The long, well-documented legal tangle that began with a shooting at a New York nightclub in December of 1999 may soon be coming to an end for Sean "Puffy" Combs.

While Puffy's protégé Shyne was charged with attempted murder, but it would be Puffy's lesser charges of weapons possession and bribery that would dominate headlines for much of the year that followed. The rapper/mogul's trial will begin on Monday, January 8, bringing Puffy one step closer to the end of what has been by his own admission one of the scariest experiences of his life. But while Puffy maintains his innocence and remains convinced he will be cleared of any wrongdoing, he admits that he is still "scared to death" as his trial approaches.

Puffy recently sat down with MTV News' John Norris to discuss his trial, as well as the effect his arrest (and the media attention focussed on it) has had on his relationships with his children and his girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez.