It seems like the entire world has been reading multiple daily updates about the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial, leading many to wonder why the case is not being streamed or televised. However, there is a simple explanation due to electronic media coverage being banned during federal criminal proceedings in the US.
The music mogul- who goes by Sean Combs, Puffy, Puff, Puff Daddy and P. Diddy- faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution as well as a slew of civil lawsuits alleging abuse, sexual assault, and drugging over a 20-year period. Combs has denied all allegations and has pleaded not guilty in court.
So far, we’ve already heard the testimony from the star witness- Diddy’s ex-girlfriend of eleven years Cassie Ventura, who testified for nearly 20 hours over four days. Also appearing in court was singer Dawn Richard- who alleged that Diddy threatened her with violence and sexually assaulted her- and an escort Diddy allegedly paid for ‘freak offs’ called Daniel Phillip. That’s just the beginning of the extensive list of famous names that could potentially be called to testify.
Why is Diddy's trial not televised?
However, those following the case have had to rely on court reporters' records of what is being said as cameras, phones, and any other electronic recording devices are prohibited in U.S. federal courtrooms according to the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, per the United States Courts’ official website. The site reads, ‘Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom.’ Therefore, Combs’s trial will not be televised or streamed anywhere online.
So far, courtroom sketches have been the only way for the public to get a glimpse of the drama happening inside the courtroom.
However, some courtroom recordings for high-interest proceedings are allowed with the approval of a judge. Other celebrity-centred cases over the years have allowed cameras into the courtroom- including O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski crash trial, the Menendez brothers’ murder trial, and Johnny Depp versus Amber Heard. This was because in the case of O.J. Simpson and the Menendez brothers, they were permitted to be televised due to approval from the judges presiding over the cases. As for Heard and Depp, their trial took place in Virginia and Gwyneth’s took place in Utah, and both were civil cases.
When you consider the criminal trials of Ghislaine Maxwell and R. Kelly, both of whom were tried in New York, they were not filmed or recorded digitally either. In fact, in the latter trial, journalists and the public were barred from the courtroom altogether. This was because it took place during the pandemic in 2021, but it meant journalists couldn’t see important pieces of evidence or watch how the jurors reacted to testimony, among other issues. Instead, reporters were placed in a courtroom two floors away from where Kelly’s trial was taking place.
How can I follow Diddy's trial?
The best way to keep up with Combs' trial, which is expected to last eight weeks, is by reading the various detailed live blogs and reports from the journalists in the courtroom. They are providing as much detail and colour as possible given the circumstances, with courtroom sketches aiding their descriptions. For example, during Ventura's testimony when the infamous 2016 CCTV footage of Combs violently kicking and beating her was shown, reporters claim Combs' three daughters looked away from the video while his sons stared on ahead.
Journalists from the BBC and The Guardian also noted that Combs made a heart symbol with his hands while looking at his mother, Janice Combs, and his children in the gallery. We are also told Combs' daughters walked out of the courtroom twice during Ventura's testimony – a detail that many view as indicative that the evidence is troubling to hear.
With regular updates of this nature it is more than possible to keep up with the trial without tuning into live video footage.
Sarah O'Byrne has worked for Bauer Media since May 2023. She writes for Grazia, heat, Closer, Bella and Yours.