Music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has appeared in New York City court as the opening statements to his trial were read out to the jurors as he denies the claims made against him
A court has heard that Sean Diddy Combs used violence and threats to coerce women into drug-fueled sexual encounters that he recorded. The music mogul’s highly anticipated trial started in New York City today as opening statements were read out to the jury.
The 55-year-old is accused of a number of serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has continued to deny all allegations against him since he was charged and put behind bars last year, with his multiple bail pleas rejected.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told the jury: “This is Sean Combs. During this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant’s crimes.”
She said the crimes included kidnapping, arson, drugs, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction.
Prosecutors said Combs coerced women into drugged-up group sexual encounters he called “freak offs,” “wild king nights” or “hotel nights,” then kept them in line by choking, hitting, kicking and dragging them, often by the hair.
Johnson said Combs once kidnapped an employee at gunpoint to help find his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. When he did, he “beat her brutally, kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll.”
Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, is expected to testify. Combs told Cassie that if she defied him again, he would release recordings of her having sex with a male escort, “souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life,” Johnson said.
That was “just the tip of the iceberg,” Johnson said, telling jurors that Cassie was far from the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited.
The prosecutor said last year Combs brutally beat another woman – identified only as Jane.
Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos said the trial is a misguided overreach by prosecutors trying to turn consenting sex between adults into a prostitution and sex trafficking case.
“Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money,” Geragos told the jury of eight men and four women.
“There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case over the past year. It is time to cancel that noise.”
Geragos told the court that Combs’ violent outbursts, often fuelled by alcohol, jealousy and drugs, might have warranted domestic violence charges, but not sex trafficking and racketeering counts.
She told jurors they might think Combs’ is a “jerk” and might not condone his “kinky sex.” Geragos added: “He’s not charged with being mean. He’s not charged with being a jerk.”
The 12 jurors were sworn in following a delay due to concerns that some might drop out over the weekend if the panel was finalised on Friday as originally planned.
Combs’s defence team had requested the delay, but prosecutors had opposed the postponement. Prospective jurors were asked if they were familiar with several celebrities who may come up during the trial.
They were asked about their knowledge of Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers, Kid Cudi, and Kanye West. It is unclear if the celebrities will be called to testify, and they have not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Federal prosecutors in New York alleged Combs “abused, threatened and coerced women” into long, drug-fuelled orgies with male prostitutes he called “freak offs” and even threatened them into silence.
The indictment against him stated: “After Freak Offs, Combs and the victims typically received IV fluids to recover from the physical exertion and drug use.”
He pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution charges, which is five counts in all.
Combs’ defence attorneys, including Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos, have claimed his sexual encounters have all been consensual and said the rapper is a swinger who sometimes invited people into his bedroom.
If you’ve been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999
Source: Mirror
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