Inside Diddy's Courtroom Look: How Gray Hair Could Impact His Trial's Outcome

Sean "Diddy" Combs appeared quite transformed when jury selection opened on Monday in his federal sex-trafficking case, prompting speculation as to whether his new crop of gray hair and subdued clothing were the result of jail time or part of a legal strategy to make himself appear softer and vulnerable.

The 55-year-old music executive, who has been in jail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September 2024, was shown with a full, gray beard and his head of gray hair in courtroom sketches that contrasted sharply with a once-youthful public image.

Diddy stood out not for his usual designer attire but for how subdued he looked. Without access to cosmetic products or hair dye in jail, the transformation may reflect the reality of detention, but some experts believe it's also a calculated move.

"There is no doubt he is letting his hair go gray purposefully," jury consultant Alan Tuerkheimer told Us Weekly. "The hope is that, given the lascivious nature of some of the alleged acts he participated in, the jury sees a more seasoned and grown-up version of his former self."

Legal Experts: 'Appearance Matters to a Jury'

Experts say a defendant's look can significantly influence how jurors process a case, even if they don't consciously realize it.

"It is a way to convey remorse without any kind of admission of fault or wrongdoing," Tuerkheimer 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."

Joshua Ritter, a Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney, said a man in a sweater with graying features might not fit the profile of someone accused of "atrocities."

"One of the central questions [jurors] have in their head is, could this person have committed these crimes?" Ritter told Us Weekly. "And if you're looking over at someone who appears gray, gray hair, gray beard, dressed in kind of a sweater and doesn't look like the kind of person that would commit the sorts of atrocities that are going to be alleged, that might play at least a subconscious role in their heads."

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor, told NewsNation that the toll of jail and trial can naturally age high-profile defendants—but that the effect is also something lawyers pay close attention to.

"These are people who are really in prison for the first time in their entire life. They live a lavish, extravagant lifestyle, and prison can be very different for them ... It ages them, and it ages them quickly," Rahmani said. "It can affect your physical and mental health."

He emphasized that courtroom appearances are never left to chance. "[Diddy] is not going to be in court wearing his normal bling," Rahmani said. "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."

Diddy, who has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, faces a lengthy trial expected to highlight decades of alleged misconduct. He has denied all allegations.

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Diddy, Sean Combs