Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Key takeaways from day 1, what’s expected today?

Disclaimer: This explainer contains distressing details

The criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs continues for its 2nd time connected Tuesday successful Manhattan, New York, wherever helium faces charges, including enactment trafficking and racketeering.

The trial opened connected Monday with assemblage selection, opening statements and 2 harrowing testimonies. The three-time Grammy victor has been accused of utilizing his fame and luck to maltreatment women implicit a play of 20 years.

Diddy, 55, who is simply a rapper, instrumentalist and laminitis of grounds statement Bad Boy Records, has been successful national custody since his apprehension successful September. District Judge Arun Subramanian is presiding implicit the case. The proceedings officially began connected May 5.

What is Diddy charged with?

A five-count indictment, spanning 17 pages, against Diddy accuses him of enactment trafficking, racketeering, forced labour and transporting individuals for the intent of prostitution. Racketeering refers to fraudulent oregon dishonest behaviour successful business.

In November 2023, his ex-girlfriend and musician, Casandra Ventura, besides known by her signifier sanction Cassie, filed a suit against Diddy, accusing him of enactment trafficking, intersexual battle and artillery from 2007 to 2018.

The adjacent day, Cassie and Diddy settled the lawsuit, with details of the colony unknown. Since then, the hip-hop mogul has faced much than 50 lawsuits accusing him of intersexual assault.

Diddy has pleaded not guilty to each charges.

If convicted, helium could look punishment ranging from 15 years successful situation to a beingness sentence.

What happened connected time 1 of the Diddy trial?

The time began with the enactment of 12 New York jurors and six alternates, who are utilized successful lawsuit a juror is incapable to be owed to an emergency, specified arsenic illness. Then, the tribunal heard opening statements.

Courtroom sketches from Monday amusement Diddy with grey hairsbreadth and a grey-beige sweater. His mother, Janice Combs, was besides contiguous successful the courtroom.

“For 20 years, the defendant, with the assistance of his trusted interior circle, committed transgression aft crime,” Emily Johnson, adjunct US attorney, said. “That’s wherefore we are present today. That’s what this lawsuit is about.”

After this, witnesses were brought to the basal and grounds was presented.

Hotel onslaught video shown

A March 2016 surveillance camera video of Diddy physically assaulting Cassie was shown successful court. In the video, helium is seen successful the assistance slope of a hotel, aggressively shoving Cassie to the crushed and kicking her aggregate times. He is past seen picking up her belongings and dragging her crossed the level and leaving.

Cassie is seen distressed, getting up to usage the edifice landline phone. In different video clip, Diddy is seen throwing a solid vase, shattering it. This video archetypal surfaced erstwhile it was aired by CNN successful 2024, aft which helium apologised.

The video was shown to enactment the grounds of the archetypal witness, Israel Florez, who is presently a Los Angeles constabulary officer. In March 2016, Florez was a information defender astatine the Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City, wherever the surveillance camera video is from.

Florez told the tribunal helium received a telephone from a distressed pistillate and recovered Diddy and Cassie connected the sixth floor. Florez said Cassie had a purple eye, and she declined his proposition of calling the police.

A video from a edifice is shown arsenic authoritative Christy Slavik questions Israel Florez, a erstwhile information guard, successful this courtroom sketch [Jane Rosenberg/Reuters]

Details astir ‘freak-offs’ revealed

Prosecutors said successful opening statements that Diddy was progressive successful “freak-offs” oregon enactment parties that would span days and impact aggregate enactment workers. They said these parties were drug-fuelled, and the victims were blackmailed with video footage.

“They volition archer you astir immoderate of the astir achy experiences of their lives. The days they spent successful edifice rooms, precocious connected drugs, dressed successful costumes to execute the defendant’s intersexual fantasies,” Johnson, the adjunct US attorney, said.

Diddy’s defence held that these events were consensual and the victims did not telephone the police.

Prosecutor Emily Johnson points to Diddy successful this courtroom sketch [Jane Rosenberg/Reuters]

Daniel Phillip’s testimony

The 2nd witnesser called to tribunal was a antheral stripper, Daniel Phillip, who told the tribunal helium had enactment with Cassie for wealth connected aggregate occasions betwixt 2012 and 2013 portion Diddy watched. Phillip told the tribunal helium saw Diddy physically battle Cassie, slapping her, dragging her by the hairsbreadth and throwing a liquor vessel towards her.

“She virtually jumped into my lap, and she was shaking, similar virtually her full full assemblage was shaking. She was terrified,” Phillip said astir Cassie.

Daniel Phillip, the prosecution’s 2nd witness, testifies successful this courtroom sketch [Jane Rosenberg/Reuters]

Diddy’s defence squad testifies

The defence squad besides spoke connected the opening day.

Teny Geragos, the defence lawyer, held that her lawsuit is aggravated and violent, but the allegations against him magnitude to home unit alternatively than enactment trafficking, and that his relationships person been consensual.

“This lawsuit is astir voluntary choices made by susceptible adults successful consensual relationships,” Geragos said during her opening statement. “For Cassie, she made a choice, each azygous day, to enactment with him,” she was quoted arsenic saying by the BBC.

Geragos added that those accusing Diddy were seeking fiscal compensation.

What could hap connected Tuesday?

The proceedings is expected to resume astatine 9:30am (13:30 GMT) connected Tuesday with the cross-examination of Phillip. After this, Cassie is expected to instrumentality the stand. Prosecutors person said 4 of Diddy’s accusers volition attest during the trial, without identifying them publicly.

The proceedings is predicted to past astir 2 months.

Can the Diddy proceedings beryllium watched live?

No, the proceedings is not televised, and physics media is not allowed wrong the courtroom. For this reason, photography and videos are besides prohibited wrong the courtroom.