Hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has pleaded not guilty to new federal charges of sex trafficking and transporting victims to engage in prostitution. The plea was entered in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday afternoon, following a superseding indictment as his trial is scheduled to begin next month.

During the court proceeding, Combs, 55, answered affirmatively when the presiding judge inquired if he had read the charges, discussed them with his lawyers, and understood them. He also waived the public reading of the charges. The two new charges against Combs—sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution—pertain to alleged conduct between 2021 and 2024, involving a victim identified as "Victim-2."

Combs has been in custody since his arrest last September, facing charges that he and his associates lured women into his circle under the guise of romantic relationships. Prosecutors allege that force and intimidation were then used to coerce these women into engaging in sex acts with male sex workers during so-called "freak off" sex parties. Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has consistently denied all charges.

Wearing a tan prison uniform, Combs briefly acknowledged Lisa Evers, a Fox 5 News reporter and host of "Street Soldiers with Lisa Evers," before the hearing began. His mother and children, who have attended previous court appearances, were not present on Monday.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian has given Combs’ legal team 48 hours to request a delay in the trial, which is currently scheduled to begin with jury selection on May 5 and opening statements on May 12. Subramanian emphasized the momentum toward the trial, stating, "We are a freight train moving toward trial."

Combs’ attorneys, Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, expressed concern over the prosecution's failure to provide approximately 200,000 emails from a key witness. Geragos claimed that the witness had been allowed to selectively submit messages to prosecutors, potentially omitting exculpatory information. Agnifilo indicated that he might seek a two-week adjournment to address this issue.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik defended the prosecution's approach, citing "efficiency and resource constraints" as reasons for not seeking all messages. She characterized the defense's concerns as mere "gamesmanship."

Prosecutors have also noted the discovery of illegal guns, including three AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers, along with large quantities of lubricant and baby oil, in Combs’ properties in California and Florida.

Combs' reputation has been significantly affected by a lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie (Casandra Ventura), who alleged years of abuse and rape. Although the suit was settled out of court, CNN later aired security footage showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura. Agnifilo has argued that the participants in the "freak offs" were consenting and that Combs has been in therapy for his involvement in "toxic relationships."

Following Monday's hearing, Combs spoke briefly with Agnifilo before being escorted back to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Agnifilo and Geragos did not comment to reporters after leaving the courthouse.