In a move that was anticipated by many, a black male juror has been formally dismissed from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial today (June 16) after presiding Judge Arun Subramanian concluded that the juror had ‘shaded his answers’ to qualify for the jury. This dismissal raises questions not just about the juror’s integrity, but about the broader implications of jury diversity in high-profile cases.
On Friday, Judge Subramanian indicated that he was leaning toward dismissing ‘Juror 6’ after concerns arose that he had allegedly misrepresented his residence during jury selection.
The New York Post reported:
“On Monday morning, the judge made it official, stating, ‘The record raised serious questions about the juror shading his answers to be on the jury’.
Juror 6, who is black, has been replaced by ‘Alternate 1’, a white juror — a switch that Diddy’s legal team vehemently opposed, arguing that this would compromise the jury’s diversity.
Judge: The record raised serious concerns about the juror shading his answers to be on the jury. The shifting answers raised questions about the juror’s credibility. So the Court indicated Juror 6 should be dismissed. The defense now urges further questioning
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) June 16, 2025
Judge: The defense raised concerns about replacing an African American juror with a white one, and cited a 2d Circuit case. The Court takes this seriously – but further questioning is inappropriate and might negatively impact the jury. This is why we have alternates
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) June 16, 2025
In addition to the issues surrounding ‘Juror 6’, Judge Subramanian is also addressing a separate, unspecified issue concerning another juror, which he plans to question at the end of the day’s session.
Inner City Press on X reported:
“Judge: ‘As to the issue about another juror that arose on Friday [in sealed session]. I will question that juror at the end of today’s session. The parties should inform me if we should clear the courtroom or conduct the questioning in the robing room’.”
Taking the place of ‘Juror 6’ is a 57-year-old white male architect from Westchester, who holds a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. This change highlights the contentious nature of jury composition, particularly in a case that already draws attention for its serious allegations against the music mogul.
Read more:
Judge in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Will Remove Black Male Juror From Panel After Finding He Lied During Selection To Get Onto the Jury
