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Scottish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Diddy can still come out of trial a ‘winner' even if found guilty & despite damning trial abuse allegations, lawyer says
The trial has heard weeks of gut-wrenching testimony from various witnesses, including musical artists Cassie and Kid Cudi LESSER CHARGE Diddy can still come out of trial a 'winner' even if found guilty & despite damning trial abuse allegations, lawyer says SEAN "Diddy" Combs can still come out of his federal trial as a winner if he's not convicted on all charges, despite the scandalous evidence and testimony from witnesses, according to an attorney. Week three of Combs' federal trial has wrapped up as more witnesses, including another former assistant, continued to testify about the violence the music executive, 55, inflicted behind closed doors. Advertisement 10 A sketch image of Sean 'Diddy' Combs speaking with his legal team on May 27 before court begins for the day Credit: Reuters 10 Cassandra 'Cassie' Ventura and Sean Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in New York City in May 2018 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 10 Combs pictured at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in May 2022 Credit: Getty Images 10 Combs listens as his former girlfriend Ventura testifies at his sex trafficking trial on May 14 Credit: Reuters The testimonies dived into the prosecution's accusations that the hitmaker, with the help of an inner circle of close confidants, used his far-reaching power and intimidation to cover up his alleged crimes and protect his public image. However, Combs' defense team has argued that the alleged victims all engaged in consensual sexual acts and remained by his side for years because of his lavish lifestyle and career advancements. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the trial, said even if the music mogul is convicted of some crimes but not all, he will come out as a winner. "Diddy's defense is that these individuals engaged in these sex acts willingly," Rahmani told The U.S. Sun. Advertisement "There was no force. There was no coercion. They chose to do drugs. They weren't drugged. "And the fact that they may have been paid may be unlawful under the prostitution charges, but to the extent that the defense gets guilty verdicts on prostitution only, and not guilties on racketeering and sex trafficking, that would be a huge win for Diddy in the defense." WEEK THREE For the second day, the courtroom heard on Friday gut-wrenching testimony from Combs' former assistant, referred to only as Mia, about the total control he held over her. Mia, who worked for Combs for eight years in various capacities starting in 2009, testified how he made her work grueling hours and violently attacked her. Advertisement The former assistant, one of Combs' many ex-employees who have taken the stand, broke down in tears as she told the jury about the multiple times he allegedly raped her. Mia admitted in her testimony that she never disclosed the alleged sexual assaults to anyone, saying, "I was going to die with this." Diddy trial descends into CHAOS as his lawyers explode and demand case be thrown OUT The emotional victim recalled Combs' spurts of violence towards her and Ventura, telling jurors about the times he allegedly threw a computer and his bowl of spaghetti at her head. "I wondered, what did I do to make him like this to me?" Mia testified. Advertisement The jury heard from Scott Mescudi, better known as rapper Kid Cudi, during the trial's second week. Mescudi testified about his brief relationship with Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura in late 2011, and told the court about when Combs flew into a jealous rage over the relationship. 10 Sean Combs makes a heart gesture as he enters the courtroom on May 28 Credit: Reuters 10 Prosecutor Madison Smyser questions Combs' former assistant and government witness 'Mia' on May 29 Credit: Reuters Advertisement 10 Scott Mescudi, better known as rapper Kid Cudi, leaves the US District Courthouse after testifying at Combs' trial on May 22 Credit: AP:Associated Press 10 A photo of the damage Mescudi's Porsche sustained from a Molotov cocktail bombing Credit: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York The Mr. Rager rapper, 41, accused Combs of breaking into his house, messing with his dog and locking his pet in the bathroom. Mescudi's testimony was dominated by the January 2012 incident when his Porsche was blown up on his driveway by a Molotov cocktail, which he accused Combs of being responsible for. Advertisement The jurors were shown pictures of Mescudi's charred sports car with the cut-up roof where the explosive was thrown. The trial opened up with powerful testimony from Ventura, Combs' ex-girlfriend of over a decade. The singer, 38, emotionally spoke about how Combs forced her to participate in weekly drug-fueled sex marathons, which he called "freak-offs," with male escorts. Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the "freak-offs" took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover. Advertisement Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs' years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar. Dawn Richard, a singer who once competed in Combs' reality show Making the Band, also testified how she witnessed the music executive's abuse of Ventura. Richard, who was signed to Bad Boy Records and part of the trio Diddy – Dirty Money, described how Combs hit Ventura "on the head and beat her on the ground" during a visit to his home recording studio in 2019. Combs' trial is expected to continue until the first week of July, with the prosecution's case slated to rest the week of June 9. Advertisement Diddy's charges explained by a lawyer Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The U.S. Sun: "Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges. "The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases. "And you don't need an organization like the mob, as long as it's an enterprise, which is something that consists of two or more people, and they engage in two or more RICO predicate acts, that's enough for racketeering. "Racketeering is a powerful charge because it allows the government to bring in all sorts of evidence of criminal activity, as well as all sorts of people, into that racketeering conspiracy. "And anyone who's a co-conspirator, they're on the hook for any criminal acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. "The most serious charge, though, is sex trafficking. "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion. "And the government is saying that Diddy used force to force these men and women to participate in these freak-offs, and he coerced them by drugging them. "The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful. "Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes." 10 Combs intensely watches as his former assistant 'Mia' testifies at his trial on May 29 Credit: Reuters
The Irish Sun
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Diddy can still come out of trial a ‘winner' even if found guilty & despite damning trial abuse allegations, lawyer says
SEAN "Diddy" Combs can still come out of his federal trial as a winner if he's not convicted on all charges, despite the scandalous evidence and testimony from witnesses, according to an attorney. Week three of Advertisement 10 A sketch image of Sean 'Diddy' Combs speaking with his legal team on May 27 before court begins for the day Credit: Reuters 10 Cassandra 'Cassie' Ventura and Sean Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in New York City in May 2018 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 10 Combs pictured at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in May 2022 Credit: Getty Images 10 Combs listens as his former girlfriend Ventura testifies at his sex trafficking trial on May 14 Credit: Reuters The testimonies dived into the prosecution's accusations that the hitmaker, with the help of an inner circle of close confidants, used his far-reaching power and intimidation to cover up his alleged crimes and protect his public image. However, Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the trial, said even if the music mogul is convicted of some crimes but not all, he will come out as a winner. "Diddy's defense is that these individuals engaged in these sex acts willingly," Rahmani told The U.S. Sun. Advertisement Read more in The U.S. Sun "There was no force. There was no coercion. They chose to do drugs. They weren't drugged. "And the fact that they may have been paid may be unlawful under the prostitution charges, but to the extent that the defense gets guilty verdicts on prostitution only, and not guilties on racketeering and sex trafficking, that would be a huge win for Diddy in the defense." WEEK THREE For the second day, the courtroom heard on Friday gut-wrenching testimony from Combs' former assistant, referred to only as Mia, about the total control he held over her. Mia, who worked for Combs for eight years in various capacities starting in 2009, testified how he made her work grueling hours and violently attacked her. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Live Blog Breaking The former assistant, one of Combs' many ex-employees who have taken the stand, broke down in tears as she told the jury about the multiple times he allegedly raped her. Mia admitted in her testimony that she never disclosed the alleged sexual assaults to anyone, saying, "I was going to die with this." Diddy trial descends into CHAOS as his lawyers explode and demand case be thrown OUT The emotional victim recalled Combs' spurts of violence towards her and Ventura, telling jurors about the times he allegedly threw a computer and his bowl of spaghetti at her head. "I wondered, what did I do to make him like this to me?" Mia testified. Advertisement The jury heard from Mescudi testified about his brief relationship with 10 Sean Combs makes a heart gesture as he enters the courtroom on May 28 Credit: Reuters 10 Prosecutor Madison Smyser questions Combs' former assistant and government witness 'Mia' on May 29 Credit: Reuters Advertisement 10 Scott Mescudi, better known as rapper Kid Cudi, leaves the US District Courthouse after testifying at Combs' trial on May 22 Credit: AP:Associated Press 10 A photo of the damage Mescudi's Porsche sustained from a Molotov cocktail bombing Credit: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York The Mr. Rager rapper, 41, accused Combs of breaking into his house, messing with his dog and locking his pet in the bathroom. Mescudi's testimony was dominated by the January 2012 incident when his Porsche was blown up on his driveway by a Molotov cocktail, which he accused Combs of being responsible for. Advertisement The jurors were shown pictures of Mescudi's charred sports car with the cut-up roof where the explosive was thrown. The singer, 38, emotionally spoke about how Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the "freak-offs" took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover. Advertisement Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs' years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar. Dawn Richard, a singer who once competed in Combs' reality show Making the Band, also testified how she witnessed the music executive's abuse of Ventura. Richard, who was signed to Bad Boy Records and part of the trio Diddy – Dirty Money, described how Combs hit Ventura "on the head and beat her on the ground" during a visit to his home recording studio in 2019. Combs' trial is expected to continue until the first week of July, with the prosecution's case slated to rest the week of June 9. Advertisement Diddy's charges explained by a lawyer Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani explained the set of charges Diddy is facing to The U.S. Sun: "Diddy is facing three charges, or three sets of charges. "The first is racketeering, which you typically see with organized crime enterprises - so the mob, cartels, street gangs -but we're seeing it a lot more in sex trafficking cases. "And you don't need an organization like the mob, as long as it's an enterprise, which is something that consists of two or more people, and they engage in two or more RICO predicate acts, that's enough for racketeering. "Racketeering is a powerful charge because it allows the government to bring in all sorts of evidence of criminal activity, as well as all sorts of people, into that racketeering conspiracy. "And anyone who's a co-conspirator, they're on the hook for any criminal acts committed in furtherance of the conspiracy. "The most serious charge, though, is sex trafficking. "What separates sex trafficking from normal sex? Adults, of course, can consent to any type of sex, no matter how freaky it is. But sex trafficking has one of three elements: force, fraud, or coercion. "And the government is saying that Diddy used force to force these men and women to participate in these freak-offs, and he coerced them by drugging them. "The least serious charge is the prostitution, sometimes called the Man Act, and that's engaging in prostitution using some sort of interstate commerce across state lines. That obviously is unlawful. "Typically, you don't see federal cases for prostitution only, which is why it's the least serious of the crimes." 10 Combs intensely watches as his former assistant 'Mia' testifies at his trial on May 29 Credit: Reuters 10 Singer Dawn Richard exits the US District Courthouse with her attorney, Lisa Bloom (right), after testifying at Combs' trial on May 16 Credit: Reuters
New York Post
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Prince's security guards had to get Diddy off of Cassie at exclusive party: ‘He started to attack her'
Mia, Sean 'Diddy' Combs' assistant, testified that Prince's security guards had to get the Bad Boy Records founder off of his girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Ventura and Mia snuck out to an exclusive party Prince — aka 'The Artist' — was hosting without the knowledge of Ventura's controlling boyfriend Combs. But Combs eventually showed up 'caught up to [Ventura] and had her on the ground,' Mia told the jury. Advertisement Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Cassie attends the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. Getty Images Prince's security had to yank Sean 'Diddy' Combs off girlfriend Cassie Ventura when the livid rap mogul attacked her at the singer's party, Diddy's ex-assistant told the jury. AFP via Getty Images 'It's like he started to attack her but Prince's security swiftly intervened,' Mia recalled. After the two women went to the party, Mia was told by the head of Human Resources that she was suspended without pay and was in 'big trouble' for 'being insubordinate.'
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Diddy's Defense Comes Into Focus: Deviant Domestic Abuser, But No Criminal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The high-profile federal sex trafficking case against Sean "Diddy" Combs got underway in Lower Manhattan on Monday, with the rapper and disgraced mogul's defense team making clear in opening statements that their client was a sexual deviant and abuser — but argued that his sexual proclivities, drug use and documented history of domestic violence also did not make him guilty of the government's claims he was the mastermind of a criminal racketeering enterprise. "We will not shy away from the things he did, but we will not own the things he did not do," defense attorney Teny Geragos told jurors in opening statements. "He is physical, he is a drug user, you may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No." Why It Matters The testimony from the opening day of the trial, which is expected to last at least eight weeks, suggested Combs' defense would not attempt to cast him as entirely innocent — going so far as to immediately acknowledge he was guilty of the domestic abuse seen on an infamous hotel surveillance tape — while reminding the jury that the specific crimes he has been charged with are of a different nature that, they argue, are not supported by evidence. Combs is charged federally with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Prosecutors allege that Combs orchestrated days-long, drug-fueled parties called "freak offs," where escorts and others were coerced into performing sexual acts for his pleasure. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denies any wrongdoing. "The evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual," Geragos said in the defense's opening statement. "But it will not show you a racketeer, a sex trafficker or somebody transporting for prostitution." Cassie Ventura and Sean "Diddy" Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. Cassie Ventura and Sean "Diddy" Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York The Hollywood Reporter What To Know Geragos told jurors that they are not evaluating the case as "the moral police," and instead asked them to see if the evidence meets the charged offenses. "Domestic violence is not sex trafficking," Geragos told jurors. One alleged victim in the case is Cassandra Ventura, a model and artist known as Cassie who dated Combs for 11 years. In May of last year, surveillance footage surfaced of Combs grabbing, shoving, dragging and kicking Ventura inside a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. The video was played in court on Monday. Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor and president of West Coast Trial Lawyers, said the distinction between physical and sexual violence is important in this case. "Because of the 2016 video, Combs had to admit physical violence," Rahmani told Newsweek. "And what he's trying to do is say, 'Look, you know, this was a physically abusive relationship. This was domestic violence. This was toxic, but it wasn't rape, and it wasn't sexual assault, and it wasn't sex trafficking.'" The ability to draw that line for jurors will be key in Combs' legal strategy, according to Rahmani. "It's an important distinction, because, again, there are no charges related to the physical violence," Rahmani said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said during the prosecution's opening statements that the 2016 video was just the "tip of the iceberg" which will reveal, in testimony, that Combs sat atop a two-decade criminal enterprise that involved others in his inner circle covering up his alleged crimes. "Some of the details of what happened to them will be hard to hear," Johnson said, referring to the alleged victims. "He used lies, drugs, threats and violence to force and coerce first Cassie and later Jane [another former girlfriend and prosecution witness whose identity is being withheld] to have sex with him in front of male escorts." Inside the courtroom, Diddy's hair and goatee appeared graying as he sat at the defense table wearing a gray sweater, a white collared shirt and gray pants. He will commute to the trial daily from a federal detention center in Brooklyn, where he has been in custody. Members of Diddy's family, including his mother, were in attendance for Monday's opening statements. His three daughters left the room during some of the more sexually explicit testimony. What People Are Saying Rahmani, speaking about the 2016 video in an interview with Newsweek: "There's no getting around it. If you are the defense, you've got to lean into it and admit that he was physically violent. And that's the line that they're trying to draw." Johnson, in the prosecution's opening statement: "He used his companies to manipulate women, forcing them with male escorts to have sex while he watched. He and his inner circle made sure he got everything he wanted." Geragos, in the defense's opening statement: "This case is about Sean Combs' private personal sex life. The government has no place in his private bedrooms. They say it is not about his private sex life, but the evidence will show that it is." What Happens Next The trial is expected to last well into the summer. The prosecution began calling witnesses immediately after opening statements concluded. Combs is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
