HIP hop star Sean “Diddy”;; Combs last night went on trial for sex trafficking — but insists he was just living the “swinger’s lifestyle”;;.
He forced his ex, singer , into sex with male escorts and stamped on her head, a New York jury heard.
His lawyer said was “kinky”;; but all his relationships were consensual.
Rapper Combs put women through days-long “freak off”;; sex parties while filming them, a court heard yesterday.
At the opening of his trial in prosecutors said that Combs ran a “criminal enterprise”;; for 20 years built around trafficking women and covering it up.
They said he stomped on the head of his ex, R&B singer , dangled another woman off a balcony, and allegedly set fire to a rival’s car
In a bombshell admission, said he DID beat up some of his girlfriends.
They argued his relationships were consensual as part of a “swinger’s lifestyle”;;.
They admitted he was “kinky”;; and his conduct had been “horrible, dehumanising and violent”;;.
But it was all driven by jealousy — and wasn’t sex trafficking, they claimed.
The jury heard that 55-year-old Combs, who faces a potential life sentence if convicted, would ply the women with drugs.
Prosecutor Emily A Johnson told the court: “This is Sean Combs — to the public he was Puff Daddy or Diddy, a cultural icon, a businessman, larger than life.
“But there was another side to him, a side that ran a criminal enterprise. During this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant’s crimes.
“But he didn’t do it alone, he had an inner circle of bodyguards and high-ranking employees who helped him commit crimes and cover them up. Kidnapping, arson, drugs, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction.
“There are just some of the crimes the defendant and his inner circle committed again and again.”;;
Prosecutors also alleged Combs threatened to release a video of taken during the sex sessions which were “souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life”;;.
, who dated him from 2007-2018, sued him in November 2023. But the bombshell civil lawsuit was settled the next day.
in the hallway of a hotel from 2016 emerged last year and was shown in court again yesterday.
Ms Johnson told the jury that Combs gave a “brown paper bag full of $100,000 (£75,000)”;; to broker a deal with a security guard for what he believed was the only copy of the video.
She told the jury: “This is just the tip of the iceberg in 20 years of Combs using his inner circle to cover up crime after crime. Cassie tried her first ‘freak off’ because she loved him and wanted to make him happy.
“If Cassie didn’t do what he wanted, the consequences were severe.
“When she tried to run away, he always found her.”;;
Ms Johnson described one terrifying incident where Combs was “on the hunt”;; for Cassie because she was seeing another man.
Ms Johnson said: “When he finally found her he did what he had done countless times before: he beat her brutally.
When he finally found her he did what he had done countless times before: he beat her brutally
Prosecutor Emily A Johnson
“Kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll. All 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 she’d publicly release the video of her having sex with male escorts he kept as blackmail. Souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life.”;;
Speaking about another alleged victim, referred to only as Jane, Ms Johnson said: “She wanted the escorts to wear condoms but many times the defendant did not let them. He had her take drugs to stay awake and aroused for days. The defendant insisted that the sex occur in a very specific, highly orchestrated way. These sexual performances lasted multiple days and involved multiple escorts.
“The defendant called these encounters first ‘freak offs’, later ‘wild king nights’ or ‘hotel nights.
“Week after week the defendant directed ‘freak offs’, and at times he had escorts and women travel from out of state.”;;
In her opening statements, defence lawyer Teny Geragos told the jury Combs is a “flawed individual”;; — but not a sex trafficker.
She said he had beaten some girlfriends, he was “kinky”;; and some of his conduct had been “horrible, dehumanising and violent”;;.
But she insisted Combs’ relationships with the alleged victims and the “freak offs”;; were consensual and video evidence would prove it.
Ms Geragos said: “Sean Combs is a complicated man but this is not a complicated case.
“This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money.
“The case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults in consensual relationships.
“The government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering, prostitution and sex trafficking case. It will not work.”;;
The defendant told Cassie that if she defied him again she’d publicly release the video of her having sex with male escorts he kept as blackmail. Souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life
Prosecutor Emily A Johnson
She added: “You will hear things that should never be heard in a federal courtroom.
“It might make you uncomfortable, that he liked to watch, his preferences for sex.”;;
Ms Geragos said Combs is “not proud”;; that he has a temper and took drugs but will “own it”;;. She added: “He has a bad temper and sometimes he is so angry and jealous that he gets out of control.
“We will not shy away from the things he did, but we will not own the things he did not do.
Later the court heard from its first witness — hotel security guard Israel Florez.
He said on March 5 2016 he was on shift at the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles when he got a call about a woman in distress on the 6th floor.
Kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll. All that violence was not enough though. The defendant had to make sure he had control over Cassie once again so he threatened her
Prosecutor Emily A Johnson
Mr Florez said he went up and saw curled up in the corner covering her face. He said Combs was slouched in a chair wearing just a towel with a “devilish”;; look.
He escorted them to their room, where Mr Florez says he held open the door with his foot so Cassie could eventually leave.
Mr Florez said he noticed she had a “purple”;; eye and asked if she wanted him to call police.
The video of Combs assaulting Cassie in the hallway was then shown to jurors. It included her making the call to security.
Judge Arun Subramanian ruled last month that the video could be screened. Combs’ lawyers had tried to block it, arguing CNN manipulated the footage. The network denied that claim.
Yesterday Combs’ team said the bag of cash offered to Mr Florez was meant as payment for damage including a smashed vase. But Mr Florez told the court it was meant as a bribe.
She wanted the escorts to wear condoms but many times the defendant did not let them. He had her take drugs to stay awake and aroused for days. The defendant insisted that the sex occur in a very specific, highly orchestrated way. These sexual performances lasted multiple days and involved multiple escorts
Prosecutor Emily A Johnson
The trial began after the selection of an eight-men, four-women jury. Combs is charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force or coercion.
He is also facing two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has to all charges and last year turned down a plea deal.
The hip-hop mogul helped launch the careers of , who he once dated, plus , the late rapper . and Mary J Bilge.
Mum Janice and six of his children were in court.
Other stars who may be mentioned include rapper .
The trial, which could last eight weeks, continues.
