The high-profile federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs is heading into its second week in New York, where the 55-year-old music mogul faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting individuals to engage in prostitution.
Combs, who was arrested in September 2024, has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison.
The case opened Monday in Lower Manhattan and has drawn intense media interest, with TV crews crowding the block outside the courthouse and hundreds of spectators lining up daily for a chance to witness the non-televised proceedings.
Access to the main courtroom—where Combs is present—is tightly restricted. Just 21 media members and 14 members of the public are admitted each day on a first-come, first-served basis.
To secure a spot, some outlets and fans have hired professional line-sitters to wait overnight. Those seen outside include reporters, fans, livestreamers, podcasters, TikTok analysts, and even a ventriloquist.
In response to public demand, the court has opened three overflow rooms with live video feeds. Inside, electronics are banned, so journalists jot notes by hand while spectators react audibly to emotional or dramatic testimony.
The trial began with opening statements after a jury of eight men and four women was seated. Prosecutors alleged Combs operated a criminal enterprise that enabled drug-fueled sex parties, referred to as “freak-offs,” involving paid sex workers.
They claimed he used drugs, violence, and threats to coerce participation—including from his former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Combs’s legal team argued the encounters were consensual and part of a “swingers lifestyle.” While acknowledging his past struggles with drug use and domestic violence, they denied the existence of any criminal operation.
Combs’s mother, Janice Combs, and his children have attended court. At times, Combs has turned to them, forming a heart shape with his hands. Several close friends have also shown support in person.
Much of the opening week focused on Ventura’s testimony. Now over eight months pregnant, she spent four days on the stand describing alleged years of physical and emotional abuse during her relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018.
She also alleged that Combs raped her in 2018 after they had broken up.
Ventura testified that Combs orchestrated the freak-offs, during which she was pressured to perform sex acts with male escorts in front of him—sometimes for days, in various states, and often filmed.
She said she used drugs provided by Combs to numb herself and “dissociate” during these encounters. She described feeling trapped, fearing he would release the videos as blackmail.
“Whatever was going to not make him angry or threaten me I was going to do,” she said.
Ventura told the court that these sessions left her feeling “horrible,” “humiliated,” and “worthless.” She added, “Make the wrong face and the next thing I knew I would get hit in the face.”
Jurors were also shown 2016 hotel security footage that appeared to show Combs assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hallway. She claimed his staff sometimes confiscated her belongings, and said Combs or an escort would urinate on her at his request.
Ventura wept throughout her testimony, often placing a hand on her stomach. She broke down describing her time in rehab and trauma therapy after the relationship ended, revealing that she had contemplated suicide.
Cross-examination began Thursday, with the defense aiming to undermine Ventura’s credibility.
Attorneys presented explicit texts and emails from her to Combs, including, “I’m always ready to freak off” and “I love our [freak-offs] when we both want it.” Ventura said, “They were just words at that point.”
She also admitted that both she and Combs struggled with opioid addiction and frequently used drugs such as ecstasy and ketamine. Combs frequently whispered to his lawyers and passed them notes but Ventura avoided eye contact.
The defense also suggested that Combs may have been undergoing opiate withdrawals during the 2016 hotel incident.
Ventura returned to the witness stand Friday for another round of questioning, with the defense continuing to depict her as a willing participant rather than someone coerced.
After her testimony concluded late Friday, Ventura’s attorney Douglas Wigdor issued a statement on her behalf.
“This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me. … I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors… The more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget,” Wigdor said.
Two other witnesses also testified last week. Israel Florez, a former InterContinental Hotel security guard and now a Los Angeles police officer, recalled the 2016 assault.
He claimed Combs offered him hush money and said Ventura had a “purple eye” and asked to leave. The defense questioned his testimony, noting those claims were absent from his original report.
Another witness, Daniel Phillip, testified that Combs paid him thousands between 2012 and 2014 to participate in the freak-offs.
Phillip said Combs directed the encounters and described witnessing him physically assault Ventura—once dragging her by the hair into a room where Phillip heard screams, apologies, and what sounded like slaps.
The trial is expected to continue for about seven more weeks. Prosecutors are expected to call additional witnesses, including singer Dawn Richard, an anonymous accuser referred to as “Jane,” and a former Combs employee known as “Mia.”
