Is the picture of Diddy with gray hair sitting in the courtroom real? Viral image debunked

As Sean "Diddy" Combs's s*x trafficking trial began on May 5, a photo of the 55-year-old supposedly with gray hair went viral on Thursday. Facebook user Antonio Farmer shared the photo of Combs in an orange prison outfit, supposedly seated in the courtroom during the ongoing trial. The post was captioned:

"They stressing the hell outta Diddy in jail…bro done aged 15 years in 6 months"

The feds arrested Combs in September 2024, and the former rapper has since been held without bail. Judges dealing with the case have denied his appeal for bail four times.

Netizens wondered if the trial caused Combs stress to the extent that his hair turned gray. Some wondered if the Bad Boy Records founder dyed his hair. A few others responded that prisoners are not allowed to dye their hair in jail, so Combs' hair transformation must have been a natural process.

However, the picture is not real. No official pictures of Diddy have been released from the courtroom during his ongoing trial, except for courtroom sketches.

Moreover, there is a Grok watermark on the bottom right corner of the image, further confirming that it was generated using artificial intelligence. Grok, developed by Elon Musk's xAI, is a generative AI chatbot.

One of the commenters also explained how the picture contained evidence of AI-generated elements.

Internet user explains that the viral photo of Combs with gray hair is fake. (Image via Facebook/Antonio Farmer)

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Courtroom sketches captured Diddy's gray hair and beard

While no original picture from Sean Combs' ongoing trial has been shared, in several courtroom sketches, the rap mogul's current appearance was demonstrated.

Combs reportedly arrived at Lower Manhattan's Daniel Patrick Moynihan courthouse on Monday in a suit with gray hair and a beard, per US Weekly. The outlet reported that the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where Combs is currently detained, does not allow hair dye for inmates.

However, the outlet added that the artist behind the sketches could have intentionally drawn the record executive with gray hair. Personal injury lawyer Neama Rahmani spoke to NewsNation regarding Combs' trial. Referring to his supposed aged look in the courtroom, Rahmani said:

"Combs is not going to be in court wearing his normal bling."

The attorney explained:

"You want to appeal to those jurors. You're not going to come in wearing a Versace or Tom Ford suit. It’s going to be very different because this all matters. It really, really does."

A jury consultant, Alan Tuerkheimer, shared a similar opinion with US Weekly. According to Alan, Combs has let his hair turn gray on purpose, intending to appear as a "more seasoned and grown-up version of his former self" before the jurors — a version that is likely different from his younger self, who allegedly committed the s*xual assaults he has been accused of.

Tuerkheimer said, with his weaker and supposedly humbled appearance, Diddy might have hoped to show the judge and the jurors that he is repentant of the alleged actions. This way, the former rapper would not have to admit or confess his purported deeds. The jury consultant added:

"This is a more mature and gentler individual. Many of these assessments of a defendant take place subconsciously, as jurors process his entire appearance."

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It is to be noted that while the viral photo of Diddy in an orange prison jumpsuit and gray hair is not real, the mogul might actually have gray hair currently. A real picture of the current state of his hair is yet to be revealed.