Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial began Monday in Manhattan Federal Court with disturbing testimonies and hard-to-watch video evidence. The 55-year-old music mogul has pleaded not guilty to five charges - sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, transportation for prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
Here is a look at what unfolded on Day 1 of the high-profile case:
2016 Hotel Assault Video Played For Jurors
The jury was shown a 2016 surveillance video, capturing Combs violently beating and kicking his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. The clip showed Combs, wearing only a towel around his waist, dragging Cassie out of an elevator, throwing her to the floor, kicking her, and then yanking her across the hallway. Jurors viewed the video on individual screens.
Cassie Had A "Purple Eye"
Hotel security guard Israel Florez, now a Los Angeles police officer, told jurors he saw Cassie with a visibly bruised face after the incident. She had a purple eye and kept saying, "I just want to leave," he said.
Florez also testified that Combs tried to stop hotel staff from using their phones, fearing they were recording the aftermath. At one point, Florez said he had to pin Combs to a wall to prevent him from grabbing a manager's phone.
He also recalled the rapper offering him a stack of cash to "take care of this" and keep the incident quiet. Asked if it was a bribe, Florez said, "100%."
Diddy Paid $1,00,000 To Hide The Footage
Earlier in the day, prosecutor Emily Johnson told the jury that Combs paid a $1,00,000 bribe to ensure the video footage of the 2016 assault would never surface. Despite the hush money, the clip was eventually obtained and published by CNN in 2023.
Male Escort Describes Sex Acts, Abuse
The most detailed and emotional testimony came from Daniel Phillip, a male escort who claimed he was paid thousands of dollars by Combs to have sex with Cassie while the rapper watched. Phillip described one such encounter at Manhattan's Gramercy Park Hotel in 2012, where Combs allegedly sat in the corner and masturbated while filming with a camcorder. At times, he said Combs instructed them to use more "baby oil", saying, "You don't have enough on."
Phillip told the jury he was paid between $700 and $6,000 per session, depending on performance. He said the sessions sometimes lasted up to 10 hours. On one occasion, Phillip said he didn't get paid because he "couldn't perform."
Escort Says He Witnessed Combs Abusing Cassie
Daniel Phillip also testified that he witnessed Combs physically abusing Cassie multiple times. In one incident, Cassie reportedly said "hold on" to Combs, which enraged him. Phillip described how Combs threw a bottle at her, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her into a room while shouting, "B***h, when I tell you to come here, you come."
In another encounter at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel, Phillip said he heard Cassie screaming and the sounds of her being "slapped around, slammed around the room" after she left him to go be with Combs in another room.
Diddy Threatened Escort
Despite witnessing such violence, Phillip admitted he never went to the authorities. He told jurors that Combs took a photo of his driver's license "for insurance," but he understood it as a threat. "This was someone with unlimited power. And chances are that even if I did go to the police that I still might be losing my life," he said.
Diddy's Daughters Leave Court During Escort's Testimony
Combs' daughters - D'Lila, Jessie, and Chance, all 18 - who were seated beside his mother Janice Combs, walked out of the courtroom as Phillip began detailing one of the explicit sexual encounters. They returned briefly but left again while the testimony continued.
The trial is expected to continue over several weeks, with more alleged victims and witnesses set to testify.
