Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment and domestic violence which some readers may find distressing.
The jury at Diddy’s trial had a horrifying reaction to being shown videos in court yesterday (16 June).
For the first time, six weeks into the eight-week trial, jurors were shown tapes from the drug-fuelled ‘freak offs’ the rapper allegedly orchestrated.
As Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution (all of which he denies), the court has previously heard audio recordings and seen still images of these days-long sex marathons.
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His ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura previously shared shocking details of the ‘freak offs’ with the jurors having intensely heard about the encounters over the weeks.
Prosecutors played clips from three videos with only the jury, judge, witness and parties able to view.
The defence team were not shown these videos as their monitors could be seen by members of the public and press.
Having spent the past few weeks hearing details about the freak offs such as Cassie’s feelings toward them, assistants buying baby oil and lube and how they were filmed, it’s reported that the jurors seemed almost desensitised yesterday.
CNN reports that most of the jury were ‘stone-faced’ while the explicit clips played out before them. As she had done before, one female juror put her hand to her head while another appeared to wince in her seat.
The three videos shown were created in October 2012, October 2014 and December 2014. While one video was over half an hour long, the clips the jury were shown totalled to just over two minutes.
This footage came after Special Agent DeLeassa Penland went through hotel invoices, flight records and texts from October 2012 featuring Cassie discussing meeting with two male escorts at the Trump International Hotel in New York City.
The jury were shown a mumber of texts between Cassie and DIDDY, setting up ‘freak offs’.
Cassie previously told the court she ‘hated doing’ these encounters but continued to do so under coercion because it ‘felt like I did my job.'
She also claimed that Diddy would use the recordings to 'blackmail' her and she feared he would 'make me look like a slut.' She testified that he once played a video on a commercial flight back to the US following an argument they had in Cannes in 2013.
"He was showing them with other people around," Cassie told the court. "I said, 'You are embarrassing me.' I was scared, I felt trapped, how do you get out of this situation? I felt trapped."
She added that they then had another 'freak off' within hours of landing 'so he wouldn't be angry or hurt me.'
The trial continues.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Topics: Diddy, Cassie Ventura, US News
Jess Battison