Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Opening Statements: 9 Key Takeaways

Prosecution: Diddy “brutally” beat Cassie after discovering affair.

The prosecution wasted no time reminding the jury of the much-discussed video of the rap mogul abusing Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel elevator bank, sharing that it will also be shown during the trial. Emphasizing that this was not an isolated incident, they allege that Combs also abused the “Me & U” singer after discovering she was seeing another man.

“When he finally found her he beat her brutally, kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll,” Prosecutor Emily Johnson said of Combs’ alleged behavior that evening. In an effort to “make sure he had control over Cassie once again,” he then, “threatened her and said if she defies her again he will release video of her having sex with male escorts. Souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life.”

Cassie and other alleged victims were forced to participate in sex acts.

While Diddy‘s team has previously stated that those who participated in his “freak off” parties were all consenting adults, the prosecution and the government argue that Cassie and other alleged victims were forced to do so.

“Her life and safety depended on keeping him happy,” Johnson said of the singer. “Cassie tried her first freak off because she loved him and wanted to make him happy. … If Cassie didn’t do what he wanted, the consequences were severe.”

She also warned jurors that details of the “days-long, drug-fueled orgies” — allegedly orchestrated by Combs — would be revealed in court. “Some of the details of what happened to them will be hard to hear…He used lies, drugs, threats and violence to force and coerce first Cassie and later Jane to have sex with him in front of male escorts.”

“He directed freak offs week after week, around the country and sometimes out of the country,” Johnson added.

Diddy allegedly bribed hotel security with $100K for Cassie abuse video.

The prosecution also claimed that Diddy attempted to bribe hotel security with “a brown paper bag full of $100,000 in cash” for “what they thought was the only copy” of the surveillance footage showing him attack Cassie.

“Nothing could put his public image at risk,” Johnson said of the Bad Boy founder, adding, “They covered up brutal beatings while keeping Cassie locked up for days.”

Other alleged victims

In addition to Cassie, the prosecution plans to explore accusations from a “Jane” who met Combs in 2020 and was soon exposed to his abusive habits. She claims he forced her to have unprotected sex with male escorts and to do drugs against her will.

“She wanted the escorts to wear condoms, but he would not let them. Then he would make her take drugs; she broke down and took ecstasy,” Johnson said. “One time she vomited, he told her to hurry up and get back in the room where an escort was waiting.”

Diddy‘s former assistant, Mia, will also play a role in the case, with the preecution telling jurors, “She is just beginning to grapple with the times he forced himself on her sexually, she wanted to keep the secret to her grave…”They worked punishing hours for the defendant without sleep … they were expected to keep quiet of what they saw and heard in the defendants homes.”

Defense: This case is about Diddy’s “personal sex life.”

The defense began by calling Puff a “complicated” man while insisting this isn’t a “complicated” case, as they believe his racketeering sex trafficking charges are a result of disgruntled ex-lovers misrepresenting their relationships.

“You will hear why people stayed around him and why it matters, he gave people opportunity and chances,” defense attorney Teny Geragos said, adding that “they didn’t always like what he did or how how he behaved, but they truly loved him, and by being with him, they were part of something special.”

“The only people who knew about a racketeering enterprise are the prosecutors,” Geragos added. “This case is about Sean Combs’ private personal sex life. The government has no place in his private bedrooms. They say it is not about his private sex life, but the evidence will show that it is.”

Diddy’s “bad temper” and baby oil don’t equal guilt

The defense has no plans to deny that Diddy has committed acts of domestic violence, admitting that,  “he has a bad temper and sometimes he is so angry and jealous that he gets out of control.”

“We will not shy away from the things he did, but we will not own the things he did not do,” Geragos told jurors. “He is physical, he is a drug user, you may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No!”

Cassie left Diddy over Kim Porter jealousy, not abuse.

Diddy‘s defense team also alleged that Cassie didn’t leave Combs due to abuse, but because she realized that she would never mean as much to him as his “soulmate,” the late Kim Porter.

“When Combs said Kim Porter was his soulmate, Cassie realized all the things she would not be, she wanted to be Combs’ wife,” Geragos said of the singer after she attended Porter’s funeral by Puff’s side. Geragos added that “jealousy” was at the center of the label founder’s relationships with both women, and that Cassie left once she realized, “she would never be that, never be his wife, never be his love of his life.”

Cassie and other alleged victims consented to their sex life, now lying for cash.

Diddy‘s defense was sure to emphasize that Cassie, “Jane” and other “freak off” participants did so consensually, saying of Ventura, “She was a willing participant in their sex life.”

Of “Jane,” Geragos added, “After a period of time, their relationship becomes mostly sexual. She was a capable, strong adult woman.”

“They will tell you they were victimized. Ask yourself, what is their motive? The answer is simple: money.”

Avoid being the “moral police.”

Finally, Diddy‘s attorney reminded the jury that it is not their job to be the “moral police” in regards to Combs’ behavior, but to prioritize that the evidence meets the burden for the charges.