Sean "Diddy" Combs' defence team presented his alleged crimes against his ex-girlfriend as living a ‘swingers’ lifestyle, angering the swinging community as a result.
On June 27, Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo took five hours to close his argument, claiming prosecutors intentionally twisted the music mogul’s ‘lifestyle’ and turned them into criminal acts.
He alleged that former girlfriend Casandra Ventura was ‘one of the great modern love stories’, stating: "If you had to give their sex life a label, I guess you can call it swingers.”
This one sentence sent a ripped effect outwards to those who participate in swinging, the act of exploring intimacy with other consenting couples.
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Combs, 55, was arrested in September on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.
Recently, federal prosecutors dropped a number of major claims against him as the sex trafficking trial continues.
34 witnesses testified against him, including former Bad Boy Entertainment employees, Cassie, and a model known to jurors only by the pseudonym 'Jane.'
The jury previously saw videos of the drug-fuelled freak-offs which were shown to them in court.
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Ventura dated Diddy on and off from 2005 to 2019, and said in court that the parties allegedly began 'within the first year of our relationship.'
"His sexual encounter that he called voyeurism where he would watch me be in intercourse with a third party, specifically with another man," she said.
She also spoke of the abuse she allegedly suffered at the hands of Combs, stating: "He would smash me in my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head if I was down."
She also told the court that Diddy allegedly provided her with ecstasy and cocaine, which would keep her awake for days.
"I was high so I didn't feel much," she said. "Did this really happen to me? I didn't know what was going to happen after that, if we were going to do it more frequently. I said yes to more, I didn't want to make him upset or angry."
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As many new details came to light, the latest claim that Diddy was a swinger with Cassie came with a large amount of outrage.
The defence team argued that Combs isn’t guilty of federal sex crimes because he believed he was engaging in sexual ‘swinging.’
However, according to Brett Chamberlin, executive director of OPEN, a nonprofit that works to destigmatise non-monogamous relationships, Combs’ alleged crimes have ‘nothing to do’ with being a swinger.
“Using non-monogamy or swinging as a legal defense to explain away alleged harmful behavior mischaracterizes what these relationship structures are about, and potentially harms our community by reinforcing harmful stereotypes,” he said as per USA Today.
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Susan Wright, spokesperson for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom stated that swinging has consent at the heart of its values, stating: “Non-monogamous people joke that they spend more time talking about sex than having it.
“These relationships prioritize communication, mutual agreement and respect for everyone involved.”
According to Chamberlin, swingers talk openly about their activities before the act and also afterwards to ensure that communication and consent is prioritised.
"The key distinction of ethical non-monogamy is that these conversations happen proactively and deliberately, rather than assuming everyone shares the same expectation," he said. "Anything other than ‘heck yes’ is a no."
“It’s really irresponsible and damaging to the community,” Kiley George, a sex and relationship coach, with a specialism in non-monogamy in Ohio told the outlet.
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She said she was 'infuriated' by the notion that Diddy was swinging.
The use of drugs is also something some take issue with, as drugs do not typically occur during swinging events to ensure everyone is able to make clear and true decisions.
The jury entered its second day of deliberation and Diddy’s sentencing will soon follow.
Topics: Diddy, Crime, US News, Sex and Relationships
Britt Jones