For decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs curated a public image of glamour, wealth, and success — a hip-hop mogul turned fashion icon, media tycoon, and master of reinvention.
But in a starkly different portrait presented to jurors this week, prosecutors described Combs not as a cultural powerhouse but as a predator who used his power and influence to coerce and exploit women over the span of two decades.
“This is Sean Combs,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson, pointing to the 55-year-old defendant seated calmly in a Manhattan courtroom. “During this trial you are going to hear about 20 years of the defendant’s crimes.”
Those crimes, Johnson told the jury, include kidnapping, arson, sex crimes, drug use, bribery, and obstruction. Combs, she alleged, orchestrated “freak-offs” — drug-fuelled sex parties involving escorts and reluctant partners — in hotel rooms across the United States and overseas. He recorded these encounters, prosecutors say, and used violence and threats to control the women involved.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the five-count indictment. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
A Story of Love, Jealousy and Power
The trial, expected to span eight weeks, has already gripped the public imagination, with lines wrapping around the courthouse and supporters — including Combs’ children and mother — in daily attendance.
His defence team argues the case is less about sex trafficking and more about personal failings in complicated relationships. “Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case,” said lawyer Teny Geragos. “This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money.”
Geragos admitted that Combs could be volatile, especially under the influence of alcohol and drugs. “You might think he’s a jerk,” she told jurors. “You might not like his kinky sex. But he’s not charged with being a jerk.”
She pointed to a $30 million demand from Cassie — the R&B singer and Combs’ longtime girlfriend — as evidence of financial motivation. “Domestic violence is not sex trafficking,” she argued.
But prosecutors insist this goes far beyond domestic disputes or jealousy.
A Shocking Video and Disturbing Testimony
The jury’s first day included testimony from former hotel security officer Israel Florez, who recalled encountering Combs at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 following a report of a “woman in distress.” When he arrived, Florez said Combs, dressed only in a towel, sat slouched with a “blank stare… like a devilish stare.”
A now-infamous video, aired four times during proceedings, showed Combs kicking and dragging Cassie. The footage, which CNN obtained last year, prompted a rare public apology from the music mogul: “I was disgusted by my actions.”
Florez testified that Cassie tried to leave the hotel but was stopped by Combs. When Florez insisted she had the right to go, Combs attempted to hand him a stack of money with a $100 bill on top. “Don’t tell nobody,” Combs allegedly said. “I don’t want your money,” Florez replied.
Another witness, Daniel Phillip, told the court he was paid thousands to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched and directed the encounters. He stopped participating after witnessing Combs throw a bottle at her and drag her by the hair.
“Her Livelihood Depended on Keeping Him Happy”
Johnson painted a disturbing picture of control, where Cassie and other women were kept in line through fear and manipulation. Combs, prosecutors say, used video recordings to threaten careers, forcing women to comply or risk public exposure.
“Her livelihood depended on keeping him happy,” Johnson told the court.
The allegations are not limited to Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura. Another woman, referred to only as Jane, is expected to testify that she, too, endured years of coerced sexual encounters — while Combs publicly dated other women and paraded them around the world.
Prosecutors say Combs’ staff facilitated the abuse by preparing hotel rooms with specific lighting, linens, and lubricant. Witnesses allege women were pressured into taking drugs before being forced into sexual acts with male escorts, while Combs watched, participated, and sometimes recorded the sessions.
A Legacy on Trial
Combs, once known for his Midas touch and chart-topping influence, now faces the potential collapse of everything he built. His defence argues that a party-loving lifestyle has been wrongly criminalised — indulgent, yes, but not illegal.
But the prosecution insists the case is about something much darker: a pattern of calculated abuse enabled by wealth and status.
As the courtroom drama unfolds, the world watches. The story of Sean “Diddy” Combs may have started with platinum records and red carpets — but it is now being rewritten under oath, in a courtroom, with women’s voices finally at the centre.
