Overview

• Combs is on trial in Manhattan federal court facing five felony counts—including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation for prostitution—and has pleaded not guilty.
• At a June 1 press conference, President Trump said he would "look at the facts" before deciding on clemency if Combs is convicted, opening the door to a rare pre-verdict pardon discussion.
• In a series of Instagram posts, 50 Cent said he will personally reach out to Trump to express disapproval of Combs’s past derogatory remarks and urge against any pardon.
• Witnesses, including Combs’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and a former assistant, have described decades of alleged coercion at drug-fueled "freak-off" parties, with additional testimony expected this week.
• The feud between the rappers dates back to a 2006 diss track, and 50 Cent is producing a Netflix documentary on the sexual assault allegations against Combs.