Jury selection begins in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial

(NBC News) – More than a dozen New Yorkers were questioned Monday about what they knew about the federal sex trafficking case against Sean “Diddy” Combs as jury selection got underway in a Manhattan courtroom. 

Prospective jurors were also shown a list of more than 100 places and people whose names may come up at trial and were asked whether they knew any of the individuals and whether it would affect their ability to be impartial. The list included celebrities such as Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers and Kanye West, none of whom are implicated in the case. 

The names of women who have filed civil lawsuits against Combs also appeared on the list, including his former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, whose suit paved the way for the sex trafficking and racketeering charges, and Dawn Richard, a member of two now-defunct musical groups Combs had formed.

Richard alleged in a suit filed last year that he had groped and threatened her and that she had witnessed him assaulting Ventura. Combs has denied her allegations, and her suit is pending. 

The attorneys did not provide an explanation for the list, and representatives for Jordan, Myers and West did not immediately return requests for comment.  

Twelve jurors will ultimately decide whether Combs used his power and influence to sexually exploit women for more than two decades, as federal prosecutors allege in a five-count indictment.