Latest news with #FreakOffs'
TimesLIVE
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
What to know about the Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial
Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the hip-hop mogul who discovered world-famous artists and helped bring the genre into the mainstream, was found guilty on Wednesday of prostitution-related offences but acquitted of other charges. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing. Here is what you need to know about the trial, which took place in Manhattan federal court: WHAT WERE THE CHARGES? Combs faced one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transporting for prostitution. Found guilty on the prostitution charges, he was acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking. Combs could have faced life in prison had he been convicted on all five counts. WHAT DID PROSECUTORS ALLEGE? Prosecutors with the Manhattan US Attorney's office said Combs used physical violence and threats to coerce two of his former girlfriends — rhythm-and-blues singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane — to take part in the sex performances sometimes known as 'Freak Offs'. During the performances, Combs would watch, masturbate and occasionally film, according to prosecutors. Both Ventura and Jane testified that Combs threatened to cut off financial support and leak sex tapes of them if they stopped taking part. Prosecutors said Combs used his business empire and employees to help arrange the performances and cover up his abuse, which they said amounted to racketeering conspiracy. WHAT WAS COMBS'S DEFENCE? Combs's defence lawyers acknowledged that their client was at times abusive in his domestic relationships, but argued that the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual and that there was nothing illegal about his 'swinger' lifestyle. They highlighted tender and sexually explicit text messages that both Ventura and Jane sent Combs over the course of their years-long relationships with him to argue that Combs had no way of knowing the women's participation in the performances was not consensual. The defence also said that Ventura had a financial incentive to testify against Combs. Ventura sued Combs for sexual abuse in a civil lawsuit in November 2023, and settled the case a day later in exchange for a $20m (R352,469,440) payment from Combs. WHO TESTIFIED? Several of Combs's former personal assistants testified that they helped set up hotel rooms for 'Freak Offs' and procured drugs for their boss. Jurors also heard from Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, who said Combs broke into his home and was behind the torching of his car after Combs found out Mescudi was romantically involved with Ventura. Combs did not testify. Defence lawyers often advise their clients not to take the stand because doing so exposes them to cross-examination by prosecutors. HOW LONG DID THE TRIAL LAST? Jurors heard about seven weeks of testimony and argument starting on May 12. The case drew intense media coverage because of Combs's fame. WHAT OTHER LEGAL TROUBLES DOES COMBS FACE? Combs has also been accused of sexual assault and rape in more than 50 civil lawsuits, including one by an accuser who says he was 10 years old at the time of the alleged assault. Combs has denied the allegations in the civil cases, which seek money damages.
Mint
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Sean Diddy Combs ex testifies he kicked, dragged her in attack last year
Testifying under pseudonym, Jane testifies he coerced her into sexual acts She describes altercation after confronting Combs about another relationship Testimony enters fifth week with defense to cross-examine on Tuesday Combs' lawyers claim women participated consensually in 'Freak Offs' (New throughout with details from trial testimony; note language in paragraph 4 some readers may find offensive) NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - An ex-girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs testified on Monday that he kicked, punched and dragged her last June, about a month after the hip-hop mogul apologized for a video that surfaced of Combs attacking another girlfriend eight years earlier. The alleged attack on the woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, occurred three months before Combs was indicted on racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. He has pleaded not guilty. Jane said that after the attack in the backyard of her Los Angeles home on June 18, 2024, Combs contacted a male entertainer named Anton, gave her an ecstasy pill, and told her to perform oral sex on Anton while Combs watched - even though she had told him she did not want to. Jane said Combs told her, "You're not going to ruin my fucking night," and then got close to her face and said, "Is this coercion?" Jane's testimony could bolster prosecutors' contention that Combs, 55, for two decades coerced women to take part in the sexual performances, sometimes known as "Freak Offs," against their will. Lawyers for Combs, founder of Bad Boy Records, have acknowledged he was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in Freak Offs did so consensually. On May 19, 2024, Combs apologized on social media after CNN broadcast a hotel surveillance video from 2016 in which Combs appeared to attack the rhythm and blues singer Casandra Ventura, another ex-girlfriend. The video was shown in court. In November 2023, Ventura sued Combs for allegedly forcing her to take part in Freak Offs over the course of a decade-long relationship that started around 2008. Combs denied wrongdoing, and he settled with her two days later for $20 million. Jane said she told Combs several times that she did not want to have sex with other men anymore. Jurors saw an October 20, 2023, text message in which she told him, "I felt violated and manipulated by you." But the encounters continued after that, as did Combs' financial support for Jane, according to her testimony. Jane said the June 2024 altercation occurred after she confronted him about his relationship with another woman. Jane said she shoved Combs' head into a kitchen counter and threw candles and glass at him. He eventually attacked her in the backyard while she was lying on the ground curled into a ball, she said. Combs' defense lawyers are due to begin cross-examining Jane on Tuesday. Testimony is in its fifth week. Combs could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, Combs turned artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, elevating hip-hop in American culture and becoming a billionaire in the process. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Howard Goller)
Mint
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Im not a porn star: Diddy accuser says she asked to stop sex performances
Combs' former girlfriend testifies under pseudonym in sex trafficking trial Bad Boy Records founder accused of coercing women into 'Freak Offs' Defense says women participated consensually in performances NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - One of Sean "Diddy" Combs' former girlfriends testified on Monday in the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial that she told him in text messages that she felt mistreated in their relationship and asked to stop taking part in sexual performances with other men. "I'm not a porn star. I'm not an animal," the woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, wrote Combs on October 16, 2023, according to a text message she read aloud in court. "It's loveless for me and nothing satisfies you and you always push me to do more and more." The messages could bolster prosecutors' contention that Combs, 55, for two decades coerced women to take part in the sexual performances, sometimes known as "Freak Offs," against their will. Combs is charged with using physical force and threatening to cut off financial support to get women to take part in the drug-fueled, sometimes days-long performances in hotel rooms while he watched. Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. His lawyers have acknowledged that Combs was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in Freak Offs did so consensually. Jane, the third alleged sex abuse victim of Combs to testify at his trial in Manhattan federal court, told jurors last week that she was "head over heels" for Combs at the outset of their relationship, which lasted from 2021 through 2024. She testified that most of the time they spent together involved sex performances with male escorts in hotel rooms, even though she wanted to go on dates with just Combs. She said Combs - whose net worth Forbes estimated at above $1 billion in 2022 - threatened to stop paying her rent when she said she wanted to stop having sex with other men. Combs' defense lawyers are due to cross-examine Jane later this week. The trial is in its fifth week. Combs could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy, Combs turned artists like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, elevating hip-hop in American culture and becoming a billionaire in the process. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Howard Goller)
Mint
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Sean ‘Diddy' ignored pleas for escorts to use condoms, ex-girlfriend tells court in sex trafficking trial
Sean 'Diddy' Combs twice rebuffed a former girlfriend's requests that male entertainers wear condoms when having sex with her as Combs watched, the woman said on Friday during a testimony at the music mogul's sex trafficking trial. According to a Reuters report, the woman said that Combs would 'guilt trip' her when she asked that the entertainers wear condoms during their frequent and lengthy sexual encounters. The woman is testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, the report said. These sexual interactions resembled what another one of Comb's exes, Casandra Ventura, referred to as 'Freak Offs' during her testimony last month, it added. An audio clip heard by the jurors in the Manhatten federal court trial recorded Combs intervening after Jane asked a male entertainer named Don if he had a condom. As the recording was played, Combs rapidly tapped his fingers against his leg while seated at the defence table, the Reuters report said. "Why didn't you just insist that Don wear a condom?" prosecutor Maurene Comey asked. "Because I just didn't want to disappoint my lover," Jane responded, referring to Combs. Jane said she and Combs dated from 2021 through 2024. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he coerced women over two decades to take part in elaborate, drug-fueled sexual performances during Freak Offs over two decades, the report said. The Bad Boy Records founder's defense lawyers have acknowledged that Combs was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in 'Freak Offs' did so consensually. During the first day of her testimony on Thursday, Jane said she was 'head over heels' for Combs and wanted to have a one-on-one relationship with him, but that starting five months into their relationship most of their time together involved sexual interactions with male escorts in hotels. Jane said that when she told Combs she wanted those encounters to stop, he threatened to stop paying her rent. On Friday, Jane frequently sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she told jurors how Combs would encourage her to keep going even after she grew tired during the encounters, which she said often lasted 24 hours or more, the Reuters report added. In one instance, which Jane recounted during the trial, she said she broke down crying after Combs said he had to leave following an encounter with an entertainer, despite having promised Jane a one-on-one date night and that the entertainer would be there for 'just a little bit'. "I hung onto those words, just a little bit," Jane said. "I was feeling terrible that he was going to leave me alone."
Black America Web
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Suge Knight Expresses Sympathy For Diddy In New Interview
Source: Pool / Getty Even while behind bars Suge Knight is not the one to hold his tongue. He has now weighed in on Diddy's ongoing federal trial. The Deathrow Records founder recently conducted several in depth interviews spanning several hours with ABC News . During the conversations Suge Knight made it clear that while he still has his issues with Diddy, he believes that many of the problems within the Rap industry are systemic issues. 'If you're going to make Puffy answer, make everyone answer,' Suge explained. 'Change the theme of the culture of the problems in Hip-Hop. I think it'd be a great thing to let Puffy tell his truth. Tell the real truth, and bring everybody accountable.' When asked about the notorious 'Freak Offs' Suge said that there have been rumors about Diddy's sex life since the 1990s. 'Everybody knew that,' Knight revealed. 'Puffy didn't just pop in the industry and say 'hey, I want to have sex with everybody. I mean, we don't have enough time to name all the names.' Since the trial has commenced Suge Knight's name has been mentioned close to 50 times. Diddy's former assistant Capricorn Clark testified that Combs frequently chastised her because she worked for Suge Knight prior. She also claimed that Diddy threatened because of her work history. 'He told me he didn't know that I had anything to do with Suge Knight and, if anything happened, he would have to kill me,' she said. Capricorn also alleged that Diddy blackballed her from the music industry making it nearly impossible to find other work. Suge Knight detailed how someone of Diddy's stature could easily do such a thing. 'She did great things for Puffy. Anything he needed, she got it. Anything he wanted, if she didn't have it, she made it happen,' he said. 'A lot of people might say, well, Capricorn could have did anything else she wanted to do. She did try. If you go get a job at Universal and Puffy makes a phone call, you're not getting that job. If you go get a job at a counter agency or in the movie business and Puff make that call, your career is over.' Suge Knight also expressed some sympathy toward Diddy and his situation. 'I feel that people in Puffy's life, going on his journey growing up, they failed him,' he said. 'Do I think he made some mistakes? I think he repeats what he's seen. He repeats what he learned.' Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all the charges. If convicted on all counts he could face life in prison. SEE ALSO Suge Knight Expresses Sympathy For Diddy In New Interview was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
