The Diddy trial: Race, consent, and why the trial matters
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 June 2025
⏱️ 32 minutes
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Summary
Sean “Diddy” Combs is a master imagemaker and influencer who rose to the top of multiple industries. But now he is on trial facing federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution – which he denies and has pleaded not guilty to. Still, Combs is trying to maintain some control over public perception.
Host Elahe Izadi speaks with culture reporter Helena Andrews-Dyer and style reporter Anne Branigin about Combs’s image and the societal issues at the center of the trial, including race and consent in a post-#MeToo era.
Today’s show was produced by Sabby Robinson. It was edited by Reena Flores and mixed by Sean Carter. Thanks to Carla Spartos.
Follow our coverage of the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Spotify here.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The first thing I wanted to ask you both is, what has been the most surprising part of the Sean Combs trial for you? |
| 0:11.5 | Let's start with you, Anne. |
| 0:13.4 | I think a lot of the public reaction, even though, I guess, like, broadly it hasn't surprised me, the sheer weirdness of it has been surprising. |
| 0:25.6 | Yeah, like having AI Brad Pitt testifying at the trial is just, I don't think I could have conceived of that. |
| 0:33.2 | Wait, Brad Pitt testify? |
| 0:35.0 | He didn't, but there are AI recreations that people have made that make it look like that. |
| 0:42.3 | Okay, that is, I didn't have that on my bingo card. |
| 0:46.4 | Helena, what's been the most, try and top that, try and top AI Brad Pitt. |
| 0:51.1 | I cannot. I almost want to say nothing has surprised me, which I know makes me sound super jaded and cynical. |
| 0:59.7 | Even when it comes to social media's reaction, as Anne was pointing out, I mean, some people are taking things extremely seriously, and some people absolutely are not. And every time I see it, I think, |
| 1:14.0 | yeah, that kind of tracks. |
| 1:21.8 | From the newsroom of The Washington Post, this is Post reports. I'm Elahey-Izadi. It's Friday, June 20th. We've been covering the |
| 1:30.9 | trial of music mogul Sean Diddy Combs from inside of the courtroom most weeks. Today, we're going to |
| 1:36.7 | talk about why this trial matters outside of the courtroom. And as a reminder, Combs is charged |
| 1:43.2 | with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and |
| 1:46.3 | transportation to engage in prostitution. He is pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could spend |
| 1:52.4 | the rest of his life in prison. Today, I'm joined by culture reporter Helena Andrews Dyer. |
| 1:58.2 | Hey, Helena. Hi, Helena. And we're also joined by Style Reporter Ann Branigan. |
| 2:03.3 | Hey, Anne. |
| 2:04.1 | Hey. |
| 2:05.3 | So we're going to talk about this master image maker, Sean Combs, also known as Puff, |
| 2:10.4 | puff, puff daddy, diddy, and how he's trying to manage that image now. |
... |
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