Sean (Diddy) Combs’ sex trafficking trial is coming to an end. This is how it plays
Warning: This story contains allegations of sexual violence that may affect those experienced Or knowing someone is affected.
Prosecutors at the sex trafficking and extortion conspiracy trial of hip-hop tycoon Diddy combed their case after calling 34 witnesses for more than six weeks.
The music tycoon was accused of using his identity to coerce women (including his ex-girlfriend R&B singer Cassie) for abusive sexual encounters and using violence when he refused.
Prosecutors cited multi-day activities of drug fuel, and combs called “freaks” are evidence of sexual trafficking and extortion plots.
They argued that the comb relied on employees, employees and his business accounts to bring male sex workers to Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York, where his employees set up hotel rooms for encounters so they could be encountered and cleaned up.
Later in the afternoon, the defense rested and no witnesses were called.
COMBS’s attorneys asked U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to file charges that they were not proven. The judge said he would make a decision later.
The 55-year-old rapper, producer and producer and founder of Bad Boy Entertainment pleaded not guilty to the conspiracy of sex trafficking and extortion at trial. He did not testify in his defense, and his legal team chose not to call any of his own witnesses.
He has been sentenced to jail since his arrest in September. If convicted, he can be sentenced to at least 15 years or more in prison for life.
The argument is temporarily planned to begin on Thursday.
These are some crucial moments in the trial.
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The comb decides not to testify
After the prosecutor’s rest, Subramanian asked the comb directly about his decision not to testify, conducting standard practices in federal criminal trials, partly to make sure the defendant knew it was his decision, no matter what his attorney told him.
The judge asked Combs how he was.
He replied, “I did a great job, your honor.” “I want to tell you, thank you, you did a great job.”
Coms said he discussed the matter with the attorney “completely” before deciding not to testify, saying it was “my decision alone.”
He further clarified: “This is my decision with the lawyer.”
Cassie worried that the comb would post a video of a freak
Cassie’s legal name is Casandra Ventura, a star witness to the prosecution and testified for four days in the first week of the trial.
The 38-year-old said the comb determines every aspect of the weird incident.
She said the comb asked her to have degenerate and painful sexual behavior with male sex workers and she was doing freaks for ten weeks, the last time in 2017 or 2018.
She said that although she hates having sex with strangers, she can’t refuse Combs’ request because he will make her “look like a slut” by posting recordings of the freak.
She testified that she sometimes needed intravenous fluids to recover and eventually developed an opioid addiction because it made her “numb”.
Combs’ lawyers tried to show the jury that Cassie was a willing participant in his sexual lifestyle and said that although he might be violent, he did nothing.
Warning: This video may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected. | R&B singer Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, testified the next day at the sex trafficking trial of her ex-boyfriend Diddy Combs, saying that music games locked her into physical abuse and threatened to release her sex videos to release her sex videos.
“Jane” participated in the freak to ask for a comb
Another ex-girlfriend testified while Jane testified, fighting through tears and sobs to tell the frequent sexual performances she attended with male sex workers to please the comb and maintain their three-year relationship until her arrest in September.
Jane testified six days in the final week of the trial, saying she never wanted to have sex with other men, but instead made a comb because she loved him.
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Jane describes Cassie’s experience from 2021 to last August, even though she calls them “hotel night.”
Her relationship with the comb began with romance, but later relied on sexual performances, especially after the comb started paying for rent.
The defense insists that Jane and Combs only agreed, and Jane’s protest against the comb in the text message was a jealous push.
Kid Cudi narrates the car that opened fire
Rapper Kid Cudi testified that Combs broke into his Hollywood Hills home in 2011 after discovering he was dating Cassie and someone caught fire on his car a few weeks later.
He said when he received a call from Comms’ assistant, Clark, he took Cassie to a hotel in West Hollywood, who told him that the comb was in his house with a colleague and they forced her to go with them.
Cudi, whose name is Scott Mescudi, said he called the comb and asked why he was at his house. He said, and the comb replied calmly, “I want to talk to you.”
But Cudy said the comb wasn’t there when it arrived and he called the police.
Cudi testified a few weeks later that his Porsche 911 convertible was destroyed by a fire while parked in the driveway.
The jury showed a picture showing a hole in the roof of the car’s fabric. Kudy said Molotov cocktails were found in the passenger seat.
Former assistant says comb is kidnapped and threatens to kill her
A few days later, Clark testified that the comb was waving his gun, and he angrily kidnapped her to find Cudi.
Clark tells how they rode to Cudi’s Los Angeles home in black Cadillac Escalade, where the comb and his bodyguard entered the residence.
After breaking in, Clark testified that the comb told her that she had to convince Cudi that he was not involved, telling her: “If you don’t convince him, I’ll kill everything about you,” his threat interrupted with a picky person.
Rapper Kid Cudi testified at the Sean (Diddy) Combs trial that his car caught fire in 2011 after confronting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Combs pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racket charges.
Cassie’s friend said her comb hangs her on the balcony
The court also heard allegations of other violence.
Cassie’s friend Bryana Bongolan testified that the comb held her on the 17th floor balcony of Cassie’s Los Angeles apartment.
Bongoran said she was worried she would plummet when she pushed the comb backward.
Bongolan said Coms yelled at her throughout the ordeal, and estimated that he had secured her railing for 10 to 15 seconds.
Comb worrys that Cassie’s attack will “destroy career”
The court heard how the comb was paid to the hotel security staff to hand over the surveillance footage, indicating that he had slammed Casey in the corridor.
Eddy Garcia, who worked at an intercontinental hotel in Los Angeles, testified on June 3 that the comb contacted him shortly after the incident and requested video. Garcia said Combs told him that if he gave the comb video, he would “care for” him.
The jurors had previously exhibited in a surveillance video in the hotel lobby in March 2016, wearing only a towel, threw Cassie on the ground, kicked her, and dragged her down.
“He was worried that the video would disappear and it would ruin his career,” Garcia said.
Garcia said when he told his boss Coms what he thought about the video, he said the comb could be exchanged for $50,000. The boss brought Garcia a USB drive with a videotape for a comb. When Garcia handed it to him, the comb returned with a brown bag and a money counter.
CNN can access the video and aired last year, leading to Combs’ apology.
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Anyone who has been sexually assaulted can provide support. You can access crisis lines and local support services through the Canadian Government website or the Canadian Association for End of Violence. If you are directly at risk or concerned about your own safety or the safety of others around you, call 911.
