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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ high-profile federal trial began as scheduled on May 5, 2025. During jury selection, 150 potential jurors were asked about their knowledge regarding 190 public figures, including A-listers Mike Myers, Kanye West, Michael B. Jordan, and Kid Cudi, among others.
While it is not clear why Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker Mike Myers was mentioned during Diddy’s trial, one of his most famous movie franchises, Austin Powers, has a scene poking fun at Combs.
In the 2002 spy comedy/ sci-fi film Austin Powers in Goldmember, Mike Myers’ character Dr. Evil was revealed to have a tattoo on his b*ttocks that read, “E. Diddy.” This was a reference to Sean Combs and seemingly implied that Dr. Evil was once connected to Diddy.
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Austin Powers in Goldmember, directed by Jay Roach, is the third and final installment in the Austin Powers franchise and stars Mike Myers in four different roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember, Fat B*stard, and the titular role. He was also involved in the screenplay; this was also Beyoncé’s film debut.
Reportedly, Mike was a guest at one of Combs' August 2022 parties.
Exploring other names dropped during the Diddy trial
On Monday, during Sean Combs’ trial, Judge Arun Subramanian asked the potential jurors about several celebrities, including Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, Harve Pierre, Laurieann Gibson, Michelle Williams, Dallas Austin, Lauren London, and Dawn Richard. Others included Michael B. Jordan, Kanye West, Yung Miami, and Kid Cudi.
So far, it remains unclear why Williams, Pierre, and Gibson have been named. Meanwhile, Ye and Combs have been professional collaborators and longtime friends. Jordan, on the other hand, briefly dated Diddy’s ex, Cassie. Miami, too, was romantically involved with Puff Daddy in the past.
As for actress Lauren London, she has been open about Diddy’s support for her following her partner, late rapper Nipsey Hussle’s 2019 murder. Likewise, record producer Dallas Austin was a close friend of Kim Porter, the late, longtime romantic partner of the Bad Boy Records mogul.
Cassie, in contrast, is Diddy’s former girlfriend and one of the first to have accused him of s*xual assault, physical abuse, and trafficking, in a November 2023 lawsuit that has since been “amicably” settled for an undisclosed eight-figure amount. However, at the time, Combs’ legal team stated that the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, in May 2024, a hotel CCTV footage tracing back to March 2016 was leaked by CNN, where the hip-hop magnate was seen physically abusing the R&B singer. Days later, Diddy issued a now-deleted apology video via Instagram.
Dawn Richard is a former member of the girl group Danity Kane, founded by Combs. She sued him last year for alleged s*xual assault and hostile work environment. Her civil suit also claimed that she was an alleged witness to Sean's alleged abuse of Cassie.
As for rapper Kid Cudi, he once dated Ventura and was named in her Diddy lawsuit. Cassie claimed Combs reportedly threatened to blow up Cudi’s car. Subsequently, the Ohio artist’s vehicle seemingly exploded in his driveway in January 2012.
The alleged incident was also mentioned in another case against Combs brought forth by the U.S. attorney for New York’s Southern District in September 2024. In a letter to the judge, the prosecutor claimed Diddy’s “co-conspirators” set fire to “an unnamed individual’s vehicle.” At the time of the incident, LAPD confirmed Cudi’s Porsche was set on fire, as reported by Rolling Stone. Later, in 2023, Kid told the New York Times that the incident was true. However, he didn’t name Combs.
Notably, Judge Subramanian said during Monday’s trial that inclusions of any names did not guarantee that they would testify or be mentioned throughout the trial. However, Cassie is set to testify under her own name, PEOPLE exclusively reported last month after reviewing a court filing.
During Monday’s trial, Combs told the judge he was “nervous” and asked for a break. While initially denied, he was later granted a two-minute bathroom break.
He also rejected a written plea offer from the prosecution, which was his last chance to plead guilty before trial. Jury selection will happen till May 12, and the trial is expected to last for eight weeks.
Sean Combs was arrested in September 2024 and charged with multiple federal crimes, including s*x trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has since been detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. If convicted, he might face 15 years to life in federal prison. So far, he has pleaded not guilty to all counts. Separate from the federal case, Combs is also facing at least 70 lawsuits related to s*xual offences.
