A timeline of the rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs

By Associated Press

For more than two decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs was one of hip-hop’s most opportunistic entrepreneurs, spinning his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a TV network, deals with liquor companies and a key role in a reality TV show.

But U.S. prosecutors say behind the scenes, Combs was coercing and abusing women with assistance from a network of associates who helped silence victims through blackmail and violence.

Combs has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. Opening statements in his trial are expected Monday.

Here is a timeline of major events in his rise and fall:

1990 — 1999

1990: Combs, then a student at Howard University, gets his start in the music business with an internship at Uptown Records in New York.

Dec. 28, 1991: Nine people die at a celebrity basketball game promoted by Combs and the rapper Heavy D