The sex trafficking trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs, 55, the Bad Boy Records founder and music mogul began in New York City on Monday morning with opening statements from both the prosecution and Combs’ defense team. And the trial has already started out with some unimaginable claims.
According to The New York Daily News, in her opening remarks, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson shared with the jury that Combs’ anger with ex-girlfriend Cassie, and his loss of control over her, caused him to consider murder. Allegedly, upon finding out that Cassie was dating somebody else, Johnson claimed that Diddy called one of his bodyguards and went looking for Cassie’s boyfriend (at the time), with a gun, intending to kill the man.
“He took his gun and he took his bodyguard — one of his most loyal lieutenants — to wake up one of the defendant’s employees in the middle of the night. The defendant yelled that he was going to kill the man Cassie was with,” said Johnson. Unable to find the man, Diddy then set his sights on brutally assaulting Cassie.
“He did what he had done countless times before. He beat her brutally. Kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a ragdoll. All of that violence was not enough, though, the defendant had to make sure he had control over Cassie once again. So he threatened her — the defendant told Cassie that if she defied him again, he would publicly release the videos of her having sex with male escorts that he kept as blackmail. Souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life.”
Johnson’s opening remarks laid out her plan to share twenty years worth of violence and abuse to both Cassie (Ventura) and other women, who the mogul allegedly forced into sex against their will, and beat mercilessly when they didn’t comply, among a wide range of other criminal offenses. She also alleged that he had a tight ring of individuals who were aware of and complicity in the commission of Diddy’s crimes.
Diddy’s lawyer, Teny Geragos, said that Combs did commit domestic violence, but he wasn’t on trial for that and the videos and information they will receive will show consensual, intimate private relationships, but not the commission of any crimes.
“We take full responsibility that there was domestic violence in this case. Domestic violence is not sex trafficking. I want to say it again: domestic violence is not sex trafficking. Had he been charged with domestic violence, had he been charged with assault, we would not be here right now,” said Geragos.
She added, “Sex trafficking, prostitution, racketeering, these are federal crimes. They charge different elements. And he is simply not guilty of those crimes.”
Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, including sex trafficking charges, racketeering conspiracy, transporting victims and sex workers for prostitution, and any other related counts. If convicted he faces decades in prison.
