P. Diddy. The fall of the rap mogul

The most anticipated trial of the year began on May 12th at the Manhattan Federal Court in New York. Producer and singer P.Diddy is being accused of controlling a criminal scheme that involved sex trafficking, extortion, criminal conspiracy and promoting prostitution. His ex-partner, Cassie Ventura, has already spoken out. And what she said has shocked the world.

Some people know him as Sean Combs, others call him “Puff Daddy”, “P. Diddy” or simply “Diddy”. Even if we don’t know his name, it’s unlikely that we’ve never heard one of his songs or collaborated on them. The fact is that he built an empire that has earned him a fortune, both through music and investments in alcoholic beverage brands. But if he was previously admired, respected, loved and considered one of the most influential artists in the world of rap, since 2023 he has started to be seen differently. And, little by little, those who once belonged to his circle no longer want to be associated with him. It’s no wonder, since Diddy is accused of controlling a criminal scheme that involved sex trafficking, extortion, criminal association and promotion of prostitution.

According to documents filed by the prosecutor's office, the American rapper used his influence in the music industry to attract and recruit young women, often underage, under the promise of professional opportunities. Instead, they were subjected to physical and psychological abuse, including forced sexual intercourse, filming without consent and forced consumption of illegal substances in so-called "freak-offs". These events could last for days and the allegations describe episodes of extreme violence, threats with firearms and cash payments to silence victims and witnesses.

The businessman has pleaded not guilty. According to The New York Times, in a recent statement about the indictment, his legal team said that the alleged victims in the case were “longtime ex-girlfriends who engaged in consensual relationships.” “This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion,” they argued. Defense attorney Teny Geragos responded that the prosecution is trying to distort romantic relationships to build a case of extortion and sex trafficking: “Sean Combs is a complex man, but this is not a complex case. These are voluntary choices made by capable adults in consensual relationships,” she added. The American rapper could face a sentence of between 15 years and life in prison.

It should be recalled that the investigations culminated in operations by federal authorities in March 2024, with searches of Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami. Weapons, ammunition, drugs and a significant amount of lubricants and baby oil were seized. On September 16, the artist was arrested in New York, USA. Shortly after, a video was released showing him violently attacking Cassandra Ventura, better known as Cassie Ventura, who was his girlfriend between 2007 and 2018, in the hallway of a hotel.

The key witness

The long-awaited trial of the hip-hop mogul began on May 12 and could last up to eight weeks due to the complexity and number of charges against the music producer. The trial promises new revelations about the involvement of other public figures and the sexual exploitation network, which is suspected to have affected more than 150 victims.

The first week of testimony was marked by revelations from Cassie Ventura, now 38 years old, a key witness in the trial, which have left the world open-mouthed. Already in her third trimester of pregnancy, the woman revealed the horror she says she experienced at the hands of her 55-year-old ex-partner. The singer and Daniel Phillip, a sex worker, were the first to testify, accusing P. Diddy of «repeated physical assaults» and «coercion to participate in humiliating sexual rituals».

The BBC writes, citing her testimony, that the abuse began right at the beginning of the relationship that lasted more than a decade with the artist. The couple projected an image of hip-hop royalty by appearing on the red carpet at events and luxurious getaways. But not everything is as it seems and, in this case, we could not have been more deceived.

When she met P. Diddy in 2005, Cassie was just 19 years old and had a big dream: to make it big in the music industry. “All I knew was that he was a great businessman and musician. He was a music fan. I didn’t know much about him personally,” she recalled in court, adding that she “fell in love” with the “extraordinary entrepreneur and musician.” It didn’t take long for the young woman to be signed to his label, Bad Boy Records. Soon after, the relationship began. According to Cassie, at the time, she felt they were in a monogamous relationship, although she now knows that he had other girlfriends.

What seemed like a dream, according to the artist, quickly turned into a nightmare. According to Ventura, P. Diddy wanted to “control” her life and he succeeded. He paid for her house, cars, cell phone and other electronic devices that he sometimes took from her to “punish” her: “He controlled everything… From my appearance to what I did”, she claimed. Over time, this control “became violent”. “He would hit me in the head, push me, drag me and kick me frequently”, she testified through tears. According to the singer, the signs of violence were often quite visible. And the jurors were able to prove this through photographs.

The terror of Freak-Offs

According to the BBC, on the second day of the trial, prosecutors spent hours questioning her about the "freak-offs" and the artist told the court how her ex-partner involved her in these wild ordeals. According to her accounts, Sean Combs would hire a prostitute or stripper to have sex with his partner while he watched.

Initially, Ventura was there to make him “happy.” She acknowledged that, at the time, Diddy was “an exciting, fun, funny man” and had his career in his hands. As time went on, the sex parties became a kind of job that “left me with no time to do anything other than recover physically and mentally.” Cassie would stay up for days, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and having sex with “strangers.” The publication writes that some of the parties lasted four or more days, some with breaks in between. “I remember feeling like my stomach was dropping, the nervousness and confusion,” she said, adding that she “felt terrible about myself.”

The singer also revealed that during this period she was forced to have such a high number of sexual relations that she ended up using opiates to «disguise the pain». In addition, she admitted that she ended up with sores in her mouth and tongue due to oral sex. The prosecution claims that, during the parties, P. Diddy allegedly ordered a male prostitute to urinate in Cassie's mouth, when she was just 19 years old. The rapper's goal was to «control every step of the sexual performances so that the women appeared to be enjoying themselves».

The weed, ecstasy, cocaine and ketamine she used helped her to “perform well for Sean Combs” and to “dissociate” in those moments. “Drugs were a way of not feeling the real thing,” she said. Naturally, the combination of substances often made her vomit. Even so, she says, Sean Combs wouldn’t let her stop. When she refused to participate or wanted to leave the scene, his partner would beat her or threaten to share her videos.

Sex trafficking and prostitution

The music mogul's ex-partner alleged that he would pay the hired men between $1,500 and $6,000, "depending on their performance." His team would find them at strip clubs and sites like Craigslist. Some of their photos were shown to jurors, including Daniel Phillip, who has already testified. The man admitted to having been hired several times to have sex with the singer, while Diddy watched. During some of those encounters, the hired man allegedly witnessed verbal and physical abuse.

According to Daniel Phillip, these encounters lasted for around two years, “both in hotels and in various homes belonging to the couple”. In court, he recalled the “specific instructions” he received from the rapper on how he should have sexual relations with his girlfriend. These notes included applying the famous baby oil – found in P. Diddy’s hotel during searches – to the bodies and role-playing that included hypothetical scenarios, such as: “meeting in a certain place”.

Citing Cassie, the BBC reveals that men were sometimes flown in for the holidays. P.Diddy's team took care of everything. There were people responsible for buying and accompanying the trips, arranging the accommodation, preparing the sex rooms, lighting, etc. Among other charges, prosecutors are trying to prove that the music producer engaged in sex trafficking — human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation — and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Emily Johnson, who is part of the prosecution team, corroborated the artist's allegations, saying that the relationship was full of "constant threats, blackmail with sexual videos and a lot of violence". In one of the reported episodes, P. Diddy attacked his partner by stepping on her face. Cassie was apparently so scarred that the rapper hid her in a hotel room for five days.

Furthermore, she also recalled the scene of physical aggression in the hotel corridor in 2016, which was filmed and released in 2024 by CNN. The moment was captured by the hotel's cameras, and the original version, about 15 minutes long, was now presented in court. Apparently, the incident occurred when Cassie tried to escape from one of her ex-boyfriend's crazy parties. Israel Flores, who worked as a security guard at the hotel where the singer attacked Cassie on March 5, 2016, also testified against Diddy. He said that on that day he received a report that there was a woman in danger on the 6th floor. When he looked for the footage, he could not find it.

Cassandra Ventura also revealed that she accepted a $20 million settlement (around €17 million) to end the lawsuit she filed against her ex-partner in November 2023. It should be noted that part of the current lawsuit originated from this civil complaint, which included accusations of rape and years of abuse.

The singer ended up being questioned about the reason that led her to testify now against Diddy: «I can't carry this anymore. I can't carry the shame, the guilt, the way he treated people as if they were disposable. What's right is right, what's wrong is wrong. I came here to do the right thing», she said.

Stars involved

On the fourth and fifth days of the trial, the artist began to be questioned by the businessman's defense: she was pressured to read aloud her own explicit messages to her ex-boyfriend, including texts that showed her expressing a desire to have group sex under the influence of drugs - an experience that, according to her previous testimony, left her traumatized. According to the Associated Press news agency, Diddy's lawyers tried to portray Cassie to the jury as «a willing and eager person for the mogul's sexual lifestyle».

On Monday, according to CNN, the jury in Sean Combs' trial was dismissed after hearing testimony from three witnesses — Dawn Richard, a former member of the group Danity Kane; Kerry Morgan, a friend of Cassie Ventura from 2001 to 2018; and David James, Combs' former assistant. All three people allege they witnessed violent acts by Diddy.

It is important to note that, although degrading, the "freak offs" were no secret. Many people attended the famous white parties that the businessman organized, knew that the others were happening, but did not report them for fear of reprisals. The events organized by P. Diddy were attended by stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Usher, Demi Moore, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Ashton Kutcher, Mariah Carey, Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson, Justin Bieber, Aaliyah, David Blaine, Kelly Osbourne and Jennifer Lopez.

Several other celebrities have already spoken about P.Diddy's dark side. 50 Cent is one of them. Last year, the artist stated that he would produce a documentary about the numerous allegations against Combs, entitled Diddy Do It?. Released by Eminem on July 12th of last year, the album The Death of Slim Shady makes references to the lawsuits filed against the rapper. Both of them implying – even through some comments – that many people are involved.

Over the next two months, jurors are expected to continue hearing testimony from several women, as well as former employees who prosecutors say helped organize and cover up the crimes.

Recently, according to the American press, several friends of the businessman have contacted White House officials to try to "secure a presidential pardon" or a "commutation of his sentence." If this happens - even if the charges are proven - Diddy could be released or receive a reduced sentence.