Sean Combs, one of the influential music tycoons in America, was accused by federal prosecutors on Monday within the management of a prison endeavor that allowed him to abuse him and work to hide him.
As his trial started on the Federal District Court docket in Decrease Manhattan, prosecutors painted him as a serial sexual predator who organized sexual marathons with prostitutes. G -N -Combs’ attorneys admitted that he was answerable for home violence, however denied that he had dedicated intercourse or led a racket.
In an in depth element, Emily A. Johnson, the prosecutor, who introduced a 50-minute assertion concerning the authorities, presents Mr. Combs as an individual who ordered the efficiency of sexual acts and “known as himself the King.”
“For the general public, he was a fluffy dad or Didy,” stated G -John Johnson. “Cultural icon, businessman – better than life. However there was one other nation, a rustic that manages a prison endeavor.”
One of many first witnesses to the federal government was a person who stated he had been paid as much as $ 6,000 to take part in lengthy sexual conferences with Mr. Combs’s girlfriend Cassandra Ventura whereas the music tycoon was watching. He stated he additionally heard what he thought was a combs by hitting the d -Enterprise in a neighboring room.
Mr. Combs, 55, one of the profitable producers and entrepreneurs in hip-hop historical past, faces allegations of sexual site visitors, transport to take part in prostitution and a racketeering for conspiracy, federal crime, finest recognized for utilizing the prosecutor’s workplace for organized crimes.
If convicted, he may spend the remainder of his life in jail.
D -N -Combs admitted that he was not responsible of the fees. “The proof will present you a really inadequate individual,” Tenni Geragos, a lawyer of G -N -Combs, says in his opening assertion. “But it surely will not present you a racket, sexual site visitors, or somebody who transports for prostitution.”
Mr. Combs’ take a look at is carefully noticed by his legions of followers and celebrities and stars who as soon as turned to their orbit, attended his extravagant events, or listened to the hit music he helped produce.
The accusations towards Mr. Combs entered the favored lexicon “freaks” that Mr. Combs used to explain the intercourse bacchanals they organized, which might proceed for days. On the coronary heart of the case is the federal government’s declare that G -N -Combs, appearing as royalty, sends a crew from staff to assist his conduct and to unravel all the issues he has precipitated.
Within the crowded courtroom on the twenty sixth flooring of the southern district of New York, the mom of the magnets, Janice Combs, was sitting within the second row of the gallery, wearing a black-leopard print and surrounded by relations.
Her son, who was in custody after her arrest in September, wore a sweater, a shirt with collar, pants and lace -free footwear. He was sitting on the protection desk, studying the Bible, his grey hair and a beard, revealing his months in detention the place he couldn’t dye it.
Jja Johnson instructed a jury of eight males and 4 girls that the case would give attention to the testimony of three girls, together with Da -Ventura, 38. Extra generally known as Cassie, she was additionally a singer signed earlier than his label. As well as, stated G -Ja Johnson, the jury will have a look at events of events the place Mr. Combs directs sexual conferences.
“You will notice the violence of the defendant and the results of him,” she stated.
In a very graphic element, D -Jia Johnson described a celebration on which Da Ventura “felt he was suffocating” when Mr. Combs “made an escort urinate in his mouth.”
Mrs. Ventura, who was a 19-year-old and impressive singer, when she met Mr. Combs within the mid-2000s, was bodily abused initially of the connection, stated Mrs. Johnson, describing how Mr. Komsov threw Mrs. Venura on the ground of SUV in 2009 and repeatedly on her face.
When it was their activate Monday, the authorized crew of G -N -Combs presents its consumer as a “complicated man” who rose from a modest foundation and constructed an empire of leisure. They acknowledged violent traits, disputes with jealousy with ex-girlfriends-and that he’s answerable for home violence.
However regardless of his “dangerous mood”, he was missed due to his “non-public, private sexual life,” stated G -Ja Geragos.
She instructed the jurors that there could also be a number of factors in the course of the trial, which is predicted to final about eight weeks, “the place you suppose he’s a shot, he’s imply.”
“However he’s not accused of this,” stated G -Ja Geragos. “He’s not accused of being a joke. He’s accused of operating a racketeering.”
G -Je Gharagos described the witnesses who testified towards G -N -Combs as “succesful, robust, aged” girls who had been in love with Mr. Combs and who are actually keen on monetary revenue. D -Ja Ventura has remained within the relationship with G -N -Combs for greater than a decade, famous G -Ja Geragos.
All through his profession at three and a half and a half, Mr. Combs helped flip artists just like the infamous Huge and Mary J. Blide in family names. Beneath the identify Puff Daddy, he had his personal # 1 breakdown in 1997 with “I’ll miss you.” The lavish white events of G -N -Combs, held in Hamptons, Beverly Hills and different playgrounds of the wealthy, had been magnets for celebrities and music stars.
The road of entry into the Court docket of Justice on Monday morning was full of reporters, podcasts influencing Tiktok and curious public members. Inside, they discovered a conflict of excessive -profile attorneys. Mr. Combs’s authorized crew is led by Mark Lambie, maybe finest recognized for being Keith Ranier, the chief of the NXIVM sexual cult.
Among the many six prosecutors within the case is Mauren Komi, who has expertise with complicated prison points, such because the sexual trafficking course of in 2021 towards Ghislaine Maxwell. She is the daughter of former FBI director James Commo.
D -Kombs had different brushes with the legislation, together with allegations of an assault and capturing from 1999 on the Manhattan Night time Membership, which left three folks injured. He was on the membership along with his then pal Jennifer Lopez and was ultimately justified.
However essentially the most broadly seen episode of violence, together with Mr. Combs, got here final Could when CNN broadcasts the surveillance workers, attacking D -Ventura on the Intercontinental Lodge in Los Angeles on this video, the ga. On Monday, the jurors had been proven on the workers, however it was delayed -the attorneys of G -N -Combs stated the tape was accelerated and made the actions look quicker than in actual life. A authorities knowledgeable corrects velocity.
The primary witness to the prosecutor’s workplace on Monday was Israel Flores, a police officer in Los Angeles, who was a safety guard on the Intercontinental Lodge. He testified that he was answerable for a lady within the sixth flooring and located Mr. Combs sitting in a towel, immobile however with a “devilish look”. Nestled within the nook was a Enterprise, who had a “purple eye,” stated G -n Flores.
Flores stated that G -n -Kombs provided him a hiding place, which he realized was a bribe. “He instructed me,” Do not inform anybody, “Mr. Flores stated. The prosecutor’s workplace stated G -N -Combs purchased the Lodge Safety surveillance frames for $ 100,000. However the copies clearly remained.
The second witness to the prosecutor’s workplace was Daniel Philip, the male stripper, who stated he was invited repeatedly by G -ja Ventura to have intercourse together with her whereas Sean Combs watches and masturbates.
Throughout greater than an hour of specific testimony, D -n Philip stated that he noticed Mr. Combs as soon as throw a bottle of alcohol in d -Enterprise when she didn’t go to him instantly when she known as. He then dragged the Enterprise to a different room, testifies to Philip, who stated he heard what feels like Mr. Combs struck her. “Bitch, after I inform you to come back right here, now you come right here, no later,” Mr. Philip testifies that he has heard Mr. Combs say.
Throughout his testimony, the three daughters of G -N -Combs left the courtroom.
Olivia Bunsimon Contributes to reporting.
