Photo: Getty Images
Sean "Diddy" Combs is strengthening his legal team just weeks before his sex trafficking trial is set to begin.
According to a report TMZ published on Tuesday, April 15, the music mogul has enlisted Brian Steel to join his counsel. Steel, who defended Young Thug during his historic YSL RICO trial last year, filed paperwork to be admitted to practice law in the Southern District of New York. If he's admitted, Steel would join lead attorneys Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos in their mission to defend Combs when his sex trafficking trial begins next month.
Combs has been on the hunt for more attorneys to join his legal team in the weeks leading up to his trial. In addition to Steel, high-profile criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos is also expected to play a key role in Combs' legal strategy. TMZ previously reported that the Bad Boy Records founder was looking for a Black woman to join the team as well.
The updates on Combs' legal team come several months after the troubled artist's previous lawyer Anthony Ricco decided to step away from the case. Ricco told the Southern District of New York federal court that he can't "continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs, consistent with the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice." Ricco also said there are "sufficient reasons for [the] brevity" in his motion, but did not specify any reasons for his departure.
Jury selection for Combs' trial is expected to begin May 5 and opening statements will start the following week on May 12. The artist's attorneys previously asked the proceedings to be pushed back by at least two weeks but there's no update on that request yet. We've reached out to Combs' attorneys for comment.