A federal judge told a lawyer for music star Sean “Diddy” Combs to be more careful with what he says publicly now that the rapper’s sex trafficking trial has started. The judge said it was very wrong that the lawyer called the prosecutors a “six-pack of white women” on a podcast.

The transcript from Tuesday's robing room session documented the exchange between Judge Arun Subramanian and attorney Mark Geragos.

Meanwhile, the judge indicated on Wednesday his intention to finalize jury selection by Friday, with opening arguments slated for Monday.

The trial in Manhattan federal court follows the 55-year-old hip-hop promoter's not-guilty plea to racketeering and sex trafficking charges after his September arrest; he has been held without bail since.

On Tuesday, prosecutors requested that the judge direct Geragos to comply with local regulations restricting attorneys' commentary on the case while the trial is ongoing. They observed that Geragos had not formally registered to represent the defendant in court during the trial, despite appearing to consult with both a jury consultant and the defense team.

Later that day, in a meeting in the judge's private room, the judge asked if Geragos, who has represented famous clients like Michael Jackson and the Menendez brothers, was helping Combs in any way.

Geragos countered that he is representing the entertainer's mother in a separate case and has previously represented Combs, with whom he maintains frequent communication; his daughter, Teny Geragos, is a crucial component of Combs' legal counsel.

Just as Geragos seemed ready to criticize the prosecutors about the issue of pretrial publicity, the judge stopped him and said: “Let’s just talk honestly.”

The judge mentioned that Geragos, on his recent podcast "2 Angry Men" with TMZ founder Mark Levin, called the prosecution team, which had six white women, a "six-pack of white women."

Subramanian questioned Geragos about his awareness that such a statement was inappropriate for an officer of the court and a member of the bar.

Geragos observed: “I think when you’re dealing with the prosecution of a Black man, and the client perceives he is being singled out, it warrants comment.”

The judge repeated what he thought, saying: "I think this is very silly. I think calling the people prosecuting this case 'a six-pack of white women' is completely wrong."

Subramanian informed Geragos, a frequent attendee of the jury selection, that he would be monitoring and evaluating his contributions.

"Consider me another listener for your podcast," the judge remarked.

“Provided you subscribe, I fully endorse it,” Geragos retorted.

Before the trial, Combs' lawyers said that the many accusations, some of which they thought were completely unbelievable, were caused by the strong effect of "inflammatory statements" from federal agents and the fact that Combs is very famous.

They argued that the many lawsuits against Combs recently, and the accusations in them, have caused a wild media situation that, if it continues, will permanently prevent Mr. Combs from getting a fair trial, if it hasn't already.

Over the last three days, the judge has been individually interviewing potential jurors to determine their impartiality. Combs has observed this process from his position at the defense table.

On Friday, counsel for both parties will be allowed to strike prospective jurors from the panel, typically without needing to articulate their rationale. This process, which generally concludes within an hour, yields the final jury of twelve, along with alternates.

Combs is accused of running his businesses like a criminal group, using workers and other people he knows to help with several crimes, including kidnapping, setting fires, giving bribes, and selling people.

Prosecutors claim that Combs used his fame and money in the hip-hop world to make young women participate in sexually abusive situations. These included events called “Freak Offs,” which were parties where women were forced to have sex with male sex workers after taking drugs, while Combs filmed them.

Combs’ legal team argue that prosecutors are attempting to regulate consensual sexual acts.