Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, shows up for Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial but can't get in

NEW YORK (AP) — Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, briefly showed up to the New York sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on Friday to support the hip-hop mogul, a longtime friend. But he wasn't allowed into the courtroom and left after briefly watching the trial on a video monitor in another room.

Ye, dressed in white, arrived at Manhattan federal court before noon while the trial was on a break and spent about 40 minutes in the building.

After emerging from an airport-style security screening, Ye was asked if he was at the courthouse to support Combs.

“Yes,” he responded with a nod. He then hustled to an elevator and did not respond when asked if he might testify on Combs’ behalf when the defense begins its presentation as early as next week.

Courthouse security did not take him to the 26th floor where the trial occurs in one of the building's largest courtrooms. Admittance there is strictly controlled, with seats reserved for Combs' family and legal team, the media and spectators who wait in line for hours to get a coveted seat.

The rapper was taken instead to a courtroom three floors below the trial floor. There, he briefly observed testimony on a large closed-circuit monitor in an overflow room that was one floor below the usual overflow room, which was packed with media representatives and courthouse employees who heard erroneously that he might be there.

As word of his actual location spread and spectators trickled into the room where Ye sat in the front row with Combs’ son, Christian, a bodyguard and another Combs' supporter on a side of the room that was otherwise kept vacant by a court officer, Ye looked around the room before abruptly getting up and leaving, along with the others with him.

Ye didn't answer further questions as he left the courthouse, walking past reporters and TV cameras and ducking into a waiting black Mercedes sedan.

In the courtroom where the trial occurred, Combs, 55, seemed elated and aware his friend had visited as family members including his mother watched the proceedings. He has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges alleging that he used his fame, fortune and violence to commit crimes over a 20-year period.

Ye's appearance at the courthouse came a day after a woman identified in court only by the pseudonym “Jane” finished six days of testimony.

She testified that during a relationship with Combs that stretched from 2021 until his arrest last September at a Manhattan hotel, she felt coerced into frequent dayslong sexual marathons with male sex workers while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the drug-fueled encounters.

Defense attorneys have argued that Combs committed no crimes and that federal prosecutors were trying to police consensual sex that occurred between adults.

On Thursday, Jane testified that during a three-month break in her relationship with Combs, she flew to Las Vegas in January 2023 with a famous rapper who was close friends with Combs.

Prior to Jane's testimony on the subject, lawyers and the judge conducted a lengthy hearing out of public view to discuss what could be divulged about the January trip.

Jane was asked if the rapper she accompanied along with the rapper's girlfriend was “an individual at the top of the music industry as well ... an icon in the music industry.”

“Yes,” Jane replied.

Once in Las Vegas, Jane testified, she went with a group including the rapper to dinner, a strip club and a hotel room party, where a sex worker had sex with a woman while a half-dozen others watched.

She said there was dancing and the rapper said, “hey beautiful,” and told her, in crude language, that he had always wanted to have sex with her. Jane said she didn’t recall exactly when, but she flashed her breasts while dancing.

Also Friday, the judge said he was leaning toward removing a juror and replacing him with an alternate after prosecutors found inconsistencies in his answers about where he lives.

During jury selection, the juror said he lived in the Bronx. But, prosecutors said, he told a court employee that he recently moved to New Jersey.

Under questioning by Judge Arun Subramanian, the juror acknowledged moving, but said he retains a New York driver’s license and stays there during the week. Only New York residents can serve as Manhattan federal court jurors.

Combs’ lawyers called it a “thinly veiled effort to dismiss a Black juror” and suggested Subramanian was “conflating inconsistencies with lying.”

The judge noted that even if the juror is ousted, the jury would be diverse.

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, leaves federal court during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Larry Neumeister)

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, leaves federal court during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael R. Sisak)

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, leaves federal court during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael R. Sisak)

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, leaves federal court during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael R. Sisak)

Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, leaves federal court during the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Larry Neumeister)

FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the LA Premiere of "The Four: Battle For Stardom" at the CBS Radford Studio Center, May 30, 2018, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)

Dallas (7-8-1) at N.Y. Giants (3-13)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Cowboys by 3 1/2

Against the spread: Cowboys 7-9; Giants 7-8-1

Series record: Dallas leads 78-47-2.

Last week: Cowboys beat Commanders 30-23; Giants beat Raiders 34-10.

Last meeting: Dallas beat Washington 40-37 in OT on Sept. 14.

Cowboys offense: overall (1), rush (9), pass (1), scoring (4)

Cowboys defense: overall (30), rush (t20), pass (32), scoring (32)

Giants offense: overall (15), rush (6), pass (21), scoring (21)

Giants defense: overall (29), rush (30), pass (20), scoring (26)

Turnover differential: Cowboys minus-8; Giants minus-3

QB Dak Prescott has a 14-game winning streak against the Giants since two of his losses in a 13-3 rookie season in 2016 came against them. It’s the second-longest winning streak against a single opponent in NFL history behind Bob Griese, who beat Buffalo 17 consecutive times from 1968-79. Prescott will get credit for a Dallas victory because he is expected to start. The question is how long he will play in a finale with no playoff implications. Either way, this will go down as one of Prescott’s best seasons. He enters the final week first in the NFL with 4,482 yards passing.

WR Wan'Dale Robinson gets to put the finishing touches on his case for a new contract, either with the team that drafted him or elsewhere. Robinson last week became the first player 5-foot-8 or shorter to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving since 5-7 Richard Johnson in 1989 and just the third since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. And he's playing against a Dallas secondary without Trevon Diggs, who was released on Tuesday.

Cowboys' offensive line vs. Giants' pass rush. New York's Brian Burns trails only Cleveland record-chasing Myles Garrett in sacks with a career-high 16 1/2, while rookie Abdul Carter has heated up with 3 1/2 over the past four games. Dallas would like to keep Prescott upright, no matter how long he plays.

Cowboys: RBs Javonte Williams (stinger) and Malik Davis (calf/eye) have been ruled out. The backs with a chance to be active have 54 career carries among them: FB Hunter Luepke (32) and rookies Jaydon Blue (22) and Phil Mafah (0). Mafah has been out all season with a shoulder injury, and is listed as questionable ... LB DeMarvion Overshown and rookie CB Shavon Revel have been dealing with concussions and won't play.

Giants: Two starters in the secondary are out: CB Cor'Dale Flott (knee) and S Jevon Holland (knee/concussion).

The Cowboys have won nine in a row against the Giants and 16 of the past 17. It's the longest active series in the league. Dallas' last winning streak this long was against Carolina from 1998-2012. ... Each team has been eliminated from playoff contention. ... The Cowboys are trying to avoid consecutive losing seasons for the first time since going 5-11 under coach Dave Campo from 2000-02. ... New York can still secure the top draft pick with a loss and Las Vegas victory against Kansas City or could drop as low as No. 7. ... This is expected to be interim coach Mike Kafka's final game with the Giants.

Cowboys WR George Pickens needs 80 yards receiving to reach 1,500 in his Dallas debut after the offseason trade from Pittsburgh. His only 1,000-yard season in three years with the Steelers came in 2023, when he had 1,140. … Ferguson needs one touchdown catch to tie the franchise tight end record of nine, held by Jason Witten and Billy Joe Dupree. … In their Week 2 game, K Brandon Aubrey had a tying 64-yard field goal on the final play of regulation and a winning 46-yarder as time expired in overtime in the 40-37 Dallas victory. ... Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart has accounted for 22 TDs (13 passing and nine rushing) with just five interceptions, in his first 11 professional starts. ... Robinson led the team with 113 yards receiving at Las Vegas. He had 142 in Week 2 at Dallas, which was before top receiver Malik Nabers was knocked out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. ... LB Bobby Okereke intercepted Geno Smith and had seven tackles last week. ... CB Deonte Banks returned a kickoff 95 yards for a TD against the Raiders.

Daily fantasy players might be able to cash in if Giants RB Tyrone Tracy has another big game rushing and receiving.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

FILE - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) is sacked by Kayvon Thibodeaux (5) during a NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Matt Patterson, File)

FILE - Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) carries the ball after reception during a NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sept. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Matt Patterson, File)