What to know about Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Witnesses are testifying this week in the sex trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, one of the biggest music moguls and cultural figures of the past four decades.

The R&B singer Cassie, Combs' former girlfriend, is the prosecution's star witness. She told the jury that he beat her mercilessly and controlled every aspect of her life, making her engage in drug-fueled, multiday sexual marathons with strangers that he called " freak offs." During opening statements, the prosecution said Cassie was not the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited.

The trial in New York is expected to last at least eight weeks. Here's a look at some of the details.

What are the charges?

Prosecutors allege that the three-time Grammy winner used his fame and fortune to create a deviant empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and beatings.

"But he didn’t do it alone. He had an inner circle of bodyguards and high-ranking employees who helped him commit crimes and cover them up,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told jurors during her opening statement.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Combs’ lawyer Teny Geragos, however, told jurors that prosecutors are trying to turn sex between consenting adults into a sex trafficking case.

“Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money,” she said.

Prosecutors revealed shortly before trial that Combs rejected a plea agreement that might have meant a lighter sentence than a conviction could. They did not disclose the terms of the proposed deal.

Who is testifying?

The prosecution has shown jurors the now-infamous security video of Combs beating and kicking Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Early in her testimony, she said the assault took place as she was trying to leave a freak off.

The trial's first witness, Israel Florez, who was working hotel security at the time, testified about responding to a report of a woman in distress and witnessing Combs tell Cassie: “You’re not going to leave.” Florez said he told Combs, “If she wants to leave, she’s going to leave.” Florez, now a Los Angeles police officer, also said he turned down a bribe from Combs to keep quiet.

Cassie, who resumed testifying on Wednesday, was Combs' on-and-off romantic partner for more than a decade. Her 2023 lawsuit against Combs alleging years of abuse, including rape, was followed by similar suits and drew the scrutiny that eventually led to his prosecution.

Jurors on Monday also heard from Daniel Phillip, who said he was a professional stripper who was paid to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched and gave instructions. He testified that he once saw Combs drag her by her hair as she screamed.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie did.

Who is who at the trial?

The trial is in the courtroom of U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. He's a Columbia Law School graduate who once clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and was appointed a federal judge by President Joe Biden in 2022.

The prosecution team consists of eight assistant U.S. attorneys, seven of them women. They include Maurene Ryan Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. She was among the prosecutors in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein.

Combs' team of seven attorneys is led by New York lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who along with his wife Karen Friedman Agnifilo, is also defending Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

Also on the defense team is Atlanta attorney Brian Steel, who represented Young Thug in a trial that went on for nearly two years before the rapper pleaded guilty to gang, drug and gun charges.

What do we know about the jury?

Twelve regular jurors — eight men and four women — and six alternates were chosen. They include include a massage therapist, an investment analyst and a deli clerk. The group tilts middle-aged or older. Only three of the regular jurors are under 40. Five are over 60.

The jurors’ identities are known to the court and the prosecution and defense sides, but won’t be made public.

It’s common in federal cases to keep juries anonymous, particularly in sensitive, high-profile matters where juror safety is a concern

Will Diddy be in court each day?

Yes. Combs, 55, has been held at a federal jail in Brooklyn since his September arrest. His formerly jet-black hair is now almost completely gray because dye isn't allowed at the detention center.

Combs, who had his own fashion line, wore yellow jail uniforms in pretrial hearings. But for the trial, the judge said he can have up to five button-down shirts, five pairs of pants, five sweaters, five pairs of socks and two pairs of shoes without laces.

He interacted with his lawyers but remained largely stoic as Cassie testified on Tuesday. During a break, he made a heart shape with his hands and mouthed “thank you” to one of his twin daughters. He also blew a kiss to his mother.

Under federal court rules, no photos or video of the trial will be allowed. Courtroom sketches are permitted.

What won’t we hear?

Since 2023, dozens of women and men have been filing lawsuits against Combs claiming he sexually or physically abused them. Many of those people said they were slipped drugs at events hosted by Combs and were abused while they were incapacitated.

Combs has denied all of the allegations through his lawyers, who say the accusers are out for his money.

Some of those lawsuits have claimed that other celebrities were either present for or participated in the abuse.

The great majority of those allegations, however, aren't part of the criminal case. Prosecutors have chosen to focus on a relatively small number of accusers and allegations where there is physical evidence or corroboration by witnesses.