Fact Check: Did musician Prince get played in the ongoing Diddy s*x trafficking trial?

On May 5, 2025, Sean "Diddy" Combs went to court in Manhattan for a public federal trial. He is being charged with s*x trafficking and racketeering conspiracy by prosecutors. Key witnesses, such as former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, have backed up claims of repeated assault, coercion, and drug-fueled "freak-off" parties.

In the middle of all this news, an untrue rumor spread online saying that an audio recording by Prince that hadn't been made public yet "shattered" Diddy's case in court. This fact-check looks at where the claim came from, what reliable trial reporting says, and what the government and experts have to say about it.

Did musician Prince get played in the ongoing Diddy s*x trafficking trial?

On May 18, 2025, the YouTube user "WhatIsMyStarWorth" posted a video with the title "1 MINUTE AGO: Prince's SECRET Recording Just Shattered Diddy's Trial..." that said a "hidden" footage of Prince had been exposed during the trial. The channel's profile said that it regularly posts gossip-based information, rumors, or exaggerated portrayals of reality.

The video description also said that the content was "altered or synthetic" and simply intended to be funny. Even though the video got almost 500,000 views, there were no trustworthy sources, court papers, or witness testimony to back up its shocking title. The channel's profile says that it typically publishes stuff that is based on rumors, gossip, or an over-the-top rendition of events.

Major news sources would have reported on the playing of a Prince song in a high-profile federal trial that took place in 2016. Still, neither the AP News live blogging nor Business Insider's descriptions of the "8 biggest bombshells" in the case, nor Reuters' trial updates, talk about any evidence that has to do with Prince.

There are no mentions of Prince or any recordings made after his death in any of the publicly accessible court records and dockets on PACER, such as motions, exhibits, or transcripts. In high-profile federal trials, it's normal for lawyers to submit papers before the trial to decide whether evidence may be used. But no such motions have been filed in Prince's case.

This false belief has spread because of sentimentalism and the way social media works. Some articles on Diddy's trial and Prince's legacy use clickbait headlines and unproven insider perspectives to get people to read them. Even though the original video had explicit cautions, the story spread quickly before fact-checkers could stop it.

There has been no word from the prosecution, Diddy's defense team, or any court official on the new evidence related to Prince. The US Attorney's Office, which is in charge of the trial, has also not made any notifications that this has transpired.

All trustworthy sources say that the trial for Sean "Diddy" Combs for s*x trafficking never played any Prince music. It all began with a YouTube video that said it was fake entertainment. Since then, the entire tale is false.

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