Sean (Diddy) Combs, the influential hip-hop mogul, appeared in a New York courtroom on Monday to face a trial over allegations that he leveraged his business empire to sexually abuse women. Jury selection began under Judge Arun Subramanian, with testimony expected to start next week.
Combs is charged with five criminal counts including sex trafficking and racketeering, according to a 17-page indictment. Prosecutors allege that for over two decades, Combs and his network of employees and associates engaged in abusive conduct, coercing women into drug-fueled group sex acts called “freak-offs” and using violence, threats, and career manipulation to maintain control.
The indictment also details incidents of beatings, kidnapping, arson, and an episode where Combs allegedly dangled someone from a balcony. Despite the serious allegations, Combs has pleaded not guilty and maintains that all sexual encounters were consensual.
One prominent case expected to surface during the trial involves singer Cassie (Casandra Ventura), who publicly accused Combs of years of abuse. Surveillance footage from 2016 shows Combs assaulting her in a Los Angeles hotel.
Combs’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, admitted to toxic behavior and drug use but insisted no crimes occurred. The trial is expected to last eight weeks, marking the most severe legal challenge of Combs’s career.
Past incidents include a 1999 assault on a record executive, a nightclub shooting later that year involving Jennifer Lopez, and a 2015 assault charge involving a kettlebell, which was ultimately dropped.
Source: Swifteradio.com
