NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial got underway this week in Manhattan, as the rap mogul faces testimony from his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura.
Combs stands accused of forcing women, including Cassie, into drugged-up sex parties he allegedly described as “freak offs.” Prosecutors contend that Combs used his fame and power in the industry to sexually abuse women from 2004 to 2024. He pleaded not guilty after his September arrest and has remained held without bail at a federal lockup in Brooklyn.
During her testimony, Ventura alleged that she suffered injuries on multiple occasions at the hand of Combs and claims that she was compelled to participate in the sex parties for more than a decade.
During court proceedings, a March 2016 surveillance camera video which appeared to show Combs physically assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway was shown in court. In the video, Combs appears to aggressively shove Ventura to the ground and kicking her multiple times before dragging her across the floor and out of frame.
Lawyers for three-time Grammy winner told the jury on Monday that while Combs, who is 55, could be violent, he never engaged in sex trafficking or racketeering and that his relationships with his sex partners was consensual.
“This case is about voluntary choices made by capable adults in consensual relationships,” Teny Geragos, an attorney representing Combs told the jury, according to the BBC.
If Combs is convicted on all charges, which include racketeering, kidnapping, bribery and sex trafficking, he would face a mandatory 15 years in prison and could remain behind bars for life.
