Day One of Diddy Sex Trafficking Trial Paints Picture of Violence, Coercion, and Control
The sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs began with a thunderous opening salvo from federal prosecutors, who accused the music icon of orchestrating a violent, manipulative criminal enterprise cloaked in celebrity and wealth.
Inside a packed Manhattan courtroom on Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian finalized jury selection before prosecutors launched into a graphic and sobering account of Diddy’s alleged actions.
Prosecutor Emily Johnson described Combs as a man who “called himself the king and expected to be treated like one,” wielding power over women through fear, manipulation, and money. She alleged that Diddy beat, drugged, and sexually coerced victims—including his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whose explosive civil suit last year first brought national attention to the case.
“He used lies, drugs, threats, and violence,” Johnson told jurors. “The evidence will be hard to hear.”
According to prosecutors, Diddy forced Cassie into depraved sex parties known as “freak offs,” manipulated her with threats of revenge porn, and physically assaulted her in moments of jealousy—one of which was allegedly captured on hotel surveillance video.
The prosecution also revealed that Combs and his associates paid $100,000 in cash to bury that footage, stuffing it into a brown paper bag to protect his image.
Another alleged victim, a single mother identified by the pseudonym “Jane”, will testify alongside Mia, a longtime personal assistant who reportedly endured years of sexual coercion and exhausting work conditions.
“She [Mia] wanted to take that secret to her grave,” Johnson said, describing a culture of silence, abuse, and exploitation that stretched deep into Combs’ inner circle.
Prosecutors say Diddy ran this operation from within his entertainment empire, using his businesses to entrap women and create a veil of legitimacy around what was, at its core, systematic sexual exploitation.
The defense is expected to paint a sharply different picture, but Day One has already cast a long shadow. Prosecutors urged the jury to “pay close attention to the evidence” and trust their common sense, as they brace for weeks of disturbing testimony.
The trial is only just beginning, but the opening day has already shattered the myth of untouchable fame—replacing it with allegations of calculated cruelty.