Sean “Diddy” Combs’s public persona was that of a “charismatic” hip-hop mogul – however behind the scenes he pressured girls into “freak off” sexual encounters with escorts and blackmailed them with movies, prosecutors alleged through the first day of his trial.
Within the courtroom in Manhattan, New York, Combs blew a kiss to his mom and relations supporting him, earlier than listening intently as opening statements from the prosecution and defence outlined the main points of the high-profile case.
The hip-hop mogul, 55, has pleaded not responsible to expenses of intercourse trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to interact in prostitution, and strenuously denied all allegations of sexual abuse.
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Sean Combs’s household arrive at court docket
His defence legal professionals say all sexual encounters have been consensual and that the case is absolutely about nothing greater than Combs’s sexual preferences, which they are saying ought to stay non-public. Combs is a “flawed individual”, they argue, however not a racketeer or a intercourse trafficker.
The court docket additionally heard proof from two witnesses – a former resort safety guard and a male escort.
However first, prosecutor Emily Johnson gave her opening assertion.
“To the public, he was Puff Daddy or Diddy,” she instructed the court docket, describing Combs as a “business icon” and “larger than life”.
Nonetheless, there was one other aspect to the rapper, she says – a aspect that “ran a criminal enterprise”, she stated. He typically “called himself the king”, Ms Johnson stated, and anticipated to be handled like one.
“This is Sean Combs,” Ms Johnson instructed jurors as she pointed at Combs, who leaned again in his chair. “During this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant’s crimes.”
These crimes, she stated, included kidnapping, arson, medication, intercourse crimes, bribery and obstruction.
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There aren’t any cameras within the court docket constructing, so court docket artists seize the scenes inside. Sketch: Reuters/Jane Rosenberg
Ms Johnson stated Combs beat and sexually exploited his former long-term girlfriend Cassie, who was named in court docket, and compelled the singer and different girls to take medication and have intercourse with male escorts.
He threatened to wreck Cassie’s profession by publicly releasing movies of those sexual encounters, which have been dubbed “freak offs”, jurors heard.
“Her livelihood depended on keeping him happy,” the prosecutor stated.
Jurors will hear testimonies from alleged victims who will speak about “some of the most painful experiences of their lives”, Ms Johnson continued. “The days they spent in hotel rooms, high on drugs, dressed in costumes to perform the defendant’s sexual fantasies.”
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Combs and Cassie pictured in 2017. Pic: zz/XPX/STAR MAX/IPx 2017/AP
‘This isn’t an advanced case’
However Teny Geragos, who’s on Combs’s defence staff, painted a really completely different image.
“Sean Combs is a complicated man,” she instructed the court docket. “But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money.”
Ms Geragos conceded that Combs might be violent and stated she understood some jurors won’t condone this, nor his “kinky sex”. However the rapper is “not charged with being mean”, she stated, and his life-style could have been indulgent, nevertheless it was not unlawful.
She additionally claimed Combs’s accusers have been motivated by cash.
Cassie resort footage proven in court docket
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Pic: CNN by way of AP Could 2024
After the opening statements, the primary witness, Israel Florez, was known as to the stand.
Now a police officer in LA, in March 2016, Mr Florez labored as a safety guard at a resort in Los Angeles, the place Combs was filmed on CCTV seemingly attacking R&B singer and mannequin Cassie, whose full title is Casandra Ventura.
After CNN aired video of the assault final 12 months, the rapper apologised in a video on social media and stated he was “disgusted” by his actions.
Video footage of this incident was proven in court docket as Mr Florez gave his testimony.
He instructed the court docket he recognised Combs after responding to a name of a girl in misery on the sixth ground of the resort. The rapper was carrying solely a towel and socks, Mr Florez instructed the court docket, and had “a blank stare, like a devilish stare, just looking at me”.
He stated that as he was escorting Ms Ventura and Combs to their room, she indicated she wished to depart and the rapper instructed her: “You’re not going to leave.”
Combs then supplied him cash and instructed him “don’t tell nobody”, Mr Florez stated.
The second witness, Daniel Phillip, used to work as a male escort, the court docket was instructed. He stated he met Ms Ventura at a resort in Manhattan, the place he thought he was attending a bachelorette social gathering.
Nonetheless, he stated he ended up having intercourse with Ms Ventura as Combs watched and masturbated, and that he was paid a number of thousand {dollars}.
Mr Phillip stated he had a number of subsequent encounters with the then couple, which lasted between an hour and 10 hours, and that he witnessed or heard the rapper being violent on two events.
He instructed the court docket he didn’t intervene as Combs was highly effective, and that he feared for his life. His proof will proceed tomorrow.
The trial is anticipated to final about eight weeks. Combs faces as much as life in jail if he’s convicted.
