“The way he looks at every single person in that courtroom”: Influencer in courtroom for Diddy’s trial notes “intense” eye contact, compares him to a koala
Jury selection is officially underway in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal trial, nearly eight months after his arrest last year.
And while cameras aren’t allowed in the courtroom, that hasn’t stopped the internet from getting an inside look, thanks to influencer and true crime podcaster Stephanie Soo.
What the press is saying from inside the courtroom
Soo, known online as @missmangobutt, posted a video on Instagram after attending Day 2 of jury selection in New York City.
“I just spent 8 hours in a room with Diddy,” she starts the video. “This is my first time leaving the house in 3 months, and I’m at a federal courthouse in New York City.”
She made it clear that press access was extremely limited.
“This is day 2 of jury selection for Diddy’s trial,” she said. “There’s no video cameras allowed… It’s not being live-streamed, and there’s only three rows of press that were allowed inside.”
And while sketch artists are doing their best, Soo says nothing compares to seeing him in person.
“Something about seeing him in person, in the same room, was so intense,” she said. “He would turn around and make eye contact with each member of the press and everyone in the courthouse.”
Since there are no official photos, Soo says journalists were left trying to describe his look to each other.
“We were having debates about this during lunch,” she said. “But it’s like, you know koalas, when they get fuzzy, if it’s really humid and they have very fuzzy grayish-white hair. He kind of is reminiscent of that.”
But it wasn’t just the hair that stuck out.
“The way he looks at every single person in that courtroom is the most intense thing ever,” she said. “I feel like he’s challenging people: break eye contact first.”
Soo said she plans to post more details about the trial as it continues.
“Starting Monday, once the actual trial starts—once the opening statements start—I’m going to be in there every single day and I’m going to give you all the details every single day.”
What people are saying online
Commenters on Soo’s post had a range of reactions, from amused to skeptical.
“I cannot believe 2025 my most trusted news source is girl eating an uncrustable on the sidewalk,” one person joked.
“He’s probably looking at them like that to mark their faces for when he gets out lol,” another added.
A third asked a more practical question: “How are you legally able to even talk about this while the trial is going on?” Other users replied, saying Soo is allowed to share observations because she’s attending as a credentialed member of the press.
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