Thursday 5/8 Day 4. The Final Cut

0:03 Welcome back to Diddy Do It, the podcast that tracks every move, every motion, and every media storm in the federal trial of Sean Ditty Combs. I'm Nate Oliver. It's Thursday, May eighth. Today marked day four of jury selection in Manhattan, and things inside the courtroom feel like they're on the edge of ignition. Forty five potential jurors have now been qualified. Tomorrow the final panel of twelve plus six alternates will be selected then on Monday opening statements. But as we head toward the trial proper, the drama is spilling beyond the courtroom, from defense shakeups, to podcast controversies to what one reporter called a pre verdict public relations war. Let's start inside the courtroom. Judge Aaron Subramanian spent the morning reviewing the qualified pool, now forty five deep. Over the next day, both sides will exercise peremptory challenges that means striking jurors without giving a reason. Once that process wraps, twelve final jurors and six alternates will be seated. The stakes here are sky high. The trial could last two months.

1:13 Jurors will hear from multiple alleged victims, former employees, security personnel, and at least one major celebrity ex girlfriend. The government plans to show video surveillance and alleged financial records. The defense, meanwhile, is preparing a scorched earth rebuttal these jurors will carry a heavy burden the challenge finding people who don't already have an opinion. One man said he barely knew who Diddy was, but admitted he distrusts the justice system, especially when celebrities are involved. Another woman, a tech worker in her twenties, said she follows the case on TikTok, Reddit and YouTube. She was out. Another potential juror works for HBO, which, as it turns out, is reportedly producing a documentary called The Fall of Ditty. That person was also excused. Then came the podcaster bomb. Yesterday, Attorney Mark Giragos, who represents Ditty's mother, appeared on a podcast and described the prosecution as a six pack of white women. Today, Judge Subramanian condemned the comment from the bench. He called it outrageous, unprofessional, and warned that attempts to influence the jury pool through media would not be tolerated. The courtroom went quiet. This comment has since blown up online. Protesters gathered outside court today holding signs. One read, this isn't a six pack, it's a grand jury. Others weren't as clever or as polite. Meanwhile, a quieter, more strategic move is taking place inside Ditty's

2:44 defense team. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ditty has added famed trial attorney Jasmine Peck to his legal roster. Peck, who is black, is a seasoned federal defense lawyer known for her skill with juries in her background in prosecutorial misconduct cases. Why does that matter? Sources close to the defense suggest this is about more than just legal skill. It's about optics. With the government set to call multiple black women as alleged victims, Ditty's camp knows perception matters. They want jurors and the public to see a diverse, credible, and forceful team behind him. Peck declined to comment on the case, but her addition to the defense is being read by some court watchers as a direct response to growing criticism and to the Garagos debacle. She's expected to take a visible role when opening arguments begin next week.

3:38 More in a moment, it's clear that every move in this case is being choreographed, not just for the court, but for the court of public opinion Didty himself remained composed Today he wore a charcoal gray crew neck slacks and the same white collared shirt as earlier this week. He took notes, leaned in close to Joe Takapina during breaks, and occasionally scanned the jury pool. He looked more settled than Monday, when he had to request a bathroom break after telling the judge he felt nervous. Still, there's no mistaking the stakes. He could spend the rest of his life behind bars Outside the courthouse. The crowd of reporters has grown New York media, cable news, podcast crews, social creators.

4:30 They're all here. The sidewalk is now barricaded, security is tight, and with each new headline, the sense that this is more than a trial and that this is a spectacle only grows. One final note worth Mentioning sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that federal prosecutors plan to open their case with not just Cassie Ventura's testimony, but also audio recordings from a former employee. The contents of those recordings remain sealed, but we're told they include conversations between co homes and key witnesses and may point to attempts at witness tampering. We'll be watching closely to see how the court rules on admissibility. So to recap, the jury pool is now full forty five qualified. Final selection begins tomorrow, Opening statements start Monday. Tensions in and outside the courtroom arising, and Diddy has reshuffled his team to include a new face and maybe a new strategy. That's all for today's episode of Did He Do It? Tomorrow will break down who makes the final cut, and Monday, the trial begins. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the app of your choice.

5:38 I'm Nate Oliver. Thanks for listening.