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.