Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly used violence and threats to manipulate women he purportedly abused for years, as revealed to New York jurors during the opening statements of the federal sex trafficking trial, which was soon followed by initial graphic testimonies in the case.
The jury, comprised of 12 jurors and six alternates tasked with determining Mr. Combs’s fate, heard accounts of the celebrated artist’s explosive behavior and attempts to safeguard his reputation and celebrity status through bribery.
However, the 55-year-old music mogul’s defense team argued that while some of his actions were questionable and at times amounted to domestic abuse, they did not constitute evidence of the racketeering and sex trafficking charges he faces.
Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Media has gathered outside the courthouse in Manhattan.
Ms. Ventura’s testimony is central to the case, and she is expected to take the witness stand as early as today.
Ms. Johnson also informed jurors that Mr. Combs allegedly set a man’s car on fire, dangled a woman from a balcony, and made unreasonable demands of his lovers and employees alike.
“Let me be clear,” stated U.S. attorney Ms. Johnson, “this case is not about a celebrity’s private sexual preferences.”
“It’s coercive and criminal,” she added.
‘Toxic relationship’ assertion
Conversely, Mr. Combs’s defense attorney, Teny Geragos, told jurors the “case is about love, jealousy, infidelity, and money.”
Mr. Combs stood and faced the jury as Mr. Geragos introduced him.
Ms. Geragos referred to Mr. Combs’s accusers as “capable, strong adult women,” stating that his relationship with Ms. Ventura was “toxic” yet “between two people who loved each other.”
“Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking,” she remarked, adding that the defense acknowledges there was domestic violence—but that Mr. Combs is not charged with those crimes.
Mr. Combs was accompanied at the courthouse by family, including his 18-year-old twin daughters and his mother, Janice.
‘Woman in distress’
The trial’s first witness was a Los Angeles police officer, who was a security officer at the time, responding to a report of “a woman in distress” on March 5, 2016, at the Los Angeles-area InterContinental Hotel.
The officer’s testimony set the stage for the prosecution to present evidence, including now-infamous security footage published by CNN last year, depicting Mr. Combs in a towel pursuing Ms. Ventura through hotel hallways, at times striking her.
The jury was shown the video repeatedly yesterday, including a cellphone-recorded version made by the witness of the original footage.
The witness detailed his interactions with Mr. Combs and Ms. Ventura meticulously, stating that after escorting the rapper back to his room, Mr. Combs offered him money.
Marc Agnifilo, Sean Combs’ lead attorney, arriving at the courthouse.
The officer interpreted this as a bribe: “He was telling me, ‘Don’t tell nobody,'” he said.
Following his testimony was a male dancer who reported having a sexual relationship with both Mr. Combs and Ms. Ventura from 2012 until around the end of 2013.
He mentioned witnessing Mr. Combs physically abusing Ms. Ventura in his presence.
“Why is she doing this, why is she staying with this guy?” he recalled questioning himself.
On the first day of testimony, numerous journalists, influencers, and members of the public flocked to the downtown Manhattan courthouse.
If convicted, the former rap producer and global superstar, often credited for mainstreaming hip-hop, could face a lifetime in prison.
The selected jurors will remain anonymous but are not sequestered—meaning they must individually ensure they avoid any media coverage and social media commentary regarding this high-profile case.
The proceedings are expected to take approximately eight to ten weeks.
