New York, United States, (EFE).- In one of the most closely watched cases in New York this year, the sex trafficking trial against rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs began Monday with starkly opposing portrayals of his behavior, from a hip-hop legend to a predator orchestrating elaborate sex crimes.
The federal prosecution accused Combs of systematically abusing women over two decades, coercing them into drug-fueled sex acts that he both orchestrated and recorded.
At the center of the case is Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, a singer and former partner of Combs, who alleges she was repeatedly forced into sexual encounters against her will.
“Half of every week, Cassie was in a dark hotel room, drugged, awake for days, and performing sex acts she did not want to do with male sex workers,” said federal prosecutor Ashley Johnson during opening arguments.
Johnson said Combs used MDMA, ecstasy, and alcohol to control his victims during what he called “freak offs” or “wild king nights,” elaborate sexual gatherings held in hotels.
Prosecutors plan to present graphic video evidence and photographs of physical injuries sustained by Ventura.
They also allege that Combs paid 100,000 dollars in cash to a hotel security guard in Los Angeles to retrieve a video showing him physically assaulting Ventura.
Another woman, known only by the pseudonym “Jane,” is expected to testify that she was similarly coerced.
According to Johnson, Jane was forced to engage in unprotected sex with Combs while crying and pleading for him to stop. In one alleged incident, he strangled her, threw her to the ground, and punched her in the face.
Defense argues case driven by “love, jealousy, and money”
In a pointed rebuttal, Combs’ defense, attorney Teny Geragos, framed the accusations as stemming from failed relationships and financial motives. “Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. It’s about love, jealousy, infidelity, money, and consensual sex,” Geragos told the jury.
She urged jurors to ignore media portrayals of Combs, emphasizing his journey from humble beginnings in Harlem to music industry mogul and founder of Bad Boy Records.
“He started with nothing. He created a culture. He made music that shaped a generation,” she said. “Yes, he’s rich. But he’s charismatic. People wanted to be around him for what he could offer. He gave people opportunities. He had a vision few others had.”
Geragos acknowledged that “there has been domestic violence” in the relationship with Ventura, referencing the video of the assault that has already surfaced.
However, she maintained that “domestic violence is not sex trafficking,” and that all sexual interactions were consensual.
Charges and public attention heighten stakes
Sean Combs faces five federal charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy with intent to extort; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and two counts of transportation for prostitution.
He has been held in Brooklyn detention center without bail since his arrest in September.
The trial, unfolding in a Manhattan courtroom, began with jury selection Monday morning and proceeded into opening arguments.
The 12 jurors and six alternates selected will weigh the testimony of Ventura and “Jane” over the coming weeks, with prosecutors seeking to prove that Combs operated a long-running pattern of coercion and abuse.
Throughout Monday’s session, Combs appeared composed, dressed in a white sweater, and was accompanied in court by six of his seven children, his mother, and a friend wearing a “Free Puff” cap, referencing one of his nicknames.
Prosecutors allege that from 2004 to 2024, Combs “abused, threatened, and pressured” women into sex acts, many of which were allegedly filmed.
“You will see the victims taking ecstasy while pretending to enjoy themselves,” said Johnson. “But the evidence will show they were trapped, physically and emotionally.” EFE
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