American music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs used his celebrity status and influence to sexually abuse women and operate a criminal enterprise involving sex trafficking, US federal prosecutors told a packed courtroom on Monday, as the long-anticipated trial began.
In her opening statement, lead prosecutor Emily Johnson alleged that the 55-year-old hip-hop star used a circle of loyal employees and a mix of intimidation, physical abuse, and career threats to force women, including ex-girlfriend Cassandra Ventura, into performing non-consensual sexual acts — some of which were recorded.
“He had the power to ruin her life,” Ms Johnson said, referring to Ms Ventura, who is expected to take the stand later this week. Another alleged victim, an unnamed former partner, is also central to the government’s case.
Mr Combs, dressed in a grey sweater and trousers, remained silent in the courtroom, showing little reaction as disturbing details of alleged abuse were recounted.
The prosecution’s narrative centres on a 2016 surveillance video, recently released by CNN, which shows Mr Combs beating Ms Ventura and dragging her by the hair through a hallway at Los Angeles’ InterContinental Hotel. The footage was played before jurors on the trial’s first day.
One of the first witnesses, former hotel security guard Israel Florez, testified that he had been alerted to a “woman in distress” on 5 March 2016. Upon arrival, he found Mr Combs in a towel, slouched on a chair with a broken vase nearby, and Ms Ventura visibly shaken with her face buried in her hands. “She had a purple eye,” he told the court. “She said she wanted to leave. He told her she couldn’t.”
Mr Florez further alleged that Mr Combs attempted to bribe him with a wad of cash to cover up the incident — an offer he declined.
The defence, led by attorney Teny Geragos, dismissed the prosecution’s version of events as exaggerated and selective, arguing that while the video may show troubling behaviour, it does not amount to sex trafficking.
“Domestic violence is not sex trafficking,” Ms Geragos told the jury, describing Mr Combs as someone with a “different sex life” rather than a criminal mastermind. She characterised the women involved as “strong, capable individuals” who chose to stay in consensual relationships.
Following Mr Florez’s testimony, the court heard from Daniel Phillip, a former male stripper and club manager, who described disturbing encounters with Mr Combs and Ms Ventura. He alleged that he was invited under false pretenses to what he thought was a private party but found himself drawn into repeated sexual acts with Ms Ventura while Mr Combs watched and filmed.
Mr Phillip claimed some encounters, which he said lasted for up to 10 hours and involved drug use, were marked by instances of physical abuse. On one occasion, he recalled Mr Combs dragging Ms Ventura by her hair and then demanding they resume sexual acts immediately afterward.
“I was shocked. It came out of nowhere,” Mr Phillip testified. “I was terrified.”
He told the court he never contacted law enforcement due to fear of retaliation, saying Mr Combs was “a man with unlimited power” who could “make people disappear.”
While prosecutors assert that Mr Combs orchestrated the abuse as part of a broader pattern of exploitation, the defence maintains that the trial is an effort to criminalise a high-profile figure’s unconventional private life.
Outside the courthouse, media and onlookers gathered in large numbers as Mr Combs’ family, including his daughters and mother, were seen leaving after the day’s proceedings.
