Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial to delve into the seediest side of rap’s ‘bad boy’

Sean “Diddy” Combs once hosted lavish White Parties in the Hamptons. These events attracted celebrities, gossip columnists, and photographers.

However, a trial starting Monday will portray him differently. Prosecutors will describe him as a criminal sexual deviant. They allege he exploited his fame to abuse women at private gatherings.

For over two decades, Combs has been accused of using his power to harm young lives. He faces an indictment that includes “Freak Offs.” These are described as drug-fueled orgies where women were forced to have sex with male sex workers while Combs filmed them.

Witnesses claim Combs terrorized people into silence through violence. Allegations include choking, hitting, kicking, and dragging victims by their hair. In one instance, he allegedly dangled someone from a balcony.

Combs’ lawyers argue that prosecutors are mischaracterizing consensual sexual activity. While he acknowledges one violent incident involving his ex-girlfriend Cassie, they deny other allegations.

Jury selection begins Monday at a federal courthouse in Manhattan. Testimony is expected to start the following week.

If convicted on all charges, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking, Combs could face decades in prison.

The investigation followed Cassie's lawsuit against him. Many individuals have alleged abuse by Combs in lawsuits; however, this trial focuses on four women’s claims.

Cassie filed her lawsuit in late 2023. She alleges years of abuse from Combs after they met in 2005. The Associated Press typically does not name sexual abuse victims unless they go public; Cassie has done so.

Her lawsuit provided the first public account of the "Freak Offs." It was settled within a day.

Four months later, federal investigators raided Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami. They confronted him at a private airport in Florida and seized 96 electronic devices along with three AR-15-style rifles with defaced serial numbers.

Combs was indicted last September and is currently held in federal jail in Brooklyn. Judges ruled he poses a threat to intimidate witnesses if released.

The 17-page indictment accuses him of using employees from various business ventures to facilitate crimes like kidnapping and bribery.

Prosecutors plan to present travel records, text messages, emails, hotel records, and videos as evidence for their claims about “Freak Off activity.”

Jurors will also see security camera footage showing Combs attacking Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016. After the video aired on CNN last year, he apologized for his actions.

Combs’ attorney stated that he wrote "a very large check" to Cassie after her lawsuit was filed. The lawyer suggested this payout encouraged others to make false claims against him.

Agnifilo acknowledged that while Combs is “not a perfect person,” he was undergoing therapy before his arrest due to past drug use and toxic relationships.

He described Cassie and Combs' ten-year relationship as sometimes loving but complicated by their choice to involve third parties sexually: “That was their thing.”

This trial isn’t Combs’ first legal battle; he was acquitted in 2001 for bringing an illegal handgun into a crowded Manhattan club where gunfire injured three people.

A rapper named Jamal Barrow (Shyne) from Combs’ entourage was convicted for the shooting and served nearly nine years in prison.

At a pretrial conference Thursday, Combs confirmed he rejected a plea offer with lesser penalties than those he might face if convicted at trial. As he left the courtroom after the hearing, he defiantly shook his fist in the air.