Sean “Diddy” Combs Trial
Posted on: May 16, 2025
The federal Sean “Diddy” Combs trial against hip-hop mogul Sean Combs commenced in Manhattan federal court Monday, May 12, 2025, eight months after his arrest on criminal charges of racketeering and sex trafficking spanning over two decades. Simultaneously, Combs is also facing dozens of civil lawsuits from both women and men alleging that he drugged and sexually assaulted them. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Complex in Brooklyn.
Combs has been a longstanding and prominent figure in the music industry. In addition to his own successful hits, he was a successful producer, founding Bad Boy Records and launching the careers of artists such as Mary J. Blige, Usher, and the Notorious B.I.G. Combs himself became one of Bad Boy’s biggest artists, and the mastermind behind enmeshing hip-hop into mainstream pop music charts.
The Charges
Prosecutors allege that Combs sexually trafficked women for 20 years, between 2004 and 2024, using physical and emotional abuse and drugs to exert control and keep the women compliant. He is also accused of paying victims and others to remain silent. The government also alleges that Combs is the mastermind of a criminal enterprise of kidnapping, arson, and other drug-related offenses.
Central to the charges are events witnesses refer to as “freak offs,” drug-fueled, multi-day sex marathons with sex workers allegedly orchestrated and directed by Combs. According to the indictment, Combs often filmed the freak offs to be used as blackmail to ensure silence and loyalty.
Witnesses
A key witness for the prosecution is Combs’ former girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who testified early in the trial about years of physical and emotional abuse during their decade-long relationship. In 2023, Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs, alleging that he raped and physically and emotionally abused her. In it, she detailed an incident in a California hotel that was caught on security camera and later publicly released by CNN in May 2024. In the footage, Combs can be seen violently attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway, knocking her down, kicking her, and dragging her across the floor as she tried to leave. Prosecutors in the federal case said they intend to introduce video as evidence.
Though the government’s indictment accuses Combs of having abused and coerced others, it is unknown whether other alleged victims will testify. The trial is expected to last between eight and 10 weeks. If convicted, Combs faces up to life in prison.
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