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Topics: Diddy, Celebrity News, US News, Crime
James Moorhouse
Topics: Diddy, Celebrity News, US News, Crime
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment which some readers may find distressing
The opening statements have been delivered in one of the most high profile court cases in US music history, as rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs stands accused of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs, 55, is on trial at the federal court in New York, having been arrested in late 2024, with a number of celebrities speaking out about the rapper's infamous 'freak off' sex parties.
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After the trial officially began on 5 May, opening statements were delivered in the US today (12 May) by a prosecuting team made up of seven women and one man.
Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson provided the first statement of the trial, referring to the musician as a 'larger than life' character who 'had another side to him'.
She said: "To the public, he was Puff Daddy or Diddy," she tells the court, describing him as a "business icon" and "larger than life".
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However, there was another side to the rapper, she says - a side that 'ran a criminal enterprise'.
Jurors will be told about '20 years of the defendant's crimes' she tells the court. Ms Johnson says Combs did not act alone, that he had an 'inner circle' of employees who helped him commit crimes and 'cover it up.'
Combs committed 'sex crimes, arson, bribery and obstruction', the prosecutor says, and these crimes were committed 'again and again.'
Ms Johnson explained to the court that 'this case is not about a celebrity's private sexual preferences'. Combs's behaviour was 'coercive' and 'criminal', she says.
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The prosecutor made reference to the rapper's ex-girlfriend Cassie, real name Casandra Ventura, who was the victim in the CCTV footage which allegedly showed Combs beating her and dragging across a hotel room floor, something which the musician's lawyers attempted to have thrown out of court proceedings.
Combs 'pursued' Ms Ventura according to Ms Johnson and they later began dating. The rapper allegedly began abusing her early on in their relationship, and forced her to regularly participate in his 'freak offs' or sex parties that often included sex workers.
Ms Johnson said: “Cassie tried her first freak off because she loved him and wanted to make him happy. If Cassie didn’t do what he wanted, the consequences were severe."
It is also claimed by the prosecutors that whenever Ms Ventura tried to leave Mr Combs, 'he always found her', with the musician allegedly threatening to release footage of her sex acts and her 'life and safety' entirely dependent on his happiness.
The prosecutors are aiming to paint the jury a picture of Coombs' character.
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Ms Johnson said: "He sometimes called himself the king and expected to be treated like one.
"He used his companies to manipulate women, forcing them with male escorts to have sex while he watched. He and his inner circle made sure he got everything he wanted."
The details of Diddy's so-called 'freak off parties' are set to play a huge part in the ongoing trial.
Ms Johnson said: "Some of the details of what happened to them will be hard to hear. He used lies, drugs, threats and violence to force and coerce first Cassie and later Jane to have sex with him in front of male escorts."
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There were allegedly no borders that could limit Diddy's desire for these acts.
"He directed freak offs week after week, around the country and sometimes out of the country," Johnson added.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.