Witness testimony in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs wrapped for the first day in federal court in Manhattan on Monday, where the 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Two of the prosecution’s witnesses were called to testify on day one including: Israel Florez, a police officer and former hotel security guard that filed an incident report from Combs’s March 2016 assault of Cassie Ventura; and a male revue manager, Daniel Phillip, who said he was paid by Ventura to have sex with her while Combs watched. Phillip said he felt threatened after Combs took a picture of his license for insurance purposes.
Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened, and coerced women to participate in drug-fueled sex performances called “freak offs,” and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes.
He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Combs could face life in prison. He is being held without bail in a Brooklyn jail.
A jury of 12 New Yorkers and six alternates will decide his fate. The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks.
Follow the live blog below for the latest updates on the trial, culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom.
