Diddy jury hears opening remarks as sex-trafficking trial begins

Warning: This story accommodates distressing particulars

Prosecutors opened their case by accusing hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs of utilizing fame and violence to sexually abuse girls, whereas the rapper’s attorneys defended his “swinger” life-style and rejected intercourse trafficking claims.

The 55-year-old has pleaded not responsible to prices together with racketeering, intercourse trafficking and transportation to interact in prostitution.

Following opening statements on Monday, the courtroom heard from prosecutors’ first witnesses, together with a safety guard from a lodge the place Mr Combs is seen in a now-viral video beating his ex-girlfriend in 2016.

His testimony was adopted by a person who stated Mr Combs abused his ex-girlfriend throughout paid sexual encounters with the couple.

After seating a panel of 12 jurors and 6 alternates on Monday morning, the federal government and Mr Combs’ attorneys outlined their instances.

Prosecutor Emily Johnson accused Mr Combs of utilizing his movie star standing and a “loyal” interior circle of workers to sexually abuse girls and run a legal enterprise.

She centered on the 2 central victims within the case – Mr Combs’ former girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura, and one other unnamed former girlfriend.

Prosecutors alleged that Mr Combs used violence and threatened Ms Ventura’s music profession to pressure her to carry out nonconsensual, humiliating sexual acts with male prostitutes throughout so-called “freak-offs” filmed by Mr Combs.

The defendant “had the ability to break her life”, Ms Johnson stated of Ms Ventura.

As prosecutors described the express particulars of the allegations in opposition to Mr Combs, he sat in a grey sweater and pants with a clean stare and his fingers folded on his lap.

On the coronary heart of the federal government’s case is a surveillance video that reveals Mr Combs beating Ms Ventura and dragging her by the hair in a Los Angeles lodge hallway in 2016.

Attorneys for Mr Combs stated the video was proof of Mr Combs’ “flawed” character, however not of a bigger legal enterprise. “Home violence shouldn’t be intercourse trafficking,” stated Teny Geragos, Mr Combs’ legal professional.

Ms Geragos stated Mr Combs has a “little bit of a unique intercourse life” – and shifted the main focus to the ladies accusing him, calling them “succesful, robust girls” who selected to stick with the rapper.

They’d “the liberty to make the alternatives that they made”, Ms Geragos argued.

Prosecutors’ first witness, a former safety guard named Israel Florez, labored on the lodge, the positioning of the now-viral surveillance video displaying Mr Combs attacking his ex-girlfriend. The clip, which CNN launched final 12 months, was performed for jurors on Monday.

Mr Florez instructed jurors that morning on the InterContinental Resort in Los Angeles on 5 March, 2016, he acquired a name a few “girl in misery” on the sixth ground.

He stated he discovered Mr Combs there in a towel, slouched on a chair with a “devilish” look on his face, and a damaged vase on the ground. Ms Ventura sat cowering within the nook along with her face coated, Mr Florez stated.

Mr Florez instructed prosecutors that Ms Ventura saved saying she needed to depart, however Mr Combs instructed her she couldn’t.

He testified that Ms Ventura had a purple eye, however didn’t wish to name police and he or she finally left in a black SUV with a seven-foot (2.1-metres) driver.

Mr Florez alleged that later, to “make it go away”, Mr Combs tried at hand him a wad of money, however he declined.

Attorneys for Mr Combs tried to poke holes in Mr Florez’s claims, asking why he didn’t embody sure particulars – like Ms Ventura’s purple eye – in an incident report he filed afterwards.

His testimony was adopted by Daniel Phillip, a former supervisor of male strippers, who stated he met Mr Combs and Ms Ventura after his boss requested him to fill in as a stripper for a bachelorette get together.

However, Mr Phillip stated, he was greeted at a lodge as a substitute by Ms Ventura, who instructed him it was her birthday and her husband needed to provide her a present.

Mr Phillip instructed the courtroom he would go on to have intercourse with Ms Ventura on a number of events – encounters that lasted so long as 10 hours, typically beneath the affect of medication – as Mr Combs watched and filmed.

He alleged that he witnessed Mr Combs assault Ms Ventura at the least twice, together with one time when he dragged her by her hair as she screamed “I am sorry”. Mr Combs then got here again within the room with Ms Ventura and requested the 2 to have intercourse once more in entrance of him, Mr Phillip stated.

“I used to be shocked,” he stated. “It got here out of nowhere. I used to be terrified.”

Mr Phillip claimed on the stand that he didn’t name the police for concern that Mr Combs was “somebody with limitless energy” and that he might “lose his life” for reporting it.

The trial is scheduled to proceed Tuesday when Ms. Ventura is predicted to testify.

On the crowded courthouse Monday, Combs’ youngsters – together with his daughters – had been seen holding fingers. His mom additionally was photographed strolling out of courtroom alongside together with his publicist.