NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, took the witness stand in his sex trafficking trial on Tuesday, a day after prosecutors showed jurors video of the music mogul beating her in a hotel in 2016.
. Prosecutors told jurors that, for years, Combs to coerce women into abusive sexual encounters and became violent if they refused.
Here's the latest:
As Cassie testified, the prosecution introduced photos of her and Combs at events in the mid-2000s
The numerous photographs included a photograph of the boat in Miami. Another photograph depicted the fledgling couple at a strip club in New York on Halloween 2007, shortly after the trip to Miami. Another picture showed them in the back of a car at the beginning of their relationship, Combs arm wrapped around her.
鈥淚 was just enamored by him. We were just having a good time. It was really fun, at this point,鈥� she said.
Cassie noted that, early on in their relationship, they weren鈥檛 public about it. She said Combs had expressed concerns about perceptions, given that his company was also producing her music.
Having sex with Combs for the first time felt like a turning point for Cassie, she testified
After that, she said, she felt closer to the rapper and producer, started spending more time with him, and thought, at the time, that they were in a monogamous relationship.
In hindsight, she said, she knows that wasn鈥檛 the case. Asked why, she responded: 鈥淪ean Combs had many girlfriends.鈥�
After Vegas trip, Cassie says Combs invited her to hotels
After the Las Vegas trip, Cassie said, she was invited by Combs to hotels in New York where they鈥檇 talk about music projects and albums.
When Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson asked what else happened at hotels, Cassie took a deep breath and said she was introduced to the 鈥渋dea of oral sex鈥� at the hotels.
Cassie also noted that Combs is 17 years older than her and that she was 鈥渟exually inexperienced鈥� when they first got together.
She said she eventually had sex with Combs on a boat during a trip to Miami. She said she had wine in the afternoon and then Combs introduced her to ecstasy for the first time.
Cassie talks about Combs kissing her during a 21st birthday trip
After touching on the violence and 鈥渇reak offs鈥� that are central to the federal charges, Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson returned to eliciting biographical and historical information about Cassie, including when she first signed to Bad Boy Records in early 2006.
She said her interactions with Combs, who owned the label, were platonic at first. But then he kissed her during her 21st birthday trip to Las Vegas in the bathroom of his hotel suite. 鈥淚 was just really confused at the time,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd young.鈥�
鈥業 just didn鈥檛 know. I didn鈥檛 know what would happen鈥�
Elaborating on why she felt it was so difficult to refuse Combs鈥� demands, Cassie reiterated her fears of violence and blackmail videos from 鈥渇reak offs鈥� being disseminated on the internet.
鈥淪ean is a really polarizing person, also really charming,鈥� Cassie said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to really be able to decide in that moment what you need when he鈥檚 telling you what he wants. I just didn鈥檛 know. I didn鈥檛 know what would happen.鈥�
Cassie, noticeably pregnant on the witness stand, was emotional from the start
She would take deep breaths and sometimes paused as she spoke.
When the prosecutor questioned her about 鈥渇reak offs,鈥� she said she was barely 22 when Combs first asked her to do them. She said she was 鈥渃onfused, nervous, but also loved him very much.鈥�
Asked how she felt when Combs first proposed engaging in a 鈥渇reak off,鈥� Cassie said: 鈥淚 just remember my stomach falling to my butt. Just the nervousness and confusion in that moment.鈥�
She said she didn鈥檛 feel like she could say no to Combs because she 鈥渄idn鈥檛 know what 鈥榥o鈥� could be, or what 鈥榥o鈥� could turn into,鈥� which she said she learned could include violence and blackmail threats.
鈥淪ean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, the way I dressed, everything, everything. I just didn鈥檛 have much say in it at the time,鈥� Cassie testified.
Early in her testimony, Cassie was asked briefly about 鈥榝reak offs鈥�
鈥淔reak offs鈥� were the highly orchestrated sex parties which she said stemmed from Combs鈥� interest in voyeurism. They would entail hiring an escort and 鈥渟etting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean,鈥� Cassie said.
Shown still images from the now-infamous 2016 security camera footage of Combs beating her at a Los Angeles hotel, Cassie said prior to the altercation: 鈥淲e were having an encounter called a 鈥楩reak Off鈥� and I was leaving there.鈥�
Cassie on the witness stand
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson started questioning of Cassie by asking her age, which is 38, and her occupation, which she said is 鈥渕usician, an entertainer.鈥� She said she was in a relationship with Combs for just over 10 years.
Cassie testified that her relationship with Combs ran the gamut from good times to arguments and physical altercations.
鈥淚f they were violent arguments, it would usually result in some sort of physical abuse and dragging, just different things,鈥� Cassie told jurors.
She testified that Combs would mash her head, drag her, kick her and stomp her in the head when she was down.
Asked how frequently Combs became violent with her, Cassie softly responded: 鈥淭oo frequently.鈥�
Before Cassie takes the witness stand
A judge ruled that her husband, Alex Fine, can be in the courtroom for most 鈥� but not all 鈥� of her testimony.
Judge Arun Subramanian, acting on a defense request, said Fine must leave the courtroom when questioning turns to Cassie鈥檚 allegation that Combs raped her in 2018.
That鈥檚 because Combs鈥� lawyers say they may call Fine as a witness later in the trial in an attempt to discredit Cassie鈥檚 allegation.
Prosecutors argued that Fine is part of the emotional support system for Cassie, who鈥檚 pregnant with their third child and should be in the courtroom when she testifies.
Judge Arun Subramanian has called a 10-minute break prior to R&B singer Cassie鈥檚 testimony
In open court, a lawyer for Combs asked that Cassie鈥檚 husband not be allowed in the courtroom while she testifies because he might be called as a witness.
Daniel Phillip鈥檚 testimony Tuesday morning
Combs鈥� trial resumed Tuesday with the hip-hop mogul鈥檚 lawyer questioning Daniel Phillip, a male stripper who says he was paid to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched.
Defense lawyer Xavier Donaldson pointed to Phillip鈥檚 past statements to federal prosecutors as he attempted to show inconsistencies in his recollection of events. Donaldson finished his cross-examination after suggesting Phillip had developed a crush on Cassie and wanted to isolate her from Combs so he could be with her romantically. Phillip denied that but admitted: 鈥淚 was attracted to her. If she ever gave me the chance to date her, I absolutely would have.鈥�
Once Donaldson was finished, a prosecutor asked Phillip more questions, underscoring the witness鈥� earlier testimony that it was Combs who directed his sexual activity with Cassie.
Prior to the start of the trial, numerous submissions by attorneys and prosecutors were sealed
Judge Arun Subramanian acknowledged that in his opening remarks about whether sexually explicit videos and images expected to be shown to the jury during testimony by R&B singer Cassie should be viewed by members of the media.
He said that while a lot had been handled under seal before the trial, 鈥渨e are now in trial and there is a heightened First Amendment concern.鈥�
More on arguments over whether the media should be able to view explicit material
During the discussion about whether sexually explicit videos should be available for viewing by members of the media, attorney Robert Balin told the judge on behalf of media outlets that news organizations weren鈥檛 interested in reporting 鈥渟omething salacious鈥� and were not seeking copies of the exhibits.
He also suggested as an alternative that a group of pool reporters could be allowed to view the exhibits.
The arguments on if the media should be able to see sexually explicit material
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson argued against letting media outlets see sexually explicit videos, saying there was good legal precedent to keep such materials out of the public record.
Combs鈥� attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said there was no aspect of the videos that was not 鈥渋n the nature of adult pornography.鈥� He said they all contained images of people who are nude having sex or about to have sex.
On behalf of news outlets, attorney Robert Balin told the judge the First Amendment is 鈥渁t a zenith鈥� in this type of case and that it was important that the 鈥減eople, though the press, be able to see justice is being done.鈥� He said the best evidence of whether sexual acts that were recorded were coerced 鈥� as prosecutors allege 鈥� was the videos themselves.
Who is Cassie?
Cassie, a key prosecution witness expected to testify Tuesday, met Combs in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37. He signed her to his Bad Boy Records label and, within a few years, they started dating.
In her 2023 lawsuit, Cassie alleges Combs trapped her in a 鈥渃ycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking鈥� for more than a decade, including raping her and forcing her to engage in sex acts with male sex workers. Combs settled the lawsuit the next day.
Among other things, Cassie alleges Combs raped her when she tried to leave him and often punched, kicked and beat her, causing injuries including bruises, burst lips, black eyes and bleeding. She also alleges that Combs was involved in blowing up rival rapper Kid Cudi鈥檚 car when he learned Cudi was romantically interested in her, and she alleges that Combs ran out of his home with guns when he learned Suge Knight, a rival producer, was eating at a nearby diner.
On the media鈥檚 request to view sexually explicit material in the trial
Judge Arun Subramanian says he鈥檚 inclined to grant a request by media organizations to view what a defense lawyer described as pornographic videos that will be shown to the jury as evidence in the case.
But he鈥檚 giving the parties another day to make submissions on the matter. The judge says he needs to balance privacy issues of the witnesses and defendant with the rights of the public to know what鈥檚 happening during the trial.
Combs鈥� appearance in court
Since his September arrest, Combs has been in Brooklyn.
Judge Arun Subramanian has granted Combs permission to wear regular clothes in court, instead of jail garb.
He is allowed up to five button-down shirts, five pairs of pants, five sweaters, five pairs of socks and two pairs of shoes without laces.
On Monday, he sported a gray sweater and a white button-down shirt. Because hair dye isn鈥檛 allowed in jail, his normally jet black mane is now mostly gray.
Under federal court rules, no photos or video of the trial will be allowed. Courtroom sketches are permitted.
Testimony on Tuesday morning
Testimony will continue with the cross examination of a male stripper who says he was hired by Combs and his girlfriend 鈥� R&B singer Cassie 鈥� to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched and sometimes directed what should happen.
A defense lawyer said he expects to question the witness, Daniel Phillip, for about an hour.
Phillip set to retake the stand Tuesday
Daniel Phillip is set to retake the stand when court reconvenes on Tuesday.
Phillip told jurors that Combs was coy about his identity when they first met in 2012 at a Manhattan hotel.
The rap star wore a ball cap, obscured his face with a bandana and claimed to be in the importing and exporting industry, Phillip said.
The witness testified that it wasn鈥檛 until a subsequent encounter at a different hotel when Combs revealed who he was, answering the door in a suit and peacoat.
Judge rejects claim that Combs was treated differently because of his race
The judge presiding over the racketeering and sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean 鈥淒iddy鈥� Combs said last week there was no evidence to back up his lawyers鈥� claim he was treated differently because of his race.
Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs had shown no evidence of discriminatory effect or intent based on his race, when his lawyers made their arguments in Manhattan federal court in February. In a separate written opinion, the judge also refused to suppress evidence in the case.
The lawyers had written that the prosecution was unprecedented because, 鈥渕ost disturbingly, no white person has ever been the target of a remotely similar prosecution.鈥�
The judge agreed with arguments by prosecutors that the extent of criminal conduct by Combs from 2004 to 2024 鈥� when he was alleged to have overseen a racketeering enterprise that enabled him to sexually abuse women 鈥� was enough to separate from other prosecutions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the severity of what Combs allegedly did 鈥� not his race 鈥� that mattered,鈥� the judge wrote.
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Another topic the attorneys and the judge may discuss
Another possible topic for discussion between attorneys and the judge this morning could arise over an argument by media organizations that some recordings to be shown to the jury involving sexual activity should not be sealed.
The media outlets include ABC, CBS, NBC, The Associated Press, Business Insider, National Public Radio, 撸奶社区day, The New York Times, the New York Post, Reuters, New York Magazine and The Washington Post. The plan was for the jury to view the recordings, but not the public.
The media outlets say a viewing of the recordings is necessary because they could play a 鈥渃entral role鈥� in determining the guilt or innocence of Combs. Lawyers for him say the sexual activity is a glimpse into the swingers lifestyle and not evidence of crimes.
A lawyer for R&B singer Cassie, who鈥檚 expected to testify Tuesday, opposed the media request, saying the news organizations cited no legal precedent for unsealing 鈥渧ideos depicting coercive sex acts.鈥�
The allegations against Combs
Lawyers for the three-time Grammy winner say prosecutors are wrongly trying to make a crime out of a party-loving lifestyle that may have been indulgent, but not illegal.
Prosecutors say Combs coerced women into drugged-up group sexual encounters he called 鈥渇reak-offs,鈥� 鈥渨ild king nights鈥� or 鈥渉otel nights,鈥� then kept them in line by choking, hitting, kicking and dragging them, often by the hair.
The prosecutor said Combs last year brutally beat another woman 鈥� identified only as Jane 鈥� when she confronted him about enduring years of freak-offs in dark hotel rooms while he took other paramours on date nights and trips around the globe.
The sex parties are central to Combs鈥� sexual abuse, prosecutors say. Combs鈥� company paid for the parties, held in hotel rooms across the U.S. and overseas, and his employees staged the rooms with his preferred lighting, extra linens and lubricant, Johnson said. Combs compelled women, including Cassie, to take drugs and engage in sexual activity with male escorts while he gratified himself and sometimes recorded them, Johnson said.
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The jury isn鈥檛 expected in Manhattan federal court this morning until 9:30 a.m. ET
But the lawyers are supposed to meet a half hour earlier to resolve any last-minute legal issues in advance of testimony from the government鈥檚 star witness: R&B singer Cassie.
She鈥檚 likely to begin testifying by midday. Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, was intertwined with the hip-hop power broker for 11 years. Her lawsuit and allegations of sexual abuse in 2023 ignited the scrutiny that led to federal charges.
Defense conceded Combs had violent outbursts, but say no federal crimes occurred
The public knew Combs as a larger-than-life music and business mogul, but in private, he used violence and threats to coerce women into drug-fueled sexual encounters that he recorded, a prosecutor said Monday in opening statements at Combs鈥� sex trafficking trial.
鈥滵uring this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant鈥檚 crimes,鈥� Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told the jury.
Those crimes, she said, included kidnapping, arson, drugs, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction.
Combs鈥� lawyer Teny Geragos, though, described the closely watched trial as a misguided overreach by prosecutors, saying that although her client could be violent, the government was trying to turn sex between consenting adults into a prostitution and sex trafficking case.
Geragos conceded that Combs鈥� violent outbursts, often fueled by alcohol, jealousy and drugs, might have warranted domestic violence charges, but not sex trafficking and racketeering counts.
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Things to know about the trial so far
Witnesses began testifying this week in the trial for one of the biggest music moguls and cultural figures of the past four decades.
The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks in all. Here鈥檚 a look at some of the details:
1. The witnesses:
2. The trial鈥檚 first witness, Israel Florez, who was working hotel security at the time, testified about responding to a report of a woman in distress and witnessing Combs tell Cassie:, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to leave.鈥�
3. Jurors also heard from Daniel Phillip, who said he was a professional stripper who was paid to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched and gave instructions. He testified that he once saw Combs drag her by her hair as she screamed.
4. The trial鈥檚 main players
5. The trial is in the courtroom of U.S. District.
6. The prosecutionteam consists of eight assistant U.S. attorneys, seven of them women.
7. Combs鈥� team of seven defense attorneys is led by New York lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who, along with his wife Karen Friedman Agnifilo is also defending .
R&B singer Cassie set to testify in Sean 鈥楧iddy鈥� Combs sex trafficking trial
The R&B singer Cassie could testify as soon as Tuesday in sex trafficking trial, as the Bad Boy Records founder faces charges that he orchestrated a deviant empire of exploitation that forced women into drugged-up sex parties called 鈥渇reak-offs.鈥�
, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, has been at the center of Combs鈥� stunning downfall. She alleging years of abuse. A surveillance video made public last year showed Combs beating her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. CNN aired the video last year, leading .
The video, which was played for jurors, shows Combs wearing only a white towel, punching, kicking and dragging Cassie in a hotel hallway.
Israel Florez, a former security officer at the hotel, testified Monday that he came across Combs while responding to a call about a woman in distress, and found Combs sitting in a chair with 鈥渁 devilish stare.鈥� Florez said Combs offered him a stack of money and said 鈥淒on鈥檛 tell nobody.鈥�
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The Associated Press
