Latest news with #WildKingNights
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy sex trafficking trial begins: Opening statements made, 1st witnesses called
The Brief Sean "Diddy" Combs is on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering after a federal indictment and months of investigation. Prosecutors allege Combs ran a criminal enterprise involving abuse, drugs, and violent sex parties for over two decades. His lawyers say the case is about jealousy and money, arguing his actions don't amount to trafficking or organized crime. NEW YORK - Opening statements started Monday in the trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Combs was arrested in September 2024 in New York after being indicted by a federal grand jury on federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The backstory His arrest followed a monthslong investigation and after a flurry of women came forward with allegations of sexual and other abuse. RELATED: Diddy trial begins: Cassie video shown, male escort testifies Combs has been held in a federal jail in Brooklyn while awaiting his trial. He has pleaded not guilty. Combs has acknowledged one episode of violence — the caught-on-camera beating of his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie — his lawyers say other allegations are false. What they're saying Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson pointed at Combs as she stood before the jury. "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." RELATED: Al B. Sure! on Diddy allegations, Kim Porter's death: 'She was in the best of health' Those crimes, she said, included: Kidnapping, arson, drugs, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction. Johnson described a moment when he suspected that his longtime girlfriend Cassie, a key witness in the trial, was cheating on him. He said he kidnapped one of his employees to help him find her. And when he found her, she said, he "beat her brutally, kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll." Central to Combs' sexual abuse, prosecutors say, were highly orchestrated, drug-fueled sex parties he called "Freak Offs," "Wild King Nights" or "Hotel Nights." The other side "Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money," his attorney, Teny Geragos, began in her opening statement. "There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case over the past year," Geragos told jurors, noting immense news media coverage and social media chatter. "It is time to cancel that noise." RELATED: Diddy's sex trafficking trial to begin with jury selection: What to know Geragos conceded Combs is extremely jealous and "has a bad temper," telling jurors that he sometimes got angry when he drank alcohol or "did the wrong drugs." But "domestic violence is not sex trafficking," she said, and being mean is not running a racketeering enterprise. Combs' sexual habits were part of a swinger lifestyle involving consenting adults, Geragos said. She acknowledged that some jurors might not condone "his kinky sex and his preferences for sex" but she urged them to judge the case with an open mind. Those sexual predilections, she said, do not equate to sex trafficking. What they're saying Prosecutors were using the trial's first witness, Israel Florez, a former security officer at a Los Angeles hotel, to introduce recordings of Combs beating his then-girlfriend, the singer Cassie, at the hotel in March 2016. Florez said that when he responded to a call of woman in distress on the sixth floor of a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016, he came across Combs, wearing only a towel and sitting on a chair "slouched down, like with a blank stare ... like a devilish stare, just looking at me." After Cassie left, Florez said, he was getting ready to leave their room when Combs called him back. Florez said he was holding a stack of money with a $100 on top, telling him: "Don't tell nobody." RELATED: Cassie breaks silence on Diddy assault video: 'Open your heart to believing victims the 1st time' Florez said he considered it a bribe and told him: "I don't want your money. Just go back into your room." After Florez got straight to the allegations of violence by Combs, the second prosecution witness, Daniel Phillip, took the trial to the allegations of sex parties. Phillip said he was a male stripper for women when he was called by Cassie to meet her and Combs at the Gramercy Park Hotel in New York in 2012. Phillip said he was paid a few thousand dollars for the encounter in which Combs was wearing a white robe and watching as Phillip had sex with Cassie. Cassie is expected to testify again on Tuesday, according to FOX News sources. Court is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. ET. What's next The trial is expected to last two months. Dig deeper If convicted on all charges — which also include transporting people across state lines to engage in prostitution — Combs faces a possible sentence of decades in prison. Combs is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop, but his indictment further clouds his legacy. For some, it may change their relationship to his music. Some experts believe the severity of the alleged crimes may tarnish his career moving forward. "The chance to just be looked at strictly in musical terms, and that being the defining part of his legacy, is pretty much gone," says Peter A. Berry, a music journalist with work in XXL and Complex. "You can't look at Diddy's music in a vacuum the same way you did before," he says. The Source The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes from opening statements and witness testimony in federal court, including remarks from Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson and defense attorney Teny Geragos, as well as accounts from witnesses like hotel security officer Israel Florez and former stripper Daniel Phillip; it also includes background on the federal investigation, Combs' indictment and arrest, and commentary from music journalist Peter A. Berry. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy's Former Chief Of Staff Breaks Silence On 'Disturbing' Allegations
Warning: The following article contains triggering language related to sexual assault, abuse, and rape. Diddy's former chief of staff has finally broken her silence. Kristina Khorram, also known as 'KK' offered a statement to Rolling Stone denying that she 'aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone' after being listed in numerous sex trafficking lawsuits aimed at Puffy. 'For months, horrific accusations have been made about me in various lawsuits regarding my former boss,' Khorram told the outlet. 'These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family. I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone. 'The idea that I could be accused of playing a role in — or even being a bystander to — the rape of anyone is beyond upsetting, disturbing, and unthinkable,' Khorram added. 'That is not who I am and my heart goes out to all victims of sexual assault. I am confident that the allegations against me will be proven to be untrue.' Over the past 24 months, Khorram has been listed in three different lawsuits, claiming that she enabled Diddy's nonconsensual sexual advances and often turned a blind eye to the alleged misconduct and horrors. One particular suit filed by Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones in February 2024 found the producer describing Khorram as the 'Ghislaine Maxwell to Sean Combs' Jeffrey Epstein.' Jones' suit claimed that Diddy's right-hand woman summed up Sean Combs' 'groping as friendly horseplay' and those were his ways of 'showing that he likes you.' In January, Khorram was listed in Phil Pines' suit. Phil, who was Diddy's former executive assistant from 2019 to 2021, accused the Bad Boys Records founder of sexual harassment and battery. The suit alleged that Pines answered to Khorram, whom the man described as 'his supervisor.' Pines elaborated on his claims during a sit down with ID for their docuseries The Fall of Diddy, where Phil detailed his job responsibilities. The tasks included prepping for 'Wild King Nights,' as allegedly titled by both Combs and Khorram, and cleaning up afterward. During these sessions, Diddy would allegedly engage in marathon-like sexual encounters with a woman and sometimes Phil would be instructed by KK to conduct an 'emergency clean.' 'That means that he destroyed the hotel room,' Pines claimed in the interview. 'The longer he's there, the more intense the clean-up is going to be.' 'That was for me, probably one of the hardest things to do. When you get there, you see the wreckage, you see the stains, you see the bodily fluids, you see the used condoms, you see the baby oil half-used, the Astroglide oozing down the sides of the bottle and you have to pick it up… Broken glass, urine, blood. It wasn't uncommon for it to be stains on furniture, stains on sheets, that we need to remove… One can only imagine what was actually happening. It's disgusting.' Kristina Khorram joined Comb Enterprises in 2013. Rising through the company, Khorram was then named Diddy's Chief of Staff in 2020. Meanwhile, Diddy is currently behind bars, where he will stay until his trial on May 5, 2025. More from Tony Buzbee Withdraws As Attorney On Several Diddy Lawsuits Sean "Diddy" Combs Allegedly "Didn't Know" Jail Call With Ye Was Being Recorded Ye Doubles Down On Belief Cassie "Extorted" Diddy As He Continues To Bash Rappers
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs Hit With Revised Sex Trafficking Indictment
Federal prosecutors have issued a bolstered version of an indictment accusing Sean 'Diddy' Combs of directing a vast criminal enterprise through which he assaulted and trafficked women with the help of his various businesses. The revised indictment, issued in federal court in New York on Thursday, represents an attempt by prosecutors to strengthen their case by detailing new allegations in the alleged racketeering conspiracy, including by specifying that there were three victims that the rap mogul allegedly forced to engage in commercial sex acts. It doesn't contain any additional charges. More from The Hollywood Reporter A Timeline of Sean "Diddy" Combs' Recent Legal Troubles, From Cassie's Lawsuit to His Imprisonment How to Stream 'The Fall of Diddy': When to Watch the Final Episodes Online Former Sean "Diddy" Combs Assistant Details "Wild King Nights" Parties in 'Fall of Diddy' Expanded Episode In a statement, Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Combs, said the filing has 'no new offenses' and that the prosecution's central theory of the case 'remains flawed.' Of the new victims alleged in the indictment, he added, 'The government has added the ridiculous theory that two of Mr. Combs' former girlfriends were not girlfriends at all but were prostitutes.' A representative for Combs didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The filing adds to an indictment issued against Combs in September charging him with sex trafficking and racketeering for, in part, assaulting and arranging forced sexual encounters with women. For decades, Combs 'abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,' the indictment stated. The sex trafficking allegations revolve around claims that he 'manipulated women to participate in highly orchestrated performances of sexual activity with male commercial sex workers,' who were often flown in across state lines and internationally. Among the new allegations in the complaint are that Combs paid hotel security staff $100,000 for surveillance footage of his alleged March 2016 assault of a woman, who later came forward as ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. 'When Combs' authority or reputation was threatened by the possibility of negative publicity or legal or law enforcement action against him,' the indictment states, he and his associates 'pressured witnesses and victims, including through attempted bribery, to stay silent and not report what they experienced or knew to law enforcement.' Prosecutors add that Combs 'provided these victims and witnesses with a false narrative of events in an effort to conceal' his crimes. Prosecutors also unveiled an additional component to the alleged criminal enterprise involving an unspecified kidnapping. Notably, the new indictment claims that the criminal enterprise started in 2004 and not 2008, as alleged when Combs was initially charged. It also says that psychedelic mushrooms and meth were involved in his alleged crimes. In a letter to the court after prosecutors issued the superseding indictment, Combs' legal team noted that the government has indicated that its investigation remains 'active and ongoing,' which could lead to additional charges. Combs' trial is set to start in May. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Caitlin Huston contributed to this report. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2024: Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Olivia Rodrigo and More
Express Tribune
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Diddy's former assistant exposes 'Wild King Nights' parties in 'The Fall of Diddy' docuseries
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former assistant, Phil Pines, is shedding light on the infamous 'Wild King Nights' parties in an extended episode of Investigation Discovery's The Fall of Diddy docuseries. In a pre-recorded interview that airs following the conclusion of the four-part documentary on Tuesday night, Pines discusses the extravagant and controversial sex parties, which often involved young and impressionable women. Combs, who is currently being held in a Brooklyn federal jail while awaiting his May trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, allegedly instructed Pines to gather an extensive list of items—including specific lighting, drugs, baby oil, sex toys, and other materials—before these private gatherings. 'We usually had a laundry list of items that included lights, alcohol, marijuana, ketamine, Molly. You have mushrooms on the top there … baby oil and astroglide [lubricant] are very important; candles, incense, Apple TVs, electronics, computers, iPads. Obviously there was, you know, male libido supplements, stuff like that,' Pines tells journalist Mara S. Campo during the 30-minute sit-down, which concludes the four-part docuseries on Combs and has been viewed by *The Hollywood Reporter.* Pines, who served as Combs' senior executive assistant from 2019 to 2021, stated that while he never personally witnessed the so-called 'freak-offs,' these events are expected to play a major role in Combs' upcoming criminal trial in New York City. However, he did discuss the *Wild King Nights* parties, which were typically held in hotels and featured groups of young women who, he alleged, were easier to manipulate. 'A lot of times, there were girls that were under the radar, didn't have a lot of influence. I think that speaks to the type of situations people were put in. A lot of times, you have [Combs] with a young female, and there's a power dynamic there. A more impressionable girl is easier to reel in, as opposed to somebody who might be a celebrity who's not going to do too much of that, or give some pushback,' Pines explained. He noted that the young women he saw at these events were mostly in their 20s. When asked whether Combs was simply partying like a rap star, as his lawyers have claimed, he responded, 'Look, there's partying and then there's a party.' At the same time, Pines admitted that he was not present in the *Wild King Nights* rooms frequently enough to determine whether those participating in the drug-fueled orgies had given proper consent. However, he recalled one instance where a visibly distressed young woman had to be escorted back to her hotel.
