At Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial, some online content creators are playing by different rules

Two women who took the stand using pseudonyms in the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs were exposed when their presumed names were leaked online.

In recent years, the defamation suit between actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard and the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion by fellow rapper Tory Lanez put a new spin on how celebrity trials are covered, as content creators and vloggers flooded social media feeds with the most explosive moments.

The federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is no exception.

Each day, outside a towering courthouse in lower Manhattan, a horde of traditional media outlets, online streamers and curious spectators jostle to score a seat inside the main courtroom where Combs is facing sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges that could result in a lengthy prison sentence if convicted.

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When the proceedings pause for a lunch break or conclude for the day, it’s the dozens of content creators who take center stage, scrambling to the sidewalks to set up their cellphone tripods and emote the latest testimony and courtroom drama for their eager followers.