The rapper formerly known as Kanye West has been one of the few celebrities to publicly defend Mr. Combs, who is charged with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
At about 11:20 a.m. on Friday, there was a commotion at the entrance to the Federal District courthouse in Lower Manhattan when Ye, the rapper and provocateur formerly known as Kanye West, entered the building where Sean Combs is standing trial.
Ye, wearing sunglasses and a white denim jacket and pants, was accompanied by Christian Combs, one of Mr. Combs’s sons. When he was asked by a reporter if he was there to support Mr. Combs, Ye said yes — though he stayed in the courthouse for only about 30 minutes, and was never seated in the courtroom.
For months, Ye has been one of the only major celebrities to offer public support for Mr. Combs, who is charged with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors have said that employees of Mr. Combs, including security staff, worked on his behalf as part of a “criminal enterprise” to commit and cover up a variety of crimes, including kidnapping, arson and obstruction of justice. Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty.
Ye’s presence in the courthouse was brief, but it electrified the building.
When he tried to enter the 26th-floor courtroom where Mr. Combs’s trial was underway, Ye was told that he was not on the approved list for the day, which is held by court officers and includes reporters and members of the public who arrive early.
So Ye was directed to an overflow room on the 23rd floor that was mostly empty. With Christian Combs and Charlucci Finney, a friend of Mr. Combs’s who has been present throughout the trial, Ye watched a closed-circuit video feed as the proceedings were set to resume after a break.
But by then, a crowd had begun to gather and Ye left, taking an elevator downstairs. The closest exit to the building, on Pearl Street, was crowded with families celebrating after becoming naturalized citizens. So Ye — trailed by crowds of reporters and onlookers — exited on Worth Street. He entered a black sedan and rode away just before noon.
