToking, YouTubing, live streaming courtroom watchers, and particularly courtroom watchers of this case.
Kanye West, who’s been a vocal advocate for him. Combs’ kids also supported him by sending Father’s Day messages and by criticizing the reports that swirled around their father. Wesley Morris further recalled seeing some of Combs’ children in court quite frequently alongside other family members. Not only that, but Morris also described what it was like seeing the now-graying Combs in person:
being “like a movie” – opined that the defense “poked holes” in the prosecution’s arguments. A sitting juror was also asked if Combs’ fame played into the verdict, and the juror was insulted by that assumption.
As Wesley Morris and others discuss their time sitting in the courtroom, Diddy himself is still sitting behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The Grammy winner will remain there in the run-up to his sentencing, which is set to take place on October 3.