In court for his sex-trafficking trial, Sean “Diddy” Combs has a striking new appearance that might sway jurors.
Earlier last month, sketches of the troubled music mogul with gray hair went viral.
Notably, since his arrest in September 2024, the rapper has been detained at Brooklyn, New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he is prohibited from using hair dye.
READ MORE: Jay-Z And Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Are Accused Of Sexually Assaulting A 13-Year-Old In A New Legal Filing
Us Weekly asked jury consultant Alan Tuerkheimer why he believes the 55-year-old Grammy winner “is letting his hair go gray on purpose.”
“Fashion makes a statement” in the courtroom, the expert told the site Thursday.
Tuerkheimer observed that Combs’ metamorphosis was “a way to convey remorse without any kind of admission of fault or wrongdoing,” adding that “the hope is that, given the lascivious nature of some of the alleged acts he participated in, the jury sees a more seasoned and grown up version of his former self.”
“This [looks like] a more mature and gentler individual,” he continued. As jurors consider a defendant’s complete appearance, many of these evaluations are made unconsciously.
Tuerkheimer went on last week to say, “If he does not testify, they will form their impression of him in large part based on what they see when they look at him throughout the trial.”
Joshua Ritter, a criminal defense lawyer from Los Angeles, concurred, claiming that “someone who appears gray [with a] gray hair, gray beard, dressed in kind of a sweater … doesn’t look like the kind of person that would commit the sorts of atrocities that are going to be alleged.”
This might “play at least a subconscious role in [the 12 jury members’] heads,” he asserted.
READ MORE: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Sex Trafficking Trial Starts With Jury Selection
Combs’ legal issues started in November 2023 when he was sued for rape and abuse by his ex-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Homeland Security raided Combs’ residences four months after the ex-couple reached a settlement.
The songwriter has been sued by multiple people alleging sexual assault, in addition to being arrested in September 2024.
Through his attorneys, Combs has persisted in denying any wrongdoing.
At the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York City, the Bad Boy Records founder’s trial started on May 5 with the presence of his mother and children.
A startling accusation regarding Combs’ time with Ventura was made during the opening statements, which began on Monday.
According to Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson, he allegedly made a male escort urinate in the dancer’s mouth, making Ventura feel as though she was “choking.”
After more than ten years together, she and Combs announced their separation in 2018.
The following year, Ventura married Alex Fine, and the two of them have two daughters: Sunny, 4, and Frankie, 5, with a boy on the way.
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