What did we learn on Day One of the Diddy trial? Let’s take a look.
It took more than a week for a jury to be selected, but things are now underway with Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial involving allegations of sexual assault, sex trafficking, racketeering, kidnapping, and more. If convicted, he could receive anywhere from 15 years to life in prison. Here’s what we learned on the first day of the trial (May 12).
Defense lawyer Teny Geragos said this in her opening statement: “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about voluntary choices made by capable adults in consensual relationships.” They will also question the motivations Diddy’s accusers.
First up, the prosecution. Daniel Phillip, a male stripper, testified that Diddy hired him to have sex with then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, while he sat, watched, and…you know. Diddy also allegedly grabbed her by the hair, dragged her into another room, and slapped her around. Phillip also testified that Diddy routinely “viciously attacked” women when they wouldn’t participate in his freak off parties. They’d also get assaulted if they disagreed with him on certain things.
Israel Florez, a security guard, gave testimony regarding the 2016 incident when Combs assaulted Ventura in an LA hotel. Security video (shown in court) showed Diddy throwing her to the ground and kicking at her as she tried to get into an elevator. Florez was called for help and when he ran into Diddy, he was offered a pile of money to keep quiet.
Prosecutors also said that Diddy regularly abused her. In 2009, she was thrown to the floor of an SUV and Diddy “stomped repeatedly on her face.” On another occasion, he beat her, “brutally kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll.” Something as simple as failing to answer the phone would result in fists. There was also another incident involving a male prostitute and urination. We don’t need to go there.
There will be further testimony from an accuser identified only as “Jane,” who started dating Diddy in 2020. She claims she was forced to take part in the freak off parties and take drugs so she’s be awake for days at a time. Then there’s this: “She tried to run out the front door but he grabbed her in a chokehold, lifted her by the neck, and kicked her to the ground.”
The jury will be shown videos taken at freak off parties, which were also known as “Wild King Nights” and “Hotel Nights,” and then used to blackmail participants.
The trial continues today and is expected to last up to ten weeks. More here and here.
