Current Events: Diddy Trial

Federal Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Trial Against Sean “Diddy” Combs

By T.L. Reigns

Sean “Diddy” Combs, known professionally as Diddy, is currently facing a federal trial in Manhattan, New York, on charges of Racketeering Conspiracy, Prostitution, and Sex Trafficking. The trial began on May 5, 2025.

Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Understanding the Differences: Sex Trafficking, Domestic Violence, and Racketeering Conspiracy

This trial has so many people asking about the charges. Why is it sex trafficking and not domestic violence? What does RICO have to do with Sean “Diddy” Combs?

Explanation of Sex Trafficking

Sex trafficking and domestic violence are both forms of abuse, but they differ in scope, intent, and legal classification. Sex trafficking involves the exploitation of individuals, often through force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of commercial sex. Under U.S. federal law, any commercial sex act involving a minor automatically qualifies as sex trafficking, even if no coercion is involved. Victims are frequently manipulated through threats, violence, drugs, or false promises, and traffickers may be strangers, acquaintances, or even family members.

This crime often intersects with organized criminal networks and can span across state and national borders.

Explanation of Domestic Violence

In contrast, domestic violence refers to a pattern of abusive behavior within a personal relationship, such as between spouses, partners, or family members, used to maintain power and control. It can take many forms, including physical harm, emotional manipulation, sexual abuse, and financial control. While both sex trafficking and domestic violence involve control and harm, sex trafficking typically includes a third-party benefiting from the victim’s exploitation, while domestic violence is rooted in personal relationships and control dynamics.

RICO

What Is Racketeering?

Racketeering is when a person or group does illegal things over and over again to make money. It’s not just one crime, it’s a pattern of crimes done as part of a bigger plan or organization, like a gang or a group pretending to run a business.

Here are some examples of racketeering:

Selling illegal drugs

Stealing money or property

Threatening people to get money (called extortion)

Forcing people to do things against their will (like sex trafficking)

Bribing officials or lying to make money

Fraud

Kidnapping

Money Laundering and more

If someone does at least two serious crimes within a 10-year period while participating in the operations of an enterprise they can be charged with racketeering under a law called RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). RICO was designed

“Diddy Trial Update: Key Witnesses, Jury Changes & Courtroom Drama (June 2025)”

Key Developments This Week (June 16–18)

Juror dismissal: Juror No. 6 removed over residency inconsistencies; replaced by someone from Westchester.

Trial pause: Court adjourned June 18 after a juror fell ill with vertigo; now planned to resume June 20, after Juneteenth .

Federal Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Trial Against Sean “Diddy” Combs

By T.L. Reigns

Graphic courtroom evidence: Jury viewed extensive “freak‑off” videos and text chains, evidence prosecutors describe as coercive, but the defense claims homemade and consensual.

Week 1 of Testimony

Day 1 of Testimony

The first witness to take the stand was Officer Israel Florez of the Los Angeles Police Department, who recounted a 2016 incident involving Sean “Diddy” Combs and singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. At the time, Florez was serving as the Assistant Director of Security at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City. He testified that he responded to a distress call from a guest in the sixth-floor lobby on March 5, 2016.

According to Officer Florez, Cassie was visibly distressed and said, “I want to leave and I have to get my cell and bag.” Diddy responded, “You’re not leaving.” Florez intervened, telling Diddy, “Yes, she is leaving.” He also informed Combs that any damages to the property would be charged to the room. Officer Florez noticed that Cassie had purple bruising that her shades didn’t cover. She still refused help and left in a SUV. After Cassie left the scene, Florez testified that Diddy offered him cash to stay quiet. He declined, responding, “I don’t want your money.”

Florez said he recorded the hotel’s surveillance footage on his iPhone as a backup to show his wife. He also filed an incident report that included photographs of the damage to the sixth-floor lobby. Upon returning to work two days later, he discovered that the video had been removed from the hotel’s system. Although he initially thought it had auto-deleted, he still had a copy on his personal phone and shared it with a coworker who was unable to retrieve it from the system.

On cross-examination the defense tried to insinuate that Officer Florez didn’t document the other man on the pull out bed, the alleged bribe made by Diddy, Cassie’s black eye, or when Diddy tried to grab the front desk manager’s cell because it didn’t happen.

Officer Florez responded saying it was an incident report and he documented what he felt was necessary.

The second witness, Daniel Phillip, a male dancer, testified about a disturbing encounter with Combs at the Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan. He was called to fill in at a bachelorette party because none of the agency’s Black dancers were available. When he arrived, he found a man in a white robe, a bandana, and a baseball cap alongside a woman he identified as Cassie, who wore a red wig, stockings, heels, and sunglasses. She gave him a few hundred dollars. Once the man spoke, Daniel recognized him as Sean Combs. After being intimate Cassie gave him a few thousand more.

Daniel said he encountered Combs and Cassie multiple times at different hotels and at Cassie’s New York apartment. He stated that Combs directed the “scenarios,” often requesting large amounts of baby oil on their bodies. He was excited about being around them. Eventually, Combs removed the mask and took a photo of Daniel’s driver’s license, allegedly for “insurance,” which Daniel interpreted as a veiled threat.

Daniel testified that Combs offered him ecstasy, which at first, he declined as a non-drug user. However, he tried it, he recalled feeling euphoric and sick after the encounter and handing out $100 bills to strangers. David alleged he witnessed Diddy throw a bottle at Cassie and he went over to her, pulled her by her hair and dragged her into the bedroom and heard Combs physically assault Cassie. After that incident, he was uncomfortable and couldn’t perform with Diddy around. Despite saying he wasn’t charging for his services, Daniel was paid every time he performed. He added that Combs’ bodyguards were present, but failed to intervene when the assault happened.

On cross-examination Daniel admitted to having feelings for Cassie and he would have dated her if she would have accepted him. The defense claimed that Daniel thought Cassie wanted a one on one relationship and he denied it. He saw her intoxicated or high passed out on the couch one time and nothing happened.

These testimonies mark a significant development in the federal investigation into allegations of abuse, trafficking, and misconduct involving Sean Combs.

Day 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Testimony Diddy Trial Cassie Testifies

The prosecution opened its second day with powerful, disturbing, and graphic testimony from Victim 1, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Mrs. Cassie Ventura, who is currently eight and a half months pregnant.

Cassie testified that Sean Combs introduced her to a variety of activities she had never experienced before, including “freak-offs,” physical and mental abuse, humiliation, and serious drug use. According to her testimony, these events became a regular part of her life while involved with Combs.

She alleged that Combs orchestrated and choreographed the “freak-offs,” which involved sexual encounters with male escorts and eventually expanded internationally. He allegedly directed the encounters and recorded them. Cassie further claimed that he threatened to ruin her career and release the videos online and at her parents’ place of employment when she refused to participate.

She testified that Combs would either give her cash to pay or directly compensate the escorts once the events were over.The “freak-offs” were weekly and could last for four days with multiple escorts. Drugs were consistently involved, Cassie said, so that she could disassociate from what was happening. The drugs were allegedly supplied either by Combs himself or delivered by his staff.

Cassie told the court that she participated in the “freak-offs”—sex parties orchestrated and recorded by Combs because he controlled nearly every aspect of her life. She testified that she felt she had little choice, describing herself at the time as “really super young, naive, and a total people pleaser.”

She said she feared Combs’ reaction if she refused. "I didn’t know if he’d become violent or write me off," Cassie told the court. When asked how often he was physically abusive, Cassie said she couldn’t even quantify the number of incidents.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Ms. Estevao presented explicit messages Cassie had sent to Combs referencing a freak-off. Cassie admitted to sending the messages, explaining that she longed to feel that Combs was her husband, the only person who would see that side of her. The defense argued this showed she was a willing participant. Cassie countered that participation didn’t always mean consent under coercive control.

Ms. Estevao continued by presenting additional text messages, emails, and photos in which Cassie expressed enjoyment after certain encounters. One message described making love to Combs after a freak-off as “so good.” Cassie testified that these moments often followed instances where Combs watched her with male escorts, suggesting those were the only times he wanted to be intimate.

In one exchange, Combs texted, “I love our freak-offs,” to which Cassie replied, “Me too, when we both want it.” The defense used this to argue mutual consent. However, the wording also implies Cassie didn’t always desire the encounters.

The defense also questioned whether Cassie’s proximity to Combs gave her access to celebrities, major music events, and industry connections. Cassie acknowledged the access and confirmed she had been signed to a ten-album deal with Combs’ label, Bad Boy Records, though she released only one album since the 2006 contract.

On redirect, Cassie revealed she never took any of her devices to the Apple Store for repairs out of fear that employees might discover explicit videos from the freak-offs. She also said she never wanted to do the freak-offs.

Throughout her testimony, both the prosecution and the defense introduced evidence, including digital communications and video stills.

Notably, a week before the trial began, Cassie received a $10 million settlement from the InterContinental Hotel, where a 2016 surveillance video later released by CNN in May 2024 captured Combs physically assaulting her in a sixth-floor lobby.

Diddy Trial -Days 5 & 8: Dr. Dawn Hughes Offers Insight on Trauma and Abuse

On Day 5 and Day 8 of the ongoing federal trial involving Sean "Diddy" Combs, Dr. Dawn Hughes, a clinical and forensic psychologist with 30 years of experience, took the stand as a blind expert witness. Dr. Hughes was not involved in the evaluation of any parties in this case. Her role was to provide the jury with general insight into trauma psychology, domestic violence, sexual abuse (SA), and how these factors impact memory, behavior, and decision-making in survivors.

Week 2 Day 8 Dr. Dawn Hughes

Why Do Victims Stay?

Dr. Hughes explained that psychological bonds, not just fear, often tie victims to abusive relationships. Abuse doesn’t need to be constant, what she called “butterfly violence”, sporadic yet emotionally destabilizing patterns, can be just as impactful. Victims stay for many reasons, including:

Fear, ranging from emotional to physical harm.

Psychological violence, like intimidation or threats, even without direct physical contact.

Shame and degradation, which deter victims from acknowledging or escaping the abuse.

Financial dependence, where the abuser controls housing, transportation, and even technology access.

She described how coercive control, although often invisible, can entrap a victim. Though the judge sustained some objections from the defense during her explanation of certain coercive tactics, she noted that “abuse is about power and control.”

Understanding Victim Psychology

Dr. Hughes discussed concepts like:

Love bombing – when abusers shower victims with affection and gifts to lure them back during the “honeymoon phase.”

Coping mechanisms – such as placating, appeasing, or repeatedly trying to “make things work” despite trauma bonds.

Minimization – victims may rationalize the abuse, saying things like “maybe he had a bad day” or “he was intoxicated.”

Leaving an abusive partner often takes multiple attempts, she said. Victims may return to the relationship hoping to revive the “good” version of their partner.

Memory & Disclosure

Dr. Hughes clarified how trauma affects memory. Victims tend to remember the “core gist” of an event and vivid sensory details, like a smell or a visual cue (e.g., chipping paint), while peripheral memories fade.

Many survivors, she noted, do not immediately disclose abuse-especially sexual assault by someone they know. The closer the relationship, the less likely victims are to speak out right away. Disclosure often comes after time, therapy, or feeling safe.

Cross-Examination Highlights

Defense attorney Jonathan Bach questioned Dr. Hughes on her methodologies and client evaluations. She affirmed that she observes patients’ cognitive styles closely and recognizes patterns in abuse survivors, including substance abuse as a coping strategy.

Mr. Bach asked whether she was familiar with malingering, the act of fabricating or exaggerating symptoms for personal gain. Dr. Hughes confirmed her knowledge, but the context suggested that such tactics are rare among genuine trauma survivors.

Context from the Courtroom

During earlier cross-examinations, Combs’ legal team presented affectionate text messages and references to “freak-offs” from Cassie Ventura, aiming to undermine her claims of abuse. Dr. Hughes’ testimony was meant to help jurors understand how abuse victims can still express love, desire, or even initiate contact, while still being under coercive or psychological control.

According to The Washington Post, prosecutors hope Hughes’ testimony will clarify the complexities of trauma bonding, especially in intimate partner abuse cases.

Final Note:

Dr. Hughes emphasized that it’s painful for victims to label someone they loved as an abuser. “They don’t want to believe that someone they loved could do this to them,” she said. Often, self-blame prevents them from identifying themselves as victims or seeking help sooner.

Clear distinctions—label everything as “alleged” or “claimed” vs. “proven.”

Not testifying: Diddy has decided not to take the stand, a move experts call “strategic” to avoid cross‑examination.

What to Watch For

Immunity witness: Brendan Paul, ex-assistant, granted immunity and expected this week, his testimony could be pivotal  .

Prosecution closing soon: With key witnesses called, they’re preparing to rest the case before defense presents.

Defense strategy: Likely to focus on undermining accusers credibility and argue everything was consensual.

Defense phase to follow closure of prosecution case.

What implications could immunized testimony have?

Does Diddy’s refusal to testify make sense?

How is media framing affecting public perception?