Sean 'Diddy' Combs seeks jury trial

Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking a jury trial in a civil lawsuit filed by Clayton Howard, according to a May 19 AceShowbiz report and federal court records. The case, Clayton Howard v. Sean Combs, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. CourtListener’s docket page shows a “Jury Demand: Defendant” and lists May 14, 2026 as the date of the last known filing. ### What exactly did Combs ask the court to do? AceShowbiz reported that Combs, along with business entities tied to him, formally demanded that the dispute be decided by a jury rather than by a judge alone. CourtListener’s docket entry for the case supports that a defendant jury demand is on file. The case was filed on June 30, 2025, according to the docket. (aceshowbiz.com) A jury demand is a procedural move in civil litigation. It does not resolve the claims, dismiss the case or determine damages. It means the party is asking that factual disputes, if the case reaches trial, be decided by jurors. That reading is based on the docket notation showing the demand, not on any court ruling yet reflected in the materials reviewed. (aceshowbiz.com) ### Who is Clayton Howard, and what does he allege? Clayton Howard is the plaintiff in the case and is identified in AceShowbiz as a former escort. AceShowbiz said Howard alleges he had repeated sexual encounters over several years involving Combs and singer Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura. The same report said Howard is seeking $20 million in unspecified damages. (courtlistener.com) The CourtListener docket shows the defendants include Sean Combs, Cassandra Ventura, Bad Boy Records, Epic Records, Combs Enterprises LLC and Beverly Hills Hotel Corp. A docket entry also shows Howard filed an amended complaint with a jury demand in July 2025, and a separate filing on PacerMonitor is labeled “Second Amended Complaint.” (aceshowbiz.com) ### Where is the lawsuit, and how far along is it? The lawsuit is in federal court in Los Angeles, in the Central District of California, before Judge Anne Hwang, according to CourtListener. The docket page says the case was filed on June 30, 2025 and last updated with a known filing on May 14, 2026. The materials reviewed do not show a final ruling on Howard’s claims. (courtlistener.com) They do show that the case remains active on the civil docket and that the parties have continued filing documents into 2026. ### How does Combs’ incarceration fit into this filing? AceShowbiz reported that Combs is incarcerated at Fort Dix while pursuing the jury demand in the Howard civil case. (courtlistener.com) The same report said he is appealing a 2025 federal conviction on two Mann Act charges and received a 50-month prison sentence. CourtListener separately shows a federal criminal case against Combs in the Southern District of New York, filed in September 2024 and terminated in October 2025. (courtlistener.com) The docket confirms that criminal proceedings existed, though the sentencing detail cited here comes from AceShowbiz rather than the criminal docket excerpt reviewed. ### What happens next in the civil case? (aceshowbiz.com) The next step is likely to come through additional docket activity in Clayton Howard v. Sean Combs in the Central District of California. CourtListener identifies the case as No. 2:25-cv-06031 and shows the latest known filing date as May 14, 2026. Any future scheduling order, motion ruling or trial setting would appear there first. (courtlistener.com 1) (courtlistener.com 2)